Psalms 54:4 — Word Study
WLCהִנֵּ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים עֹזֵ֣ר לִ֑י אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י בְּֽסֹמְכֵ֥י נַפְשִֽׁי׃
BSAGodʼĕlôhîym [Elohim, the one supreme God]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הִנֵּ֣ה | here! | Particle |
| אֱ֭לֹהִים | God | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| עֹזֵ֣ר | [is] a helper | Verb, Qal, participle (active) masculine singular |
| לִ֑י | of me | Preposition, suffix |
| אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י | [the] Lord | Noun proper |
| בְּֽסֹמְכֵ֥י | [is] [those who] sustain | Preposition, verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common |
| נַפְשִֽׁי׃ | life my | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Surely God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul. |
| KJV | Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul. |
| ASV | Behold, God is my helper: The Lord is of them that uphold my soul. |
| YLT | Lo, God [is] a helper to me, The Lord [is] with those supporting my soul, |
| WEB | Behold, God is my helper. The Lord is the one who sustains my soul. |
| BBE | See, God is my helper: the Lord is the great supporter of my soul. |
The translations agree on the meanings of עֹזֵ֣ר and אֲדֹנָ֗י as helper and Lord, respectively.
The structure consists of a main clause followed by a predicate that elaborates on the subject.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectשָׁמַע
verbתְּפִלָּה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 54:4
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Plea for Deliverancegenerated
Psalm 54:4 is part of a prayer where the psalmist calls upon God for help against his enemies. The psalm reflects a deep trust in God's protective nature, emphasizing that God is not only a helper but also the one who sustains the psalmist's very being. This theme of divine support is common in the Psalms, where the faithful seek refuge in God's strength during times of trouble.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 118:6–7 | The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? |
| 2 | 1 Chronicles 12:18 | Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, the chief of the Thirty, and he said: “We are yours, O David! We are with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers, for your God helps you.” So David received them and made them leaders of his troops. |
| 3 | Isaiah 41:10 | Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness. |
| 4 | Isaiah 42:1 | “Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations. |
| 5 | Isaiah 50:7–9 | Because the Lord GOD helps Me, I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set My face like flint, and I know that I will not be put to shame. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 7 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — עֹזֵ֣ר, 'o.Zergenerated
The Hebrew word עֹזֵר ('ozer) is a participle form meaning 'helper' or 'supporter'. It conveys the action of providing assistance or aid, particularly in times of distress. The root of this word suggests a sense of surrounding or protecting, which is significant in the context of the psalmist's plea for divine intervention.
As a masculine singular participle, it emphasizes God's active role in supporting the psalmist. This word encapsulates the essence of reliance on God, portraying Him as the one who upholds and sustains life.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse consists of two main clauses, each with a subject and a predicate. The first clause is governed by the finite verb עֹזֵ֣ר (is a helper), while the second clause describes the Lord's role as the sustainer of the psalmist's soul.
The structure emphasizes God's dual role as both helper and sustainer, reflecting the psalmist's deep reliance on divine support.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אֱלֹהִים as θεός (Theos), which maintains the meaning of God as the supreme being. This choice aligns with the Hebrew understanding of God in the psalm.
The Greek word ἐνώτισαι for 'sustainer' suggests a similar notion of support and maintenance, reflecting the psalmist's faith in God's ongoing care.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 54:4 expresses the psalmist's confidence that God is his helper and sustainer. In the face of enemies, he declares his trust in God's support and protection over his life.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies that God provides support and assistance in times of trouble, reflecting His protective nature.
This emphasizes that God not only helps but also maintains the psalmist's life and well-being.
Similar themes of trust in God's help and sustenance appear throughout the Psalms, where the faithful seek refuge in God.
We can learn the importance of relying on God for support and recognizing His role in sustaining our lives.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what situations have I experienced God's help in my life?
- How can I remind myself of God's sustaining presence during difficult times?
- What does it mean to me to declare that God is my helper?
- How can I support others in recognizing God's help and sustenance in their lives?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church fathers have commented on this verse, noting its significance in understanding God's role as helper and sustainer.
The introduction of a pause marks a change of person. He no longer speaks but is addressed. For now the prophetic utterance assumes a general character.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 54 →
"For behold, God helps me" [Psalms 54:4]. Even themselves know not themselves, amid whom I am hiding.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 54 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 54:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleBehold, God [is] mine helper,.... This being a matter of wonder to be helped in so extraordinary a manner, and a sure and certain case, and what was deserving the attention of others; for the
Read John Gill on Psalms 54 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBehold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul. Behold.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 54 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleBehold; consider it, and see the vanity of all your wicked practices against me. The Lord is with them that uphold my soul; he fights for them, and on my behalf, and therefore against all mine enemies.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 54 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 54:4 Behold, God [is] mine helper: the Lord [is] with them that uphold my soul.Ver. 4. Behold, God is mine helper] And that mine enemies might have seen, had they set God before them. The Dutch have a proverb, Where God hath a mind to destroy a man, he first putteth out his eyes. The Lord is with them that uphold my soul] That favour my righteous cause, and wish my welfare, as doth Jonathan, and the rest that fear God; who although they be but few and feeble in comparison, yet they have God with them and for them ( non interfuit modo, sed etiam praefuit), and how many do you reckon him for? as Antigonus once said. David was environed, and in great danger to be surprised; but God…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 54 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(4) With them . . .—Better, is a supporter of my life. So LXX. and Vulgate.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 54 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 4. Behold, God is mine helper] This would naturally occur to him when he saw that Saul was obliged to leave the pursuit, and go to defend his territories, when he was on the very point of seizing him. God, whose providence is ever watchful, had foreseen this danger, and stirred up the Philistines to make this inroad just at the time in which Saul and his army were about to lay hands on David. Well might he then say, "Behold, God is mine helper." Is with them, that uphold my soul.] נפשי naphshi, my life. This may even refer to the Philistines, who had at this time made an inroad on Israel. God was even with his own enemies, by making them instruments to save the life of his servant.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 54 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges4–7. A confident expectation of deliverance and vow of thanksgiving.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 54 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleBehold, God is mine helper - That is, God alone can aid me in these circumstances, and to him I confidently look.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 54 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Surely God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
Behold, God is my helper. The Lord is the one who sustains my soul.
Surely God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
Look, God is my deliverer! The Lord is among those who support me.
Tyndale line
Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.
Behold, God is my helper: The Lord is of them that uphold my soul.
Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is of them that uphold my soul.
Behold, God is my helper: the LORD is with them that uphold my soul.
Beholde, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that vpholde my soule.
Strictly literal
Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is among them that uphold my soul.
Lo, God [is] a helper to me, The Lord [is] with those supporting my soul,
Behold, God [is] a helper to me, || The Lord [is] with those supporting my soul,
(54:6) Behold, God is a helper unto me: the Lord is among those that uphold my soul.
See, God is my helper; the Lord is the one who upholds me.
From the Latin
At the voice of the enemy, and at the tribulation of the sinner. For they have cast iniquities upon me: and in wrath they were troublesome to me.
Simplified
But God helps me; the Lord saves my life!
See, God is my helper: the Lord is the great supporter of my soul.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text presents the verse as הִנֵּ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים עֹזֵ֣ר לִ֑י אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י בְּֽסֹמְכֵ֥י נַפְשִֽׁי׃, which is consistent with the Septuagint's translation. The Dead Sea Scrolls fragment contains six words of this verse, indicating a strong textual agreement with the Masoretic Text.
הִנֵּ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהִים עֹזֵ֣ר לִ֑י אֲ֝דֹנָ֗י בְּֽסֹמְכֵ֥י נַפְשִֽׁי׃
7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[אלהים] [שמע] [תפלת׳י] [האזינ׳ה] [לאמרי] [פ׳י]
6 words of the verse are on this fragment — 6 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 54:4
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
הִנֵּה (hinneh) is a Hebrew word meaning 'behold' or 'lo!' It serves as a demonstrative particle used to draw attention, appearing in contexts such as Genesis 19:2. The word is derived from a prolongation of another Hebrew term, but the entries do not provide further details on its usage beyond this.
הִנֵּה, once הִנֶּה־ Gn 19:2, demonstr.part. lo!, behold!
base
H2009 הִנֵּה, הִנֶּה־ lo!, behold!
2009 hinneh hin-nay'
prolongation for 2005; lo!:--behold, lo, see.
see HEBREW for 02005
הִנֵּה (hin.neh) — behold.
behold, lo, see, if
HTj — ParticleHTj
her, in composition:
אֱלֹהִים (elohiym) is a plural noun meaning 'gods' or 'God,' often referring to the supreme deity in the Old Testament. It encompasses divine beings, rulers, and judges, reflecting divine majesty and power. The term can also denote angels and is used in a superlative sense. Notably, it is sometimes combined with יהוה (YHWH), the personal name of God.
אֱלֹהִים 2570 n.m.pl.
pl. in number.
rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power
divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels
angels
gods
pl. intensive
god or goddess
godlike one
works of God, or things belongng to him
God
הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God
אֱלֹהִים = God
base
H430 אֱלֹהִים n. m. pl. . pl. in number. . rulers, judges, either asdivine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power
. divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels
. angels
. gods
. pl. intensive . god or goddess
. godlike one
. works of God, or things belongng to him
. God
. הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God
. אֱלֹהִים = God
430 'elohiym el-o-heem'
plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically
used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the
supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to
magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X
exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X
mighty.
see HEBREW for 0433
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — God.
