לָ/נֶ֗פֶשׁ
𐤋/𐤍𐤐𐤔
nephesh
for-a-soul
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.'
Leviticus 19:28 · Word #2
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 HR/Ncbsa
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 | a — Absolute — The noun stands independently |
Common Translation
| Phrase | for-a-soul |
SIBI-P1 Translation H5315-16
to a living being
| Morphological Notes | Preposition ל prefixed to common noun, singular, absolute state; gender grammatically both but singular in form. |
| Rendering Rationale | The noun נֶפֶשׁ denotes a breathing, living self or being. With the prefixed preposition ל (“to/for”) and singular absolute form, the phrase is rendered “to a living being,” preserving both root sense and singular morphology. |
View full lexicon entry for H5315 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
to a life
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | Standardized from "for a living being". The context forbids making cuts in the flesh as an expression connected with death; rendering it as “for a living being” misrepresents the Hebrew and the sense. The standard “to a life” (consistent with the established lexical choice) correctly reflects the Hebrew construction and should be used here. |