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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נְשָׁמָהH5397
Pronunciationneshāmāh
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 Itthe breath4×Genesis 2:7, Genesis 7:22, Job 32:8, Isaiah 30:33
at the blast2×2 Samuel 22:16, Psalms 18:15
breath2×1 Kings 17:17, Isaiah 42:5
By the breath2×Job 4:9, Job 37:10
that breathed2×Joshua 10:40, Joshua 11:11
who breathed2×Joshua 11:14, 1 Kings 15:29
and breath1×Job 34:14
and the breath1×Job 33:4
has only the breath1×Isaiah 2:22
is any breath1×Daniel 10:17
my breath1×Job 27:3
spirit1×Job 26:4
that breathes1×Deuteronomy 20:16
that has breath1×Psalms 150:6
the breath of life1×Isaiah 57:16
The spirit1×Proverbs 20:27
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 2:7נִשְׁמַ֣תtothe breathNoun - feminine singular constructGenesis 7:22נִשְׁמַת־tothe breathNoun - feminine singular constructDeuteronomy 20:16נְשָׁמָֽה׃tothat breathesNoun - feminine singularJoshua 10:40הַנְּשָׁמָה֙tothat breathedArticle | Noun - feminine singularJoshua 11:11נְשָׁמָ֑הtothat breathedNoun - feminine singularJoshua 11:14נְשָׁמָֽה׃towho breathedNoun - feminine singular2 Samuel 22:16מִנִּשְׁמַ֖תtoat the blastPreposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct1 Kings 15:29נְשָׁמָ֛הtowho breathedNoun - feminine singular1 Kings 17:17נְשָׁמָֽה׃tobreathNoun - feminine singularJob 4:9מִנִּשְׁמַ֣תtoBy the breathPreposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 2:7
Aligned rows24
Books represented10
Genesis2Deuteronomy1Joshua32 Samuel11 Kings2Job7Psalms2Proverbs1Isaiah4Daniel1
Source forms
נְשָׁמָֽה׃3xnə·šā·māhDeuteronomy 20:16, Joshua 11:14, 1 Kings 17:17
וְנִשְׁמַ֖ת2xwə·niš·maṯJob 32:8, Job 33:4
נִשְׁמַ֣ת2xniš·maṯGenesis 2:7, Proverbs 20:27
הַנְּשָׁמָה֙1xhan·nə·šā·māhJoshua 10:40
הַ֭נְּשָׁמָה1xhan·nə·šā·māhPsalms 150:6
וּנְשָׁמָ֖ה1xū·nə·šā·māhDaniel 10:17
וּנְשָׁמ֖וֹת1xū·nə·šā·mō·wṯIsaiah 57:16
וְנִשְׁמַת־1xwə·niš·maṯ-Job 26:4
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular7xDeuteronomy 20:16, Joshua 11:11, Joshua 11:14, 1 Kings 15:29
Noun - feminine singular construct4xGenesis 2:7, Genesis 7:22, Proverbs 20:27, Isaiah 30:33
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct4x2 Samuel 22:16, Job 4:9, Job 37:10, Psalms 18:15
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct3xJob 26:4, Job 32:8, Job 33:4
Article | Noun - feminine singular2xJoshua 10:40, Psalms 150:6
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural1xIsaiah 57:16
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular1xDaniel 10:17
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular1xJob 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 definitionSource: 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:
נָשַׁםH5395
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.