What is a Soul?
Lessons 3 & 4
 

Lesson 3

So far we've learned that God created living souls such as man, beast, fish, and creeping things.

Job 12: 9, 10 - Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul (nephesh) of EVERY LIVING THING, and the breath of all mankind.

It was shown in our last study that the word 'nephesh', translated 'soul' can be used of individuals as well as multiple persons and that it can be substituted into pronouns, such as 'myself', 'You', 'I' 'themselves' etc…

Is.46: 2. - They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves (nephesh) are gone into captivity.

Prov. 19:8 - He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul (nephesh i. e. loveth himself): he that keepeth understanding shall find good.

'Soul', Nephesh, is also used of man, a person, performing certain acts, i.e. a soul performing certain acts:

Ps. 35:13. - But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul (nephesh) with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

Soul, nephesh, is also used of Man possessing appetites and desires:

Deut. 12:15 - Notwithstanding thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul (nephesh) lusteth after, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee….(i.e. this soul , person, lusts after food)

Prov. 6:30. - Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul (nephesh) when he is hungry; (i.e. to satisfy himself when he is hungry)

Is. 56:11. - Yea, they are greedy (nephesh) dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. Once again these souls, these persons are greedy and could never have enough.

Deut. 23:24 - When thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure (nephesh); but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.
This soul finds pleasure in getting his fill of grapes.

Nephesh, i.e. soul, is used of Man as exercising certain mental faculties and manifesting certain feelings and affections. In each of these occurrences 'nephesh' is translated 'soul'.

Gen. 42:21. - And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul (nephesh), when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
He was an anguished soul or his soul (he) was anguished.

Deut 6:5. - And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Such emotion is exhibited - to love the Lord with all thy being, with ALL thy soul.

Ps. 31:9 - Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. The soul, the whole person is consumed with grief.

Job 10:1 - My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. Once again, such emotion is portrayed, His soul (his whole being) is weary and bitter.

Ps. 35:9 - And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord: it shall rejoice in his salvation. Here, their whole being is joyful in the Lord.

In the following verses, 'nephesh' is also translated into various words that express the feelings of man:

Gen. 23:8 - And he communed with them, saying, If it be your mind (nephesh i. e. if it be your desire) that I should bury my dead out of my sight; hear me, and intreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar,

Judges 18:25 - And the children of Dan said unto him, Let not thy voice be  heard among us, lest angry (nephesh) fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household.

1 Sam. 22:2 - And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented (nephesh), gathered themselves unto him;..."

Ez. 27:31 - And they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee, and gird them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of heart (bitterness of heart = nephesh) and bitter wailing.

So nephesh can be used of man expressing different emotions and manifesting different feelings.

Here are other references (there are many more) of nephesh that express actions, as well as emotions, passions, or affections: Ps. 6:3 (sore vexed), Job. 3:20 (bitter), 1 Kings 2:4 (walk), Ps. 11:5 (hateth), Ps. 34:2 (boast), Ps. 13:2 (taketh council), Isa. 55:2 (delight).

From this lesson we've learned that souls, persons, can express and manifest many different feelings and emotions as well as exercising mental capabilities and actions.

Now that we've covered the O.T. definition of soul, in our next lesson, I will show how 'nephesh' in the Hebrew O.T. is equivalent to 'psuche' in the Greek N.T.



Lesson 4

From our previous studies we've learned that animals and creeping things are souls just as man is a living soul.

Job 12: 9, 10 - Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this? In whose hand is the soul (nephesh) of EVERY LIVING THING, and the breath of all mankind.

Also, 'nephesh' means persons or individuals and can be replaced with pronouns such as 'he', 'myself', 'themselves', etc...

Is. 46:2 - They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves (nephesh) are gone into captivity.

In our last lesson we learned that souls, persons, can express and manifest many different feelings and emotions as well as exercise mental capabilities and actions.

Is. 55:2 - "….. hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight (nephesh) itself in fatness."

In this lesson we will learn that 'psuche' in the N.T. Greek is equivalent to 'nephesh' in the O.T. Hebrew.

How do we know they are the same? By comparing Scripture with Scripture, we find that 'nephesh' is equivalent to 'psuche' in the N.T.

Here are a few examples:

Compare:

Gen. 2:7 - And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (nephesh).

With -

1 Cor. 15:45 - And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul (psuche); the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

Compare:
Acts 2: 27. Because thou wilt not leave my soul (psuche) in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

With -

Ps.16:10 - For thou wilt not leave my soul (nephesh) in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Compare
Matt. 22: 37. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul (psuche), and with all thy mind.

With -

Deut. 6:5. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul (nephesh), and with all thy might.

In the N.T. there are 95 occurrences of 'psuche', which is equivalent to 'nephesh' in the O.T.

In our next lesson we will show from the Word, contrary to traditional belief, that souls die.


Lessons 5 & 6>