'Life' in the Bible

for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it. I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.

Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.

The Lord God caused to grow out of the ground every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden, as well as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Then the Lord God said to the serpent:Because you have done this,you are cursed more than any livestockand more than any wild animal.You will move on your bellyand eat dust all the days of your life.

And He said to Adam, “Because you listened to your wife’s voice and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’:The ground is cursed because of you.You will eat from it by means of painful laborall the days of your life.

The Lord God said, “Since man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.”

He drove man out and stationed the cherubim and the flaming, whirling sword east of the garden of Eden to guard the way to the tree of life.

So Adam’s life lasted 930 years; then he died.

So Seth’s life lasted 912 years; then he died.

So Enosh’s life lasted 905 years; then he died.

So Kenan’s life lasted 910 years; then he died.

So Mahalalel’s life lasted 895 years; then he died.

So Jared’s life lasted 962 years; then he died.

So Enoch’s life lasted 365 years.

So Methuselah’s life lasted 969 years; then he died.

So Lamech’s life lasted 777 years; then he died.

“Understand that I am bringing a flood—floodwaters on the earth to destroy every creature under heaven with the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will die.

In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the sources of the watery depths burst open, the floodgates of the sky were opened,

Two of all flesh that has the breath of life in it entered the ark with Noah.

Everything with the breath of the spirit of life in its nostrils—everything on dry land died.

I will require the life of every animal and every man for your life and your blood. I will require the life of each man’s brother for a man’s life.

So Noah’s life lasted 950 years; then he died.

Please say you’re my sister so it will go well for me because of you, and my life will be spared on your account.”

Your servant has indeed found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness by saving my life. But I can’t run to the mountains; the disaster will overtake me, and I will die.

Now Sarah lived 127 years; these were all the years of her life.

This is the length of Abraham’s life: 175 years.

This is the length of Ishmael’s life: 137 years. He took his last breath and died, and was gathered to his people.

They made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.

So Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m sick of my life because of these Hittite women. If Jacob marries a Hittite woman like one of them, what good is my life?”

When Reuben heard this, he tried to save him from them. He said, “Let’s not take his life.”

“So if I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us—his life is wrapped up with the boy’s life—

And now don’t be worried or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.

Now Jacob lived in the land of Egypt 17 years, and his life span was 147 years.

Then he blessed Joseph and said:The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day,

Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

his master is to bring him to the judges and then bring him to the door or doorpost. His master must pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve his master for life.

If there is an injury, then you must give life for life,

If instead a ransom is demanded of him, he can pay a redemption price for his life in the full amount demanded from him.

For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have appointed it to you to make atonement on the altar for your lives, since it is the lifeblood that makes atonement.

Since the life of every creature is its blood, I have told the Israelites: You must not eat the blood of any creature, because the life of every creature is its blood; whoever eats it must be cut off.

You must not go about spreading slander among your people; you must not jeopardize your neighbor’s life; I am Yahweh.

Whoever kills an animal is to make restitution for it, life for life.

You may leave them to your sons after you to inherit as property; you can make them slaves for life. But concerning your brothers, the Israelites, you must not rule over one another harshly.

then I will do this to you: I will bring terror on you—wasting disease and fever that will cause your eyes to fail and your life to ebb away. You will sow your seed in vain because your enemies will eat it.

But the donkey said, “Am I not the donkey you’ve ridden all your life until today? Have I ever treated you this way before?”“No,” he replied.

Who has counted the dust of Jacobor numbered the dust clouds of Israel?Let me die the death of the upright;let the end of my life be like theirs.

You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of killing someone; he must be put to death.

Follow the whole instruction the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live, prosper, and have a long life in the land you will possess.

Do this so that you may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life by keeping all His statutes and commands I am giving you, your son, and your grandson, and so that you may have a long life.

But don’t eat the blood, since the blood is the life, and you must not eat the life with the meat.

take an awl and pierce through his ear into the door, and he will become your slave for life. Also treat your female slave the same way.

You must not eat leavened bread with it. For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread with it, the bread of hardship—because you left the land of Egypt in a hurry—so that you may remember for the rest of your life the day you left the land of Egypt.

It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to observe all the words of this instruction, and to do these statutes.

“Here is the law concerning a case of someone who kills a person and flees there to save his life, having killed his neighbor accidentally without previously hating him:

You must not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot.

