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b-hebrew - Re: words for "soul" ---- nefesh, etc.

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  • From: ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk (Ben Crick)
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: words for "soul" ---- nefesh, etc.
  • Date: Fri, 8 Jan 99 08:32:00


On Thu 7 Jan 99 (17:00:47), a.c.smith AT juno.com wrote:
> I found the following on a web site. I have not heard of "neshama"
> before. Does this word occur in the Tanakh? If so, where?

Dear Anthony

The word N:$aMaH is used in Genesis 2:7 in close connection with NePe$,
so that by metonymy the word "breath" (the living part of a person) comes
to mean "soul" (the spiritual part of a person).

In Job 26:4 Job chides Bildad with playing God. 'eT-MiY HiGGaD:Ta MiLLiYN
WeNi$:MaT-MiY YaTsa'H MiMMeKKa. This seems an allusion to Genesis 2:7.

In Proverbs 20:27 we find NeR YHWH Ni$:MaT 'aDaM ''. The "spirit" of man
is the "lamp of the LORD".

In Isaiah 57:16 we find N:$aMoWT (breathing ones, souls) used in
conjunction with RuWaX (wind, spirit).

Again by word-association or metonymy we establish the overlapping
Euler-circles of the semantic ranges of N:$aMaH, RuWaX and NePe$.

Thanks for the interesting citation from the unidentified website.

Ben
--
Revd Ben Crick, BA CF
<ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk>
232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm







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