This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God"
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (LORD)-Elohe.
Combined with ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068)
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (Gibeath)-elohim.
Combined with giv.ah (גִּבְעָה "Gibeath" H1389)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
god ('Elohim, 'El, [`Elyon], Shadday, Yahweh; Theos):
I. INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL IDEA
1. The Idea in Experience and in Thought
2. Definition of the Idea
3. The Knowledge of God
4. Ethnic Ideas of God
(1) Animism
(2) Fetishism
(3) Idolatry
(4) Polytheism
(5) Henotheism
(6) Pantheism
(7) Deism
(8) Semitic Monolatry
(9) Monotheism
II. THE IDEA OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
1. The Course of Its Development
2. Forms of Its Manifestation
(1) The Face or Countenance of God
(2) The Voice and Word of God
(3) The Glory of God
(4) The Angel of God
(5) The Spirit of God
(6) The Name of God
(7) Occasional Forms
3. The Names of God
(1) Generic
(2) Attributive
(3) Yahweh
4. Pre-prophetic Conceptions of God
(1) Yahweh Alone Is the God of Israel
(a) His Early Worship
(b) Popular Religion
(c) Polytheistic Tendencies
(i) Coordination
(ii) Assimilation
(iii) Disintegration
(d) No Hebrew Goddesses
(e) Human Sacrifices
God
(A.S. and Dutch God; Dan. Gud; Ger. Gott), the name of the Divine Being. It is the rendering (1) of the Hebrew ’El, from a word meaning to be strong; (2) of ’Eloah_, plural _’Elohim. The singular form, Eloah, is used only in poetry. The plural form is more commonly used in all parts of the Bible, The Hebrew word Jehovah (q.v.), the only other word generally employed to denote the Supreme Being, is uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by “LORD,” printed in small capitals. The existence of God is taken for granted in the Bible. There is nowhere any argument to prove it. He who disbelieves this truth is spoken of as one devoid of understanding (Ps. 14:1).
The arguments generally adduced by theologians in proof of the being of God are:
(1.) The a priori argument, which is the testimony afforded by reason.
(good). Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures two chief names are used for the one true divine Being--ELOHIM, commonly translated God in our version, and JEHOVAH, translated Lord . Elohim is the plural of Eloah (in Arabic Allah); it is often used in the short form EL (a word signifying strength , as in EL-SHADDAI, God Almighty, the name by which God was specially known to the patriarchs. (Genesis 17:1; 28:3; Exodus 6:3) The etymology is uncertain, but it is generally agreed that the primary idea is that of strength, power of effect , and that it properly describes God in that character in which he is exhibited to all men in his works, as the creator, sustainer and supreme governor of the world. The plural form of Elohim has given rise to much discussion. The fanciful idea that it…
This name, the derivation of which is uncertain, we give to that eternal, infinite, perfect, and incomprehensible Being, the Creator of all things, who preserves and governs all by his almighty power and wisdom, and is the only proper object of worship. The proper Hebrew name for God is JEHOVAH, which signifies He is. But the Jews, from a feeling of reverence, avoid pronouncing this name, substituting for it, wherever it occurs in the sacred test, the word ADONAI, Lord; except in the expression, ADONAI JEHOVAH, Lord Jehovah, for which they put, ADONAI ELOHIM, Lord God. This usage, which is not without an element of superstition, is very ancient, dating its origin some centuries before Christ; but there is no good ground for assuming its existence in the days of the inspired Old Testament writers. The proper word for God is ELOHIM, which is plural in its form, being thus used to signify…
עָזַר (azar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to help or succour. It is built from a primitive root that conveys the idea of surrounding or protecting. The entries indicate its use in various forms: Qal (to help), Niphal (to be helped), and Hiphil (to help). The word captures the essence of providing support or aid.
[עָזַר] 82 vb. help, succour
Qal help
Niph. I am helped
Hiph. v. Qal.
base
H5826 [עָזַר] help, succour
5826 `azar aw-zar'
a primitive root; to surround, i.e. protect or aid:--help,
succour.
עָזַר (a.zar) — to help.
1) to help, succour, support
1a) (Qal) to help
1b) (Niphal) to be helped
1c) (Hiphil) to help
HVqrmsa — Verb · Qal · participle (active) masculine singularHVqrmsa
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bs
אֲדֹנָי (Adonay) means 'Lord' and is an emphatic form of another Hebrew word for lord. It is used specifically as a title for God, often in place of Yahweh to show reverence. Variations include אֲדֹנִי and אֲדֹנַי, which help distinguish divine from human references.
אָדוֹן n.m. lord (אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנַי, אֲדֹנָי are variations of Mass. pointing to distinguish divine reference fr. human. Pl., with few exc. an intens. pl. of rank; word takes sf. as pl. in all other pers.; so doubtless here. Orig. reading prob. in all cases אֲדֹנַי; אֲדֹנִי now found in J 51 t.)
base
H136 אָדוֹן lord (אֲדֹנִי, אֲדֹנַי, אֲדֹנָי are variations of Mass. pointing to distinguish divine reference fr. human. Pl., with few exc. an intens. pl. of rank; word takes sf. as pl. in all other pers.; so doubtless here. Orig. reading prob. in all cases אֲדֹנַי; אֲדֹנִי now found in J 51 t.)
136 'Adonay ad-o-noy'
am emphatic form of 113; the Lord (used as a proper name of
God only):--(my) Lord.
see HEBREW for 0113
אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) — Lord.
Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
HNpt — Noun properHNpt
Lord
There are various Hebrew and Greek words so rendered.
(1.) Heb. Jehovah, has been rendered in the English Bible LORD, printed in small capitals. This is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews. The form “Jehovah” is retained only in Ex. 6:3; Ps. 83:18; Isa. 12:2; 26:4, both in the Authorized and the Revised Version.
(2.) Heb. ‘adon, means one possessed of absolute control. It denotes a master, as of slaves (Gen. 24:14, 27), or a ruler of his subjects (45:8), or a husband, as lord of his wife (18:12).
The old plural form of this Hebrew word is ’adonai. From a superstitious reverence for the name “Jehovah,” the Jews, in reading their Scriptures, whenever that name…
[GOD]
This name belongs to God by preeminence; and in this sense ought never to be given to any creature. Jesus Christ, as the Messiah, the Son of God, and equal with the Father, is often called Lord in Scripture, especially in the writing of Paul. The word LORD, in the English Bible, when printed in small capitals, stands always for JEHOVAH in the Hebrew. See JEHOVAH.
סָמַךְ (samakh) is a Hebrew verb meaning to lean, lay, rest, or support. It encompasses various actions such as propping up, sustaining, and bracing oneself. The word appears in different forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Piel, indicating different nuances of support and sustenance. Notably, it is used in contexts that can be both favorable and unfavorable.
סָמַךְ 48 vb. lean, lay, rest, support
Qal 41
lean or lay hand upon
intrans. thy wrath hath rested upon me
support, uphold, sustain
Niph. reflex. support, or brace oneself
Pi. sustain (refresh, revive) me with raisin-cakes.
base
H5564 סָמַךְ lean, lay, rest, support
5564 camak saw-mak'
a primitive root; to prop (literally or figuratively);
reflexively, to lean upon or take hold of (in a favorable or
unfavorable sense):--bear up, establish, (up-)hold, lay,
lean, lie hard, put, rest self, set self, stand fast, stay
(self), sustain.
סָמַךְ (sa.makh) — to support.
1) to lean, lay, rest, support, put, uphold, lean upon
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to lean or lay upon, rest upon, lean against
1a2) to support, uphold, sustain
1b) (Niphal) to support or brace oneself
1c) (Piel) to sustain, refresh, revive
HR/Vqrmpc — Preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural commonHR/Vqrmpc
The Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (*nephesh*) broadly means 'soul' or 'living being,' encompassing concepts like life, self, person, desire, and emotion. It is derived from the root meaning 'to breathe' and signifies both physical and mental aspects of existence. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, including as the seat of appetites and emotions, though its application to will and character is uncertain.
נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
= that which breathes, the breathing substance or being
The נפשׁ becomes a living being
The נפשׁ is specif.
The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself
נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)
נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions
נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts
נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.
נפשׁ = character is still more dub.
נ׳ in D
base
H5315 נֶ֫פֶשׁ soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion . = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being
. The נפשׁ becomes a living being
. The נפשׁ is specif.
. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself
. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)
. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions
. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts
. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.
. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.
. נ׳ in D
5315 nephesh neh'-fesh
from 5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of
(abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal,
accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any,
appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire,
X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y),
(hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me,
mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-,
thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they,
thing, (X she) will, X would have it.
see HEBREW for 05314
נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul.
1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion
1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man
1b) living being
1c) living being (with life in the blood)
1d) the man himself, self, person or individual
1e) seat of the appetites
1f) seat of emotions and passions
1g) activity of mind
1g1) uncertain
1h) activity of the will
1h1) uncertain
1i) activity of the character
1i1) uncertain
נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul: life.
1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion
1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man
1b) living being
1c) living being (with life in the blood)
1d) the man himself, self, person or individual
1e) seat of the appetites
1f) seat of emotions and passions
1g) activity of mind
HNcfsc/Sp1bs — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp1bs