Lexical Summary psuché: Soul, life, self, inner being Original Word: ψυχή Strong's Exhaustive Concordance soul, life, selfFrom psucho; breath, i.e. (by implication) spirit, abstractly or concretely (the animal sentient principle only; thus distinguished on the one hand from pneuma, which is the rational and immortal soul; and on the other from zoe, which is mere vitality, even of plants: these terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew nephesh, ruwach and chay) -- heart (+ -ily), life, mind, soul, + us, + you. see GREEK psucho see GREEK pneuma see GREEK zoe see HEBREW nephesh see HEBREW ruwach see HEBREW chay HELPS Word-studies 5590 psyxḗ (from psyxō, "to breathe, blow" which is the root of the English words "psyche," "psychology") – soul (psyche); a person's distinct identity (unique personhood), i.e. individual personality. 5590 (psyxē) corresponds exactly to the OT 5315 /phágō ("soul"). The soul is the direct aftermath of God breathing (blowing) His gift of life into a person, making them an ensouled being. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain origin Definition breath, the soul NASB Translation heart (2), heartily (1), life (36), lives (7), mind (1), minds (1), person (1), persons (3), soul (33), souls (14), suspense* (1), thing (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5590: ψυχήψυχή, ψυχῆς, ἡ (ψύχω, to breathe, blow), from Homer down, the Sept. times too many to count for נֶפֶשׁ, occasionally also for לֵב and לֵבָב; 1. breath (Latinanima), i. e. a. the breath of life; the vital force which animates the body and shows itself in breathing: Acts 20:10; of animals, Revelation 8:9 (Genesis 9:4; Genesis 35:18; ἐπιστραφήτω ψυχή τοῦ παιδαρίου, 1 Kings 17:21); so also in those passages where, in accordance with the trichotomy or threefold division of human nature by the Greeks, ἡ ψυχή; is distinguished from τό πνεῦμα (see πνευαμ, 2, p. 520a (and references under the word πνεῦμα 5)), 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12. b. life: μέριμναν τῇ ψυχή, Matthew 6:25; Luke 12:22; τήν ψυχήν ἀγαπᾶν, Revelation 12:11; (μισεῖν, Luke 14:26); τιθέναι, John 10:11, 15, 17; John 13:37; John 15:13; 1 John 3:16; παραδιδόναι, Acts 15:26; διδόναι (λύτρον, which see), Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; ζητεῖν τήν ψυχήν τίνος (see ζητέω, 1 a.), Matthew 2:20; Romans 11:3; add, Matthew 6:25; Mark 3:4; Luke 6:9; Luke 12:20, 23; Acts 20:24; Acts 27:10, 22; Romans 16:4; 2 Corinthians 1:23; Philippians 2:30; 1 Thessalonians 2:8; in the pointed aphorisms of Christ, intended to fix themselves in the minds of his hearers, the phrases εὑρίσκειν, σῴζειν, ἀπολλύναι τήν ψυχήν αὐτοῦ, etc., designate as ψυχή in one of the antithetic members the life which is lived on earth, in the other, the (blessed) life in the eternal kingdom of God: Matthew 10:39; Matthew 16:25; Mark 8:35-37; Luke 9:24, 56 Rec.; c. below), 2 Corinthians 12:15. c. that in which there is life; a living being: ψυχή ζῶσα, a living soul, 1 Corinthians 15:45; (Revelation 16:3 R Tr marginal reading) (Genesis 2:7; plural 2. the soul (Latinanimus), a. the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our soul, heart, etc. (R. V. almost uniformly soul); for examples from Greek writings see Passow, under the word, 2, vol. ii., p. 2589b; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, II. 3); Hebrew נֶפֶשׁ, cf. Gesenius, Thesaurus ii, p. 901 in 3): Luke 1:46; Luke 2:35; John 10:24 (cf. αἴρω, 1 b.); Acts 14:2, 22; Acts 15:24; Hebrews 6:19; 2 Peter 2:8, 14; ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῆς ψυχῆς, Revelation 18:14; ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς εὑρίσκειν, Matthew 11:29; ψυχή, ... ἀναπαύου, φάγε, πίε (WH brackets these three imperatives), εὐφραίνου (personification and direct address), Luke 12:19, cf. Luke 12:18 (ἡ ψυχή ἀναπαύσεται, Xenophon, Cyril 6, 2, 28; ἐυφραίνειν τήν ψυχήν, Aelian v. h. 1, 32); εὐδοκεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου (anthropopathically, of God), Matthew 12:18; Hebrews 10:38; περίλυπος ἐστιν ἡ ψυχή μου, Matthew 26:38; Mark 14:34; ἡ ψυχή μου τετάρακται, John 12:27; ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν ἀκλυόμενοι (fainting in your souls (cf. ἐκλύω, 2 b.)), Hebrews 12:3; ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχή σου, with all thy soul, Matthew 22:37; (Luke 10:27 L text T Tr WH); ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σου (Latinex toto animo), with (literally, from (cf. ἐκ, II. 