What does נְשָׁמָה (neshāmāh) mean in the Bible?
נְשָׁמָה (neshāmāh): Animating breath linking physical life, divine inspiration, and human intellect within single semantic field.
Hebrew · H5397
נְשָׁמָה
A puff , i.e. wind , angry or vital breath , divine inspiration , intellect . or (concretely) an animal
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נְשָׁמָה H5397
Pronunciation neshāmāh
What does נְשָׁמָה (neshāmāh) mean in the Bible?
נְשָׁמָה (neshāmāh): Animating breath linking physical life, divine inspiration, and human intellect within single semantic field.
Full entry for נְשָׁמָה (H5397) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5397?
The BSB source-word alignment has 24 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the breath (4), at the blast (2), breath (2), By the breath (2), that breathed (2).
Where does נְשָׁמָה (neshāmāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 2:7. Its strongest book concentrations include Job (7), Isaiah (4), Joshua (3), 1 Kings (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It the breath 4× Genesis 2:7, Genesis 7:22, Job 32:8, Isaiah 30:33
at the blast 2× 2 Samuel 22:16, Psalms 18:15
breath 2× 1 Kings 17:17, Isaiah 42:5
By the breath 2× Job 4:9, Job 37:10
that breathed 2× Joshua 10:40, Joshua 11:11
who breathed 2× Joshua 11:14, 1 Kings 15:29
and breath 1× Job 34:14
and the breath 1× Job 33:4
has only the breath 1× Isaiah 2:22
is any breath 1× Daniel 10:17
my breath 1× Job 27:3
spirit 1× Job 26:4
that breathes 1× Deuteronomy 20:16
that has breath 1× Psalms 150:6
the breath of life 1× Isaiah 57:16
The spirit 1× Proverbs 20:27
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 2:7 נִשְׁמַ֣ת to the breath Noun - feminine singular construct Genesis 7:22 נִשְׁמַת־ to the breath Noun - feminine singular construct Deuteronomy 20:16 נְשָׁמָֽה׃ to that breathes Noun - feminine singular Joshua 10:40 הַנְּשָׁמָה֙ to that breathed Article | Noun - feminine singular Joshua 11:11 נְשָׁמָ֑ה to that breathed Noun - feminine singular Joshua 11:14 נְשָׁמָֽה׃ to who breathed Noun - feminine singular 2 Samuel 22:16 מִנִּשְׁמַ֖ת to at the blast Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct 1 Kings 15:29 נְשָׁמָ֛ה to who breathed Noun - feminine singular 1 Kings 17:17 נְשָׁמָֽה׃ to breath Noun - feminine singular Job 4:9 מִנִּשְׁמַ֣ת to By the breath Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 2:7
Aligned rows 24
Books represented 10
Genesis 2 Deuteronomy 1 Joshua 3 2 Samuel 1 1 Kings 2 Job 7 Psalms 2 Proverbs 1 Isaiah 4 Daniel 1
Source forms
נְשָׁמָֽה׃ 3x nə·šā·māh Deuteronomy 20:16, Joshua 11:14, 1 Kings 17:17
וְנִשְׁמַ֖ת 2x wə·niš·maṯ Job 32:8, Job 33:4
נִשְׁמַ֣ת 2x niš·maṯ Genesis 2:7, Proverbs 20:27
הַנְּשָׁמָה֙ 1x han·nə·šā·māh Joshua 10:40
הַ֭נְּשָׁמָה 1x han·nə·šā·māh Psalms 150:6
וּנְשָׁמָ֖ה 1x ū·nə·šā·māh Daniel 10:17
וּנְשָׁמ֖וֹת 1x ū·nə·šā·mō·wṯ Isaiah 57:16
וְנִשְׁמַת־ 1x wə·niš·maṯ- Job 26:4
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular 7x Deuteronomy 20:16, Joshua 11:11, Joshua 11:14, 1 Kings 15:29
Noun - feminine singular construct 4x Genesis 2:7, Genesis 7:22, Proverbs 20:27, Isaiah 30:33
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct 4x 2 Samuel 22:16, Job 4:9, Job 37:10, Psalms 18:15
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct 3x Job 26:4, Job 32:8, Job 33:4
Article | Noun - feminine singular 2x Joshua 10:40, Psalms 150:6
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural 1x Isaiah 57:16
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular 1x Daniel 10:17
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1x Job 34:14
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Animating breath linking physical life, divine inspiration, and human intellect within single semantic field.
Source Gloss
a puff , i.e. wind , angry or vital breath , divine inspiration , intellect . or (concretely) an animal
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Animating breath linking physical life, divine inspiration, and human intellect within single semantic field.
a puff, i.e. wind, angry or vital breath, divine inspiration, intellect. or (concretely) an animal BDB: breath Usage: blast, (that) breath(-eth), inspiration, soul, spirit.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Breath or life-force given by God and easily withdrawn.
Showing 1 selected witness from 24 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
נְשָׁמָה is built from this root:
נָשַׁם H5395
Why This Word Matters
The reminder that human breath is temporary undercuts misplaced confidence in mortal leaders and highlights dependence on God. Isaiah 2:10-22
Canonical Themes
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain