Soul (Bible)

Occurrences in Scripture

In the Old Testament, the word translated "soul" is in most cases the Hebrew nephesh. Genesis 2:7 records that when God breathed the breath of life into the man formed from the dust, "man became a living soul" (nephesh chayyah, a living being). The same expression is used of animals in Genesis 1:20 and 1:24, where it is rendered "living creature." In Leviticus 17:11 it is translated "life," and in Deuteronomy 6:5 the New Korean Revised Version renders it "mind" (뜻). In the Psalms it refers to the person praying, as in "so panteth my soul after thee, O God" (Psalm 42:1) and "Bless the LORD, O my soul" (Psalm 103:1).

In the New Testament, the corresponding term is the Greek psyche. Matthew 10:28 warns against fearing those who "kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul," while in Mark 8:36 Korean versions render the same word as "life" (목숨). Revelation 6:9 describes "the souls" of the martyrs under the altar.

Meaning of the Terms

The basic meaning of nephesh is "throat" or "breath," from which it broadened to mean life, a living being, desire, and "oneself." It is distinct from ruach (wind, breath), the word translated "spirit." Because the Septuagint generally rendered nephesh as psyche, this usage carried over into the New Testament, where "spirit" is expressed by a separate word, pneuma.

Interpretations and Issues

• Dichotomy and trichotomy: The majority of denominational traditions, including the Reformed tradition, regard the human person as consisting of two elements, soul and body, and understand "spirit" and "soul" as different names for the same entity. Trichotomy distinguishes spirit, soul, and body on the basis of "your whole spirit and soul and body" in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 and of Hebrews 4:12; it is emphasized in some evangelical and Pentecostal teaching.
• After death: Chapter 32 of the Westminster Confession of Faith confesses that after death the body returns to dust, but the soul, which neither dies nor sleeps, immediately returns to God. 2 Corinthians 5:8 and Philippians 1:21–23 are cited in support. By contrast, the Seventh-day Adventist Church regards death as an unconscious sleep until the resurrection, and Jehovah's Witnesses teach that the soul is the person himself, so that when a person dies, the soul also ceases to exist.
• Holistic understanding: Many biblical scholars hold that nephesh refers not so much to an immortal part separable from the body as to the whole living person. They argue that the sharp division between soul and body reflects the influence of Greek philosophy.
• Discussions beyond the text: On the origin of the soul, creationism holds that God creates each soul anew, while traducianism holds that the soul is transmitted from the parents. Scripture does not address the question directly. The preexistence of the soul (the idea that it existed before birth) and reincarnation have no basis in Scripture.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, "soul" is widely used to refer to people as the objects of evangelism and pastoral care, as in expressions such as "saving souls" and "cherishing a single soul." 3 John 1:2, "I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth," has been cited in Full Gospel circles as the basis for the "threefold blessing." Many hymns also contain the word "soul," such as "내 영혼이 은총 입어" ("Since Christ My Soul from Sin Set Free").