H5397 H5397
Breath — from God's life-giving inbreathing, to his wrathful blast, to a living soul
Neshamah is the breath that bridges Creator and creature. In Genesis 2:7 God breathes the neshamath chayyim into Adam's nostrils, making dust into a living being — a scene mirrored across languages (Spanish 'aliento de vida,' French 'souffle de vie'). Yet the same word describes God's destructive blast: the hot wind kindling Topheth (Isa 30:33), the cold breath freezing water (Job 37:10), the storm from his nostrils scattering enemies (2 Sam 22:16). By metonymy it stretches to mean any breathing creature (Josh 10:40), reminding readers that every living soul depends on the breath God gave.
Senses
1. breath, breathing — Physical breath — the air inhaled and exhaled by living beings, and supremely the breath of life breathed by God into humanity. Genesis 2:7's neshamath chayyim is the animating gift; Genesis 7:22 adds ruach to intensify the phrase. Spanish 'aliento' and French 'souffle' consistently render this as physical respiration. Job 27:3 and 33:4 affirm that as long as God's breath remains in a person, they live. 16×
AR["ذِي-نَسَمَةٍ","نَسَمةٍ","نَسَمَةً","نَسَمَةٌ","نَسَمَةٍ","نَسَمَةَ","نَسَمَةُ","نَسَمَتِي","وَ-نَسَمَةُ","وَ-نَسَمَتَهُ","وَ-نَفَسٌ"]·ben["-নিঃশ্বাসী","আমার-নিশ্বাস","আর-তাঁর-নিঃশ্বাস","আর-নিঃশ্বাস","এবং-নিশ্বাস-","এবং-শ্বাস","নিঃশ্বাস","নিশ্বাস।","শ্বাস"]·DE["Nüstern-","[ונשמה]","[ונשמת]","[ונשמתו]","[נשמה]","[נשמתי]","breath","den-Odem","der-Atem"]·EN["and-His-breath","and-breath","and-breath-of-","and-the-breath-of","breath","breath-of","breath-of-","in-his-nostrils","my-breath","the-breath"]·FR["breath","breath-de","breath-de-","et-son-souffle-lui","et-souffle","le-souffle","mon-souffle-moi","souffle"]·heb["ה-נשמה","ו-נשמה","ו-נשמת","ו-נשמתו","נשמה","נשמתי"]·HI["और-साँस","और-सांस","और-सांस-उसकी","मेरी-साँस","श्वास","श्वास-","श्वासवाले","साँस","सांस","सांस-लेने-वाला"]·ID["dan-nafas","dan-nafas-siapa","dan-nafasNya","dan-napas","nafas","nafasku","napas","yang-bernapas","yang-bernyawa"]·IT["[ונשמה]","breath","breath-di","breath-di-","e-respiro","e-respiro-suo","respiro-mio","soffio"]·jav["ambegan","ambekan","ingkang-ambegan","lan-napas","lan-napas-","lan-napas-ipun","napas","napas-kula"]·KO["그-숨있는-것이","그리고-그의-숨결을","그리고-숨결이","그리고-숨이","그리고-영이-","나의-숨결이","숨","숨-쉬는-것을","숨쉬는-것을","숨쉬는-것이","숨을","호흡이"]·PT["E-o-fôlego-de","e-fôlego","e-seu-sopro","e-sopro-de","fôlego","fôlego-de-","meu-fôlego","o-que-respira","respiração"]·RU["души","дыхание","дыхание-","дыхание-моё","дыхания","дышащего","дышащее","и-дыхание","и-дыхание-","и-дыхание-его"]·ES["aliento","aliento-de","aliento-de-","el-aliento","mi-aliento","respiración","y-aliento","y-aliento-de-","y-su-aliento"]·SW["chenye-pumzi","hai","na-pumzi","na-pumzi-yake","na-roho-ya","pumzi","pumzi-ya","pumzi-yangu"]·TR["nefes","nefes-alan","nefes-alanı","nefesi","nefesim","nefesini","soluyanı","soluğu-","ve-nefes","ve-nefesi-","ve-soluğu","ve-soluğunu"]·urd["اور-اس کے دم کو","اور-دم","اور-روح-","اور-سانس","جو-سانس-رکھتا-ہے","سانس","سانس-لینے-والا","سانس-میری","سانس-والا","سانس-والے-کو"]