“Do not take a pair of millstones or an upper millstone as security for a debt, because that is like taking a life as security.

Your life will hang in doubt before you. You will be in dread night and day, never certain of survival.

See, today I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity.

I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live,

love the Lord your God, obey Him, and remain faithful to Him. For He is your life, and He will prolong your life in the land the Lord swore to give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

See now that I alone am He;there is no God but Me.I bring death and I give life;I wound and I heal.No one can rescue anyone from My hand.

For they are not meaningless words to you but they are your life, and by them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they revered him throughout his life, as they had revered Moses.

for my father fought for you, risked his life, and delivered you from the hand of Midian,

When I saw that you weren’t going to deliver me, I took my life in my own hands and crossed over to the Ammonites, and the Lord handed them over to me. Why then have you come today to fight against me?”

Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” He pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the leaders and all the people in it. And the dead he killed at his death were more than those he had killed in his life.

would you be willing to wait for them to grow up? Would you restrain yourselves from remarrying? No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me.”

He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

Making a vow, she pleaded, “Lord of Hosts, if You will take notice of Your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give Your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.”

The Lord brings death and gives life;He sends some to Sheol, and He raises others up.

So the Philistines were subdued and did not invade Israel’s territory again. The Lord’s hand was against the Philistines all of Samuel’s life.

Samuel judged Israel throughout his life.

He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the Lord brought about a great victory for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?”

David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What did I do wrong? How have I sinned against your father so that he wants to take my life?”

Stay with me. Don’t be afraid, for the one who wants to take my life wants to take your life. You will be safe with me.”

David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh when he saw that Saul had come out to take his life.

See, my father! Look at the corner of your robe in my hand, for I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. Look and recognize that there is no evil or rebellion in me. I haven’t sinned against you even though you are hunting me down to take my life.

Then say this: ‘Long life to you, and peace to you, to your family, and to all that is yours.

Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the Lord is certain to make a lasting dynasty for my lord because he fights the Lord’s battles. Throughout your life, may evil not be found in you.

“When someone pursues you and attempts to take your life, my lord’s life will be tucked safely in the place where the Lord your God protects the living. However, He will fling away your enemies’ lives like stones from a sling.

Saul responded, “I have sinned. Come back, my son David, I will never harm you again because today you considered my life precious. I have been a fool! I’ve committed a grave error.”

Just as I considered your life valuable today, so may the Lord consider my life valuable and rescue me from all trouble.”

The woman came over to Saul, and she saw that he was terrified and said to him, “Look, your servant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do.

Then he begged me, ‘Stand over me and kill me, for I’m mortally wounded, but my life still lingers.’

Saul and Jonathan,loved and delightful,they were not parted in life or in death.They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.

They brought Ish-bosheth’s head to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here’s the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who intended to take your life. Today the Lord has granted vengeance to my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”

But David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As the Lord lives, the One who has redeemed my life from every distress,

Uriah answered David, “The ark, Israel, and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camping in the open field. How can I enter my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live and by your life, I will not do this!”

Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant and said, ‘Hand over the one who killed his brother so we may put him to death for the life of the brother he murdered. We will destroy the heir!’ They would extinguish my one remaining ember by not preserving my husband’s name or posterity on earth.”

We will certainly die and be like water poured out on the ground, which can’t be recovered. But God would not take away a life; He would devise plans so that the one banished from Him does not remain banished.

But in response, Ittai vowed to the king, “As the Lord lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king is, whether it means life or death, your servant will be there!”

Then David said to Abishai and all his servants, “Look, my own son, my own flesh and blood, intends to take my life—how much more now this Benjaminite! Leave him alone and let him curse me; the Lord has told him to.

If I had jeopardized my own life—and nothing is hidden from the king—you would have abandoned me.”

Then Joab went into the house to the king and said, “Today you have shamed all your soldiers—those who rescued your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, your wives, and your concubines.

Barzillai replied to the king, “How many years of my life are left that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king?

Now please come and let me advise you. Save your life and the life of your son Solomon.

The king swore an oath and said, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every difficulty,

Then Solomon took an oath by the Lord: “May God punish me and do so severely if Adonijah has not made this request at the cost of his life.

So God said to him, “Because you have requested this and did not ask for long life or riches for yourself, or the death of your enemies, but you asked discernment for yourself to understand justice,

In addition, I will give you what you did not ask for: both riches and honor, so that no man in any kingdom will be your equal during your entire life.