נֶ֫פֶשׁ756 H5315
Soul, life, self, person; the breathing inner being — seat of desire, emotion, and vital existence
Perhaps the richest anthropological term in the Hebrew Bible, nephesh encompasses the entire animated person — from the breath of life God breathed into Adam (Gen 2:7) to the desperate cry 'my soul thirsts for God' (Ps 42:2). It resists neat translation: Korean splits it between 영혼 ('soul') and 생명 ('life'), Swahili between nafsi ('inner self') and uhai ('vitality'), and Spanish between alma and vida. In legal texts it simply means 'person' — a counted head. At its root, nephesh is whatever makes a creature alive, wanting, and present in the world.
2. life, vitality — Physical life or vital existence (94x) that can be risked, lost, or saved. Korean 생명/목숨 and Swahili uhai/maisha distinguish this from the inner-self sense. Exod 21:23 ('life for life') and Exod 4:19 ('those who sought your life') show nephesh as the stake in mortal danger — something concretely at risk rather than an interior state. 94×
AR["نَفسي","نَفسَهُ","نَفْسَه","نَفْسَهُ","نَفْسِهِ","نَفْسِي"]·ben["আমার-প্রাণ","আমার-প্রাণকে","তাদের-প্রাণ","তার-প্রাণ","তার-প্রাণকে","প্রাণ-তার"]·DE["mein-Leben","sein-Seele","seine-Seele"]·EN["his-appetite","his-life","his-soul","its-soul","my-life","soul-his","their-soul"]·FR["mon-vie","son-âme"]·heb["נפש-ו","נפש-י","נפשו","נפשוֹ","נפשי"]·HI["अपना-प्राण","अपनि-जअन","अपनी-जानको","अपने-प्राण","उसके-प्राण-को","जीव-उसकी","प्राण-अपना","प्राण-अपना।","प्राण-अपने","प्राण-अपने-को","प्राण-उसके","प्राण-मेरा","प्राण-मेरी","मेरी-जान"]·ID["jiwa-mereka","jiwaku","jiwanya","jiwanya,","nyawaku","nyawanya"]·IT["la-sua-anima","mio-vita","suo-anima"]·jav["ing-pejah","manahipun","nyawa-kula","nyawa-nipun","nyawanipun"]·KO["그-의-영혼-을","그-의-욕심-을","그의-생명을","그의-영혼을","나의-목숨을","나의-생명을","나의-생명이","나의생명이","내-생명을","목숨-그의-를","생명을-그의","영혼-그의-를","자기-영혼을"]·PT["a-sua-alma","alma-dele","alma-minha","alma-sua","sua-alma","sua-vida"]·RU["душа-моя","души-своей","душу-мою","душу-свою"]·ES["alma-de-el","alma-mía","mi-alma","mi-vida","su-alma","su-vida"]·SW["nafsi-yake","nafsi-yangu","nafsi-yao","nafsi-zao","uhai-wangu","yake"]·TR["canini","canım","canımı","canını","canını-onun"]·urd["اپنی-جان","اپنی-جان-کو","جان-اپنی","جان-میری","میری-جان","نفس-اُس-کا"]
Exod 4:19, Exod 21:23, Exod 21:23, Exod 21:30, Deut 19:21, Deut 24:6, Deut 24:15, Judg 5:18, Judg 12:3, Judg 18:25, 1 Sam 26:21, 1 Sam 26:24 (+38 more)
▼ 5 more senses below
Senses
1. soul, inner being — The immaterial inner self or soul (647x) — the seat of emotions, will, and spiritual life. Korean 영혼 and Swahili nafsi consistently mark this core sense. Gen 49:6 ('let my soul not enter their council') and Ps 42:1 show nephesh as the conscious, feeling self that relates to God and others. This is the dominant sense across nearly all genres. 647×
AR["نَفسي","نَفْسِ-ي","نَفْسِي","يا-نَفْسي"]·ben["আমার-প্রাণ","আমার-প্রাণকে"]·DE["mein-Seele","meine-Seele"]·EN["my-soul","soul-my"]·FR["mon-âme","âme-mon"]·heb["נפש","נפש-י","נפשי"]·HI["प्राण","प्राण-मेरा","मेर-प्रन","मेरी-आत्मा","मेरी-जान","मेरे-प्राण","मेरे-प्राण-का","मेरे-प्राण-को"]·ID["jiwa-ku","jiwaku","terhadap-kamu"]·IT["anima-mio","la-mia-anima","mia-anima","mio-anima"]·jav["Nyawa-kula","nyawa-Kawula","nyawa-kawula","nyawa-kula"]·KO["나-의-영혼","나-의-영혼-을","나의-생명이","나의-영혼이","나의-영혼이여","내-생명을","내-영혼-이","내-영혼이","영혼-나의","영혼-을"]·PT["Minha-alma","a-minha-alma","alma-minha","minha-alma","minha-alma;"]·RU["душа-Моя","душа-моя","душу-мою"]·ES["alma-de-mí","alma-mía","mi-alma"]·SW["Nafsi-yangu","nafsi-yangu","shida"]·TR["canım","canımı"]·urd["اپنی-جان","جان","جان-میری","میری-جان","میری-جان-کا","میری-جان-کو"]
3. desire, appetite, will — Desire, appetite, or volitional craving (9x). Korean 소원/뜻 and Swahili tamaa/hamu isolate this appetitive meaning. Gen 23:8 ('if it is your desire') and Deut 23:24 ('eat grapes to your desire') show nephesh as the wanting faculty — what the self reaches for, whether food, possession, or a loved one (Gen 34:3, 8). 9×
AR["إِلى-نَفْسِ","كَنَفْسِكَ","لِـ-نَفْسِ","لِنَفْسِ","لِنَفْسِهَا","نَفْسُ-هُ","نَفْسُكُمْ"]·ben["-ইচ্ছায়","ইচ্ছায়","তার-প্রাণ","তার-প্রাণের-কাছে","তোমাদের-প্রাণ","তোমাদের-প্রাণের","তোমার-প্রাণের-মতো"]·DE["Wille","dein-Seele","in-Seele","seine-Seele","wie-dein-desire","zu-Seele-","zu-der-Seele-","zu-ihr-desire"]·EN["as-your-desire","his-soul","to-desire-of","to-her-desire","to-soul-of","to-the-desire-of","your-desire","your-soul"]·FR["comme-ton-desire","dans-âme","son-âme","ton-désirer","ton-âme","à-sa-desire"]·heb["ב-נפש","כ-נפשך","ל-נפשה","נפש-ו","נפש-כם","נפשכם"]·HI["उसकी-जान","जी-तेरी-जैसी","जीव-उसकी-को","तुम्हारी-इच्छा","नप्शखेम","में-इच्छा"]·ID["jiwa-kalian","jiwa-nya","keinginan-kamu","kepada-kehendak","menurut-keinginanmu","untuk-dirinya"]·IT["a-lei-desire","come-tuo-desire","in-anima","suo-anima","tuo-anima","tuo-desiderare"]·jav["dhateng-kasengsaran","dhateng-nyawa","dhateng-nyawanipun","ing-kekajengan","jiwa-panjenengan","manah-panjenengan","nyawanipun","sapuasipun"]·KO["-뜻-에","그녀의-영혼으로","그의-마음이","너희의-뜻에","너희의-뜻이","네-영혼-대로","소원-에","소원에-"]·PT["alma-dele","alma-vossa","conforme-tua-alma","na-vontade-de-","no-desejo-de","para-si-mesma","vossa-alma","à-vontade-de"]·RU["в-волю-","в-душу","душа-ваша","душа-его","по-желанию-её","по-желанию-твоему"]·ES["a-alma-de","a-su-voluntad","al-deseo-de","alma-de-vosotros","alma-de-él","en-alma-de","según-tu-deseo","vuestra-alma"]·SW["bintini","kadri-ya-nafsi-yako","katika-nafsi-ya","kuweka","kwa-hamu-ya","kwa-nafsi-yake","kwa-tamaa-ya","nafsi-zenu","wake"]·TR["-canlarınızda","canı","canına","canına-","canına-göre","canınız","seni"]·urd["-جان-کے","اُس-کی-جان","اُس-کی-جان-نے","اُس-کی-مرضی-پر","اپنی-خواہش-کے-مطابق","تمہاری-روحوں","جان-میں","جی-تمہارے","مرضی-پر"]
4. person, individual — A person or individual as a countable unit (5x), especially in legal and census contexts. Korean 사람 and Spanish persona mark this impersonal usage. Lev 27:2 ('the valuation of persons') and Deut 24:7 ('kidnapping a person') treat nephesh as a human head to be enumerated or legislated about, stripped of its emotive connotations. 5×
AR["نَفْسًا","نَفْسٍ","نُفُوسًا"]·ben["প্রাণ","প্রাণগুলি","প্রাণী"]·DE["creature","person","persons"]·EN["creature","person","persons"]·FR["créature","person","persons"]·heb["נפש"]·HI["जीव","प्राणियों","प्राणी"]·ID["jiwa-jiwa","makhluk","seseorang"]·IT["creatura","person","persons"]·jav["makhluk","nyawa","tiyang"]·KO["생명들을","생명을","생명의"]·PT["alma","almas","pessoa"]·RU["душ","души","душу"]·ES["alma","de-almas","persona"]·SW["nafsi"]·TR["canlar","canlının","canını"]·urd["جان","جانوں"]
5. sense 5 — Breath or life-breath (1x at Job 41:21), describing the fiery exhalation of Leviathan. English 'his breath' and Spanish 'su aliento' capture the physical respiratory image. This rare usage preserves the etymological link between nephesh and naphash ('to breathe'), grounding the abstract soul-concept in concrete respiration. 1×
AR["نَفْسُهُ"]·ben["তার-প্রাণ"]·DE["seine-Seele"]·EN["His-breath"]·FR["son-âme-lui"]·heb["נפשו"]·HI["उसका-श्वास"]·ID["Nafasnya"]·IT["anima-suo"]·jav["Ambekanipun"]·KO["그것-의-숨결이"]·PT["Seu-hálito"]·RU["душа-его"]·ES["Su-aliento"]·SW["pumzi-yake"]·TR["Soluğu"]·urd["اُس-کا-سانس"]
6. sense 6 — The animating principle that constitutes a living being (1x at Gen 2:7), where God breathes into Adam and he becomes a 'living nephesh.' French dans-âme and German zu-einer-Seele point to the transformative moment: not a soul entering a body, but dust becoming an ensouled creature. This foundational verse anchors the entire semantic range. 1×
AR["لِ-نَفْسٍ"]·ben["প্রাণের-জন্য"]·DE["zu-einer-Seele"]·EN["into-soul"]·FR["dans-âme"]·heb["ל-נפש"]·HI["के-लिए-प्राण"]·ID["menjadi-makhluk"]·IT["in-anima"]·jav["dados-makhluk"]·KO["에-생물"]·PT["alma"]·RU["в-душу"]·ES["para-alma"]·SW["nafsi"]·TR["canlı"]·urd["جان"]
Related Senses
H3045 1. Qal: to know, perceive, understand (829×)H3820a 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (572×)H4672 1. Qal: find, discover (289×)G1492 1. know facts or truths (285×)H3824 1. heart, inner self (mind/will/emotion) (250×)H1245 1. seek, search for (200×)G1097 1. know, be acquainted with (196×)H2142 1. Qal: remember, recall (173×)G2588 1. heart (inner self, mind, will) (158×)H0977 1. choose, select (Qal active) (145×)G2147 1. find, discover (144×)G5590 1. soul, inner self (100×)H4672 2. Niphal: be found, be discovered (99×)H1875 1. seek, search for (96×)H1847 1. knowledge, discernment (90×)H2450 1. wise, prudent (84×)H7911 1. Qal: to forget (83×)H3684 1. fool, dullard (70×)G2212 1. seek, search for, look for (64×)G2212 2. desire, strive to obtain (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
נֶ֫פֶשׁ756 n.f. Gn 49:6 (so even Gn 2:19 Nu 31:28 1 K 19:2 v. Albr ZAW xvi (1896), 42 SS) soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion (Ecclus 3:18; 4:1(×2), 2(×2) 13:12; 14:11);—נ׳ Gn 1:20 +; נָ֑פֶשׁ Gn 37:21 +; sf. נַפְשִׁי Gn 12:13 +; pl. נְפָשׁוֹת Ez 13:18 + 13 times; נְפָשֹׁת Ex 12:4; Lv 27:2; cstr. נַפְשׁוֹת Gn 36:6 + 4 times; נַפְשֹׁת Lv 21:11; נְפָשִׁים…