Reference: Soul
American
The ancients supposed the soul, or rather the animating principle of life, to reside in the breath, that it departed from the body with the breath. Hence the Hebrew and Greek words which, when they refer to man, in our Bibles are translated "soul," are usually rendered "life" or breath" when they refer to animals, Ge 2:7; 7:15; Nu 16:22; Job 12:10; 34:14-15; Ps 104:29; Ec 12:7; Ac 17:25.
But together with this principle of life, which is common to men and brutes, and which in brutes perishes with the body, there is in man a spiritual, reasonable, and immortal soul, the seat of our thoughts, affections, and reasonings, which distinguishes us from the brute creation, and in which chiefly consists our resemblance to God, Ge 1:26. This must be spiritual, because it thinks; it must be immortal, because it is spiritual. Scripture ascribes to man alone understanding, conscience, the knowledge of God, wisdom, immortality, and the hope of future everlasting happiness. It threatens men only with punishment in another life, and with the pains of hell. In some places the Bible seems to distinguish soul from spirit, 1Th 5:23; Heb 4:12: the organ of our sensations, appetites, and passions, allied to the body, form the nobler portion of our nature which most allies man to God. Yet we are to conceive of them as one indivisible and spiritual being, called also the mind and the heart, spoken of variously as living, feeling, understanding, reasoning, willing, etc. Its usual designation is the soul.
The immortality of the soul is a fundamental doctrine of revealed religion. The ancient patriarchs lived and died persuaded of this truth; and it was in the hope of another life that they received the promises. Compare Ge 50:22; Nu 23:10; 1Sa 28:13-15; 2Sa 12:23; Job 19:25-26; Ec 12:7; Heb 11:13-16. In the gospel "life and immortality," and the worth of immortal souls, are fully brought to light, Mt 16:26; 1Co 15:45-57; 2Ti 1:10. To save the souls of men, Christ freely devoted himself to death; and how does it become us to labor and toil and strive, in our respective spheres, to promote the great work for which He bled and died!
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And God said, Let us make man in our image, like us: and let him have rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every living thing which goes flat on the earth.
And the Lord God made man from the dust of the earth, breathing into him the breath of life: and man became a living soul.
They went with Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh in which is the breath of life.
Now Joseph and all his father's family went on living in Egypt: and the years of Joseph's life were a hundred and ten.
Then falling down on their faces they said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, because of one man's sin will your wrath be moved against all the people?
Who is able to take the measure of the dust of Jacob or the number of the thousands of Israel? May my death be the death of the upright and my last end like his!
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all flesh of man.
But I am certain that he who will take up my cause is living, and that in time to come he will take his place on the dust; And ... without my flesh I will see God;
If he made his spirit come back to him, taking his breath into himself again, All flesh would come to an end together, and man would go back to the dust.
If your face is veiled, they are troubled; when you take away their breath, they come to an end, and go back to the dust.
And the dust goes back to the earth as it was, and the spirit goes back to God who gave it.
And the dust goes back to the earth as it was, and the spirit goes back to God who gave it.
For what profit has a man, if he gets all the world with the loss of his life? or what will a man give in exchange for his life?
And he is not dependent on the work of men's hands, as if he had need of anything, for he himself gives to all life and breath and all things;
And may the God of peace himself make you holy in every way; and may your spirit and soul and body be free from all sin at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For there are men who are not ruled by law; foolish talkers, false teachers, specially those of the circumcision,
All these came to their end in faith, not having had the heritage; but having seen it with delight far away, they gave witness that they were wanderers and not of the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are searching for a country for themselves. read more. And truly if they had kept in mind the country from which they went out, they would have had chances of turning back. But now their desire is for a better country, that is to say, for one in heaven; and so it is no shame to God to be named their God; for he has made ready a town for them.
Hastings
The use of the term in the OT (Heb. nephesh) for any animated being, whether human or animal (Ge 1:20 'life,' Ge 2:7), must be distinguished from the Greek philosophical use for the immaterial substance which gives life to the body, and from the use in the NT (Gr. psyche) where more stress is laid on individuality (Mt 16:26 Revised Version margin). As the Bible does not contain a scientific psychology, it is vain to dispute whether it teaches that man's nature is bipartite (body and soul or spirit) or tripartite (body and soul and spirit): yet a contrast between soul and spirit (Heb. r
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And God said, Let the waters be full of living things, and let birds be in flight over the earth under the arch of heaven.
And the Lord God made man from the dust of the earth, breathing into him the breath of life: and man became a living soul.
And the Lord God made man from the dust of the earth, breathing into him the breath of life: and man became a living soul.
In the night the desire of my soul has been for you; early will my spirit be searching for you; for when your punishments come on the earth, the people of the world will get the knowledge of righteousness.
For what profit has a man, if he gets all the world with the loss of his life? or what will a man give in exchange for his life?
And Mary said: My soul gives glory to God; My spirit is glad in God my Saviour.
I am the good keeper of sheep: the good keeper gives his life for the sheep.
So when Jesus had taken the wine he said, All is done. And with his head bent he gave up his spirit.
For the natural man is not able to take in the things of the Spirit of God: for they seem foolish to him, and he is not able to have knowledge of them, because such knowledge comes only through the Spirit.
It is planted a natural body; it comes again as a body of the spirit. If there is a natural body, there is equally a body of the spirit. And so it is said, The first man Adam was a living soul. The last Adam is a life-giving spirit. read more. But that which is natural comes before that which is of the spirit.
Only let your behaviour do credit to the good news of Christ, so that if I come and see you or if I am away from you, I may have news of you that you are strong in one spirit, working together with one soul for the faith of the good news;
For the word of God is living and full of power, and is sharper than any two-edged sword, cutting through and making a division even of the soul and the spirit, the bones and the muscles, and quick to see the thoughts and purposes of the heart.
This wisdom is not from heaven, but is of the earth and the flesh and the Evil One.
These are the men who make divisions, natural men, not having the Spirit.
Watsons
SOUL, that immortal, immaterial, active substance or principle in man, whereby he perceives, remembers, reasons, and wills. See MATERIALISM.