נַפְשְׁ/ךָ֛
𐤍𐤐𐤔/𐤊
nephesh
your life
The animate self; a living being with breath; the seat of life or vitality in animals and humans. In the Hebrew Bible, 'nephesh' refers to living creatures, the essential self or person, appetite, desire, and occasionally the seat of emotions or consciousness. It can indicate the life that animates a body, a specific individual, or one's being in a holistic sense. Unlike later concepts of an immortal soul distinct from the body, 'nephesh' primarily expresses the living, breathing person or animal, often rendered as 'life', 'person', or 'being.'
1 Samuel 26:24 · Word #4
Lexicon H5315
| Lemma | נֶפֶשׁ |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤍𐤐𐤔 |
| Transliteration | nephesh |
| Strong's | H5315 |
| Definition | The animate self; a living being with breath; the seat of life or vitality in animals and humans. In the Hebrew Bible, 'nephesh' refers to living creatures, the essential self or person, appetite, desire, and occasionally the seat of emotions or consciousness. It can indicate the life that animates a body, a specific individual, or one's being in a holistic sense. Unlike later concepts of an immortal soul distinct from the body, 'nephesh' primarily expresses the living, breathing person or animal, often rendered as 'life', 'person', or 'being.' |
Morphology HNcbsc/Sp2ms
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | b — Both — Both (masculine and feminine) |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | c — Construct — The noun is bound to the following word |
Common Translation
| Phrase | your life |
SIBI-P1 Translation H5315-33
your living being
| Morphological Notes | Noun, common, singular, construct state + 2nd person masculine singular pronominal suffix. |
| Rendering Rationale | "Nephesh" denotes the animate, breathing self—the living being as a whole. The construct form with a 2nd masculine singular suffix is rendered as "your," preserving singular number and masculine address. |
View full lexicon entry for H5315 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
your life
| Same as P1 | Yes |
| Rationale | Standardized from "your living being". The Hebrew term is נַפְשְׁךָ (nafshĕkha), normally and idiomatically rendered “your life” (or “your soul”). Context (“your eyes will fail, and your life will languish…”) clearly refers to the person’s life/vitality, not requiring the unusual literal phrasing “your living being.” For consistency and readability, use the standard “your life.” |