12 b.)) all thy soul, Mark 12:30, 33 (here T WH omit; L Tr marginal reading brackets the phrase); Luke 10:27 (R G) (Deuteronomy 6:5; (Epictetus diss. 3, 22, 18 (cf. Xenophon, anab. 7, 7, 43)); Antoninus 3, 4; (especially 4, 31; 12, 29); ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχή φροντίζειν τίνος (rather, with κεχαρισθαι), Xenophon, mem. 3, 11, 10); μία ψυχή, with one soul (cf. πνεῦμα, 2, p. 520a bottom), Philippians 1:27; τοῦ πλήθους ... ἦν ἡ καρδία καί ἡ ψυχή μία, Acts 4:32 (ἐρωτηθεις τί ἐστι φίλος, ἔφη. μία ψυχή δύο σώμασιν ἐνοικουσα, (Diogenes Laërtius 5, 20 (cf. Aristotle, eth. Nic. 9, 8, 2, p. 1168b, 7; on the elliptical ἀπό μιᾶς (namely, ψυχῆς?), see ἀπό, III.)); ἐκ ψυχῆς, from the heart, heartily (Ephesians 6:6 (Tr WH with Ephesians 6:7)); Colossians 3:23 (ἐκ τῆς ψυχῆς often in Xenophon; τό ἐκ ψυχῆς πένθος, Josephus, Antiquities 17, 6, 5). b. "the (human) soul in so far as it is so constituted that by the right use of the aids offered it by God it can attain its highest end and secure eternal blessedness, the soul regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life": 3 John 1:2; ἀγρύπνειν ὑπέρ τῶν ψυχῶν, Hebrews 13:17; ἐπιθυμίαι, αἵτινες στρατεύονται κατά τῆς ψυχῆς, 1 Peter 2:11; ἐπίσκοπος τῶν ψυχῶν, 1 Peter 2:25; σῴζειν τάς ψυχάς, James 1:21; ψυχήν ἐκ θανάτου, from eternal death, James 5:20; σωτηρία ψυχῶν, 1 Peter 1:9; ἁγνίζειν τάς ψυχάς ἑαυτῶν, 1 Peter 1:22; (τάς ψυχάς πιστῷ κτίστῃ παρατίθεσθαι, 1 Peter 4:19). c. the soul as an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death (distinguished from τό σῶμα, as the other part of human nature (so in Greek writings from Isocrates and Xenophon down; cf. examples in Passow, under the word, p. 2589{a} bottom; Liddell and Scott, under the word, II. 2)): Matthew 10:28, cf. 4 Macc. 13:14 (it is called ἀθάνατος, Herodotus 2, 123; Plato Phaedr., p. 245 c., 246 a., others; ἄφθαρτος, Josephus, b. j. 2, 8, 14; διαλυθῆναι τήν ψυχήν ἀπό τοῦ σώματος, Epictetus diss. 3, 10, 14); the soul freed from the body, a disembodied soul, Acts 2:27, 31 Rec.; Revelation 6:9; Revelation 20:4 (Wis. 3:1; (on the Homeric use of the word, see Ebeling, Lex. Homer, under the word, 3, and references at the end, also Proudfit in Bib. Sacr. for 1858, pp. 753-805)). Ψυχή (Strong’s 5590) denotes the life-principle that animates the body and constitutes personal identity. Scripture employs the term for the living being itself, the inner self that thinks, feels, and chooses, and the immortal entity that endures beyond death. Context determines whether the emphasis is on earthly life, the conscious person, or the eternal soul that God redeems. Old Testament Background and Septuagint Usage Greek translators regularly used ψυχή to render Hebrew נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh). Thus the New Testament inherits the broad Hebrew sense of “living creature,” “life,” and “self,” while also developing sharper distinctions between soul, spirit, and body (for example Hebrews 4:12). Dimensions of ψυχή in the New Testament • Life as Physical Existence “Is not life more than food?” (Matthew 6:25). ψυχή here refers to daily, biological life that God sustains (see also Luke 12:19-20). • The Individual Person “All two hundred seventy-six of us on board” (Acts 27:37). Persons themselves are counted as ψυχαί, underscoring the value of every individual before God (Acts 2:41; 1 Peter 3:20). • Inner Sentient Self “My soul magnifies the Lord” (Luke 1:46). Emotions, intellect, and will reside in the ψυχή (Matthew 26:38; John 12:27). • Object of Salvation “Receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:9). Redemption targets the ψυχή (James 1:21; Hebrews 10:39). • Priceless Worth “What can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26; Mark 8:36-37). Earthly gain cannot compensate for eternal loss. • Sphere of Perseverance “By your patient endurance you will gain your souls” (Luke 21:19). Faithful endurance safeguards the soul amid persecution. • Seat of Self-Sacrifice “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13; Acts 15:26). Christ and His servants surrender ψυχή for others. • Identity after Death “I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain” (Revelation 6:9; 20:4). Conscious existence continues while awaiting bodily resurrection. Interrelation with πνεῦμα and σῶμα Though overlapping, soul is not identical with spirit. Hebrews 4:12 speaks of a “dividing soul and spirit,” showing distinguishable aspects. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 prays for sanctification of “spirit, soul, and body,” indicating a holistic yet differentiated anthropology. The body is mortal, the spirit God-ward, and the soul the self that interfaces with both. Christological Significance Jesus possesses a human ψυχή: “My soul is consumed with sorrow” (Matthew 26:38). On the cross He “poured out His life unto death” (Isaiah 53:12 echoed in Matthew 20:28), offering His soul as a ransom. His resurrection affirms that God “will not abandon my soul to Hades” (Acts 2:27), guaranteeing believers’ deliverance. Soteriological Implications Conversion is frequently described as the winning or saving of souls (Acts 14:22; James 5:20). Evangelistic preaching addresses the ψυχή, calling for repentance and faith that secure eternal life. The new covenant promise reaches the deepest seat of personality and guarantees everlasting fellowship with God. Pastoral and Ministry Applications • Shepherding Care “Obey your leaders…for they keep watch over your souls” (Hebrews 13:17). Spiritual leaders guard believers’ inner life. • Equipping the Saints “Strive together with one mind for the faith” (Philippians 1:27). Unity of soul fosters mature ministry. • Counseling and Comfort God’s word restores the soul (Psalm 19:7 LXX), and biblical counsel addresses fear, grief, and temptation lodged in the ψυχή. Ethical Imperatives Peter urges believers to “abstain from fleshly passions which wage war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). Moral choices either nourish or damage the inner self. Love for God must be “with all your soul” (Matthew 22:37), anchoring ethics in heartfelt devotion. Missionary Perspective Early church records count converts as souls (Acts 2:41; 4:32). Mission strategy focuses on rescuing souls from darkness to light (Acts 26:18) and planting congregations where “no little encouragement came to the souls” (Acts 14:22). Eschatological Hope Believers anchor hope “as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19). At death the soul departs to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23) and will be reunited with a glorified body at His return, completing salvation (Romans 8:23). Historical Theology Church fathers defended the immortality of the soul against materialistic philosophies. Reformation teaching emphasized Scripture’s testimony that salvation is by grace through faith, assuring the soul’s eternal security. Contemporary pastoral theology continues to prioritize care of souls as the heart of ministry. Representative Passages Matthew 16:26 – “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” Acts 2:41 – “Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand souls were added…” Hebrews 4:12 – “The word of God…penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit.” James 1:21 – “Humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.” Revelation 6:9 – “I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain…” Statistics and Distribution Ψυχή appears 104 times across twenty New Testament books, notably in Matthew, Luke, Acts, 1 Peter, and Revelation. Frequency peaks in narrative sections where lives are at stake and in pastoral exhortations dealing with perseverance and salvation. Worship and Spiritual Formation Corporate worship invites congregations to bless the Lord “O my soul” (Psalm 103:1 LXX echo). Disciplines of Scripture meditation, prayer, and fellowship feed the soul, fostering Christlike affections and resilience. Final Reflection God created the soul, Christ redeemed it, and the Spirit sanctifies it. The believer’s calling is to guard, nurture, and offer that soul wholly to the Lord until the day He completes the good work within. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 2:20 N-AFSGRK: ζητοῦντες τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ παιδίου NAS: who sought the Child's life are dead. KJV: sought the young child's life. INT: were seeking the life of the child Matthew 6:25 N-DFS Matthew 6:25 N-NFS Matthew 10:28 N-AFS Matthew 10:28 N-AFS Matthew 10:39 N-AFS Matthew 10:39 N-AFS Matthew 11:29 N-DFP Matthew 12:18 N-NFS Matthew 16:25 N-AFS Matthew 16:25 N-AFS Matthew 16:26 N-AFS Matthew 16:26 N-GFS Matthew 20:28 N-AFS Matthew 22:37 N-DFS Matthew 26:38 N-NFS Mark 3:4 N-AFS Mark 8:35 N-AFS Mark 8:35 N-AFS Mark 8:36 N-AFS Mark 8:37 N-GFS Mark 10:45 N-AFS Mark 12:30 N-GFS Mark 14:34 N-NFS Luke 1:46 N-NFS Strong's Greek 5590 |
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