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!
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And God said - Let us make man in our image after our likeness - and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the bird of the heavens and over the tame-beast - and over all the land, and over every creeping thing, that creepeth on the land.
So then Yahweh God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed in his nostrils the breath of life - and man became a living soul.
So they entered in unto Noah, into the ark, - two and two of all flesh, wherein was the spirit of life.
And Joseph abode in Egypt, he, and his fathers house, - and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years.
And they fell upon their faces and said, O GOD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, - shall, one man, sin, and against all the assembly, wilt thou he wroth.
Who hath counted the dust of Jacob? Or who hath numbered the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, And let my hereafter be like his!
In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all the flesh of men.
But, I, know that, my redeemer, liveth, and, as the Last over my dust, will he arise; And, though, after my skin is struck off, this followeth , yet, apart from my flesh, shall I see GOD:
If he should set against him his heart, His spirit and his inspiration, unto himself he should withdraw. All flesh together, would cease to breathe, and, the earth-born, unto dust, would return.
Thou hidest thy face, they are dismayed, Thou withdrawest their spirit, They cease to breathe, And, unto their own dust, do they return:
And the dust return to the earth, as it was, - and, the spirit, return unto God, who gave it.
And the dust return to the earth, as it was, - and, the spirit, return unto God, who gave it.
For what shall a man be profited, though, the whole world, he gain, and, his life, he forfeit? Or what shall a man give, in exchange for his life?
nor, by human hands, is waited upon, as though in want of anything, himself, giving unto all life and breath and all things;
But, the God of peace himself, hallow you completely, and, entire, might your spirit, and soul, and body, - so as to be unblameable in the Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, - be preserved!
For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially they of the circumcision, -
In faith, all these died - not bearing away the promises, but, from afar, beholding and saluting them, and confessing that, strangers and sojourners, were they upon the land. For, they who such things as these are saying, make it clear that, of a paternal home they are in quest; read more. And, if indeed of that they had been mindful, from which they had come out, they might, in that case, have had an opportunity, to return; But, now, after a better one, are they reaching, that is, a heavenly; wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be invoked as, their God, - for he hath prepared for them, a city.
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 swarm with an abundance of living soul, and, birds, shall fly over the earth, over the face of the expanse of the heavens.
So then Yahweh God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed in his nostrils the breath of life - and man became a living soul.
So then Yahweh God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed in his nostrils the breath of life - and man became a living soul.
With my soul, longed I for thee in the night, Yea with my spirit within me, I kept on searching for thee, - For, when thy regulations extend to the earth, The inhabitants of the world will have learned, righteousness.
For what shall a man be profited, though, the whole world, he gain, and, his life, he forfeit? Or what shall a man give, in exchange for his life?
And Mary said - My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath exulted upon God my saviour;
I, am the good shepherd: The good shepherd, his life, layeth down, for the sheep.
When, therefore, he had received the vinegar, Jesus said - It is finished! And, bowing his head, delivered up his spirit.
But, a man of the soul, doth not welcome the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, and he cannot get to know them, because, spiritually, are they examined;
It is sown a body of the soul, it is raised a body of the spirit; if there is a body of the soul, there is also of the spirit: - Thus, also, it is written - The first man, Adam, became, a living soul, the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. read more. Howbeit, not first, is the body of the spirit, but that, of the soul, - afterwards, that of the spirit.
Only, in a manner worthy of the glad-message of the Christ, be using your citizenship; in order that - whether coming and seeing you, or being absent, I may hear of the things which concern you - that ye are standing fast in one spirit, with one soul, joining for the combat along with the faith of the glad-message;
For, living, is the word of God, and, energetic, and more cutting than any knife with two edges, and penetrating as far as a dividing asunder of soul and spirit, of joints also, and marrow, and able to judge the impulses and designs of the heart;
This wisdom is not one, from above, coming down, but is earthly, born of the soul, demoniacal!
These, are they who make complete separation, mere men of soul, Spirit, not possessing.
Watsons
SOUL, that immortal, immaterial, active substance or principle in man, whereby he perceives, remembers, reasons, and wills. See MATERIALISM.