# nephesh (נֶפֶשׁ)

pronounced: NEH-fesh


**Soul — the whole living being**

## In Scripture

> Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
> — Genesis 2:7 (Man does not receive a nephesh — he becomes one)

> For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.
> — Leviticus 17:11 (Nephesh as life itself — why blood makes atonement)


## How to read this entry

The definition comes from the IsraelForYou lexicon. Scripture quotations and their translation are named below; later tradition or modern usage is identified when it appears.


https://israelforyou.com/hebrew/nephesh/