Hebrew · H5315, H2254

נֶפֶשׁ הוּא חֹבֵל

Properly, a breathing creature , i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality ; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental) · to wind tightly (as a rope), i.e. to bind ; specifically, by a pledge ; figuratively, to pervert , destroy ; also to writhe in pain (especially of parturition)

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נֶפֶשׁ H5315 properly, a breathing creature , i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality ; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)

Pronunciation nafsho

Vitality or lifeforce of a creature; ranges from physical breath to desire, appetite, and personal identity or selfhood.

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חָבַל H2254 to wind tightly (as a rope), i.e. to bind ; specifically, by a pledge ; figuratively, to pervert , destroy ; also to writhe in pain (especially of parturition)

Pronunciation yəḥabbel

Binding action that moves from physical restraint to covenant violation, corruption, and destructive harm of persons.

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What does נֶפֶשׁ הוּא חֹבֵל (nephesh hu chovel) mean in the Bible?

נֶפֶשׁ · חָבַל is a Hebrew phrase meaning "properly, a breathing creature , i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality ; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)". properly, a breathing creature , i.

Full entry for נֶפֶשׁ הוּא חֹבֵל (H5315, H2254) · Open the biblical lexicon

Meaning

properly, a breathing creature , i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality ; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)

Word Origins

נֶפֶשׁ הוּא חֹבֵל is built from this root:

נָפַשׁ H5314 to breathe ; passively, to be breathed upon , i.e. (figuratively) refreshed (as if by a current of air)

Grammatical Forms

How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.

Cross-Language Connections

Greek words that correspond to or develop the meaning of this Hebrew word in the New Testament.

ψυχή psychḗ G5590 LXX equivalent Greek

soul

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0