Gen 2:7, Gen 7:22, Deut 20:16, Josh 11:11, Josh 11:14, 1 Kgs 15:29, 1 Kgs 17:17, Job 26:4, Job 27:3, Job 32:8, Job 33:4, Job 34:14 (+4 more)
2. blast of divine anger — The powerful blast from God's nostrils — a theophanic image of divine wrath. In 2 Samuel 22:16 and Psalm 18:15 the neshamah of God's anger parts the sea-bed; in Job 4:9 the wicked perish by it; in Job 37:10 it freezes water to ice. Spanish 'soplo' (gust) and the phrase 'blast of' in English capture the violent, wind-like force distinct from gentle breath. 6×
AR["بِ-نَسْمَةِ","بِنَفْخَةِ","مِنْ-نَسَمَةِ-","مِنْ-نَفْخَةِ","نَسَمَةُ","نَفْخَةُ"]·ben["-নিঃশ্বাস-থেকে-","নিঃশ্বাস","নিঃশ্বাস-থেকে","নিশ্বাস-থেকে"]·DE["[מנשמת]","[נשמת]","bei-blast-von","bei-der-Atem-"]·EN["at-blast-of","at-the-blast-of","breath-of","from-the-breath-of","from-the-breath-of-","of-YHWH"]·FR["de-souffle","souffle","à-blast-de"]·heb["מ-נשמת","נשמת"]·HI["श्वास","साँस-से","सांस","सांस-से","से-साँस"]·ID["Dari-nafas-","Dengan-nafas","dari-hembusan","napas"]·IT["a-blast-di","da-respiro","respiro","soffio"]·jav["Saking-napas-ipun","napas","napas-saking","saking-ambegan","saking-ambekan","saking-napas"]·KO["-에서-숨결","숨결이","숨결이니라","에서-숨결이","하나님-의-숨결-에서","호흡-에서"]·PT["Do-sopro-de-","ao-sopro","de-sopro-de","fôlego-de","pelo-sopro-de","sopro-de"]·RU["дыхание","дыхание-","от-дуновения","от-дыхания","от-дыхания-"]·ES["De-aliento-de-","Por-soplo-de","del-soplo-de","el-aliento-de","por-soplo-de","soplo-de"]·SW["kutoka-pumzi-ya","kwa-pumzi-ya","ni-pumzi-ya","pumzi"]·TR["Soluğundan-","nefesi","nefesinden-","solunasından"]·urd["-سانس-سے","دم سے","دم-سے","روح","سانس"]
3. soul, spirit, living being — By metonymy, a living soul or breathing creature — anything that draws breath. Joshua 10:40 reports the destruction of 'all neshamah,' meaning every living being. Isaiah 57:16 extends it to the collective 'souls' God has made. The shift from breath to breather is natural across Semitic languages and visible in Spanish's oscillation between 'lo que respiraba' (that which breathed) and 'almas' (souls). 2×
AR["النَسَمَةِ","وَ-نَسَمَاتٌ"]·ben["-এবং-শ্বাসগুলি","শ্বাসপ্রাপ্তদের"]·DE["[ונשמות]","der-breathing"]·EN["and-souls","the-breathing"]·FR["et-souffle","le-breathing"]·heb["ה-נשמה","ו-נשמות"]·HI["और-प्राणोंको","सांस-लेनेवालों-को"]·ID["dan-jiwa-jiwa","yang-bernyawa"]·IT["e-soffio","il-breathing"]·jav["lan-ambekan","napas"]·KO["그리고-영혼들을","숨쉬는-것을"]·PT["e-almas","o-que-respira"]·RU["дышащее","и-души"]·ES["lo-que-respiraba","y-las-almas"]·SW["ha-pumziko","na-nafsi"]·TR["nefesi","ve-ruhlar"]·urd["اور-جانیں","سانس-والے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† נְשָׁמָה n.f. breath;—נ׳ Dt 20:16 + 9 times; cstr. נִשְׁמַת (cf. LagBN 82) Gn 2:7 + 10 times; sf. נִשְׁמָתִי Jb 27:3; נִשְׁמָתוֹ Jb 34:14; pl. נְשָׁמוֹת Is 57:16;— 1. breath of God as hot wind kindling a flame Is 30:33; as destroying wind 2 S 22:16 = ψ 18:16, Jb 4:9; as cold wind producing ice Jb 37:10; as creative, giving breath to man Jb 32:8; 33:4. 2. breath of man 1 K 17:17 Is 42:5 Jb 27:3…