The word "soul" (Hebrew nepes and Greek psyche) apparently has three primary meanings in the Bible:
(1) A human person.
(2) An animal.
(3) The life enjoyed by a person or animal.
Genesis 2:7 describes Adam becoming a "living being" (Amplified Bible) or a "living soul" (New World Translation). The apostle Paul also invokes this account when reproving some in the Corinthian ecclesia (1 Cor. 15:45). Furthermore, animals are called "souls" in Numbers 31:28; Ezekiel 47:9; Revelation 8:9; 16:3. For an example of psyche denoting "life," see Matthew 16:25; 20:28.
Technically, I do not believe that there is any dichotomy between the body and the soul in the OT or NT. A number of biblical commentators have also noted this point:
"The Jewish origin of the word [YUXH] is determinative: NEPES is the living quality of the flesh. The soul belongs to man's earthly existence. It does not exist without physical life. It is not, say, freed by death, then to live its untrammeled purity. Death is its end. The word YUXH can also mean the person, and this is related to SWMA, SARX and PNEUMA (Rom. 16:4: hUPER THS YUXHS MOU 'For my life')" (Conzelmann, Hans. An Outline of the Theology of the New Testament, 179).
Friday, March 29, 2013
The Denotation of the Biblical Term for Soul
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While nephesh and psyche can indeed refer to persons or animals in certain contexts, this is not their exclusive meaning. These terms can denote the immaterial aspect of human beings that survives physical death, evidenced in multiple scriptural texts.
Matthew 10:28 clearly teaches that the soul (psyche) is distinct from the body and cannot be killed by human means: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can perish both soul and body in hell.” Here, Jesus explicitly speaks of the soul as separate from the body, affirming its existence beyond physical life.
In Genesis 35:18, the term nephesh refers to Rachel’s soul departing from her body at the moment of death: “And as her soul was departing (for she was dying)…” This indicates that the soul continues to exist even after bodily death.
The Old Testament contains references to the continued existence of the soul after death. In 1 Samuel 28:12-15, the prophet Samuel, though deceased, is described as appearing to Saul and speaking with him. This event cannot be reconciled with the idea that the soul ceases to exist at death.
In Revelation 6:9-11, the souls of martyrs are depicted as consciously crying out for justice under the altar. These souls are awaiting final judgment, indicating a continued existence after death and before the final resurrection.
While psyche is used in various ways, Paul’s theology also includes a more nuanced understanding of the human person. In Philippians 1:23, Paul expresses a desire to “depart and be with Christ,” implying that after death, the believer’s soul enjoys communion with the Lord even before the resurrection.
The cited argument relies heavily on Conzelmann’s interpretation, but Conzelmann’s approach represents a particular scholarly perspective that emphasizes the holistic view of human life in the Jewish tradition. However, this does not exclude the idea of the soul’s continued existence after death. His interpretation focuses more on the embodied experience of the human being rather than denying the soul’s survival after physical death.
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