נִשְׁמָא
𐤍𐤔𐤌𐤀
nishmâʼ
H5396 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Breath, particularly in the sense of vital breath or the act of breathing; by extension, the animating force that sustains life, especially in human beings. In Aramaic contexts, refers specifically to the breath as indicative of life, often paralleling Hebrew נְשָׁמָה (neshamah). Can denote not only the physical phenomenon of inhaling and exhaling, but also the underlying ‘spirit’ or animating presence within a living creature.
Semantic Range
breath, vital breath, living breath, breath of life, animating force, evidence of life
Root / Etymology
Aramaic noun, corresponding to Hebrew נְשָׁמָה (neshamah). Derived from the root נשם, which in both Hebrew and Aramaic is associated with breathing or the act of exhaling/inhaling. The word itself functions as a noun, designating the breath that characterizes or signifies living beings.
Historical & Contextual Notes
נִשְׁמָא (nishmâʼ) appears only in the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible, notably in Daniel 5:23. It parallels the Hebrew נְשָׁמָה, with both signifying the vital principle that animates living creatures. In the broader context of the ancient Near East, breath was commonly associated with life itself. The term does not refer to soul in the Greek or later Western sense, but rather to the fact of being alive, often contrasted with גוּפָא (body) in Aramaic. In Daniel, נִשְׁמָא underscores divine attribution of life—the breath ‘in your nostrils’ as a sign of life granted by deity. English ‘breath’ captures the core meaning, but lacks the nuanced association with life-force or animating principle present in the original. In Aramaic literature and later rabbinic texts, the distinction persists between breath (נִשְׁמָא/נְשָׁמָה) and spirit (רוּחַ), though their semantic fields occasionally overlap.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to נְשָׁמָה; vital breath; breath.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נשם (n-š-m) — to breathe, exhale, inhale
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5396-01 |
נִשְׁמְתָ֥/ךְ | nishemetakhe | ANcfsc/Sp2ms |
your breath | your vital breath | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5396-01 |
Daniel 5:23 | נִשְׁמְתָ֥/ךְ | nishemetakhe | ANcfsc/Sp2ms |
your breath | your vital breath |