The Single Word Nefesh Cpn ('Soul') Covers SEVEN Areas Of Activity Or Conscience

The single word nefesh cpn ('soul') covers SEVEN areas of activity or conscience. It is well to remember the snow analogy used earlier to recall the difficulties that are bound to result in such a situation.

(a) Physical Appetite. This is something we associate with the physical body but in the OT it is applied to a spiritual activity. For example: "... his soul (nefesh) loathes bread" (Job 33:20) "... they tempted God in their hearts (nefeshim) by asking meat for their lust" (Ps.78:18) "... their souls (nefeshim) loathe every kind of food" (Ps.107:18) "... there is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul (nefesh) enjoy good in his labour" (Eccl.2:24) "... my soul (nefesh) desired the first-ripe fruit" (Micah 7:1)

(b) Emotion. Here we see the concept of personality manifest. For example: "... was not my soul (nefesh) grieved for the poor?" (Job 30:25) "... rejoice the soul (nefesh) of thy servant" (Ps.86:4) "... their soul (nefesh) is melted because of trouble" (Ps.107:26) "... O thou whom my soul (nefesh) loveth" (Song of Songs 1:7*) "... Your new moons and your appointed feasts My [Yahweh's] soul (nefesh) hateth" (Is.1:14*) *