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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Nefesh - Breath or Breather

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  • From: Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>
  • To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Nefesh - Breath or Breather
  • Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2007 11:20:09 +0300

Dear "Brak" (or is it John? - please sign you posts in such a way that we know who we are answering),

Think of the expression "a living soul" in English. The "soul" is somthing that all living beings (or at least humans - I have no intention of opening up a debate on that) have - and so one may refer to all people as "living souls", as in, "I walked down the street, and there was not a living soul there".

While Nefe$ Xayah is more "spirit" then "soul", the ancients considered a person's breathing as evidence of his being alive - thus the use of the same word for "spirit" and for "breath". "Ne$amah" has a similar meaning. So you might translate vss. 20, 21, 24 as "beathing, living creatures" (even for fish!), and 30 as "creatures with the breath of life".

Yigal Levin

----- Original Message ----- From: "Brak" <Brak AT neo.rr.com>
To: <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 10:36 AM
Subject: [b-hebrew] Nefesh - Breath or Breather


In Gen 1:20, 1:21, 1:24, and 1:30 we have the phrase NEFE$ XAY.FH

In 1:20, 1:21, and 1:24 the phrase is usually translated as "living
creature".
But in 1:30 it is usually translated as "breath of life".

So it appears that in 1:20,21,24 NEFE$ XAY.FH is being translated to be
referring to the item being spoken of (the "breather"), while in 1:30 is
appears to be translated as something which the item being spoken of has
(the "breath").

Can someone help me make heads or tails of this.


--

B"H
John Steven

"If you don't behave as you believe, you will end by believing as you
behave."
-Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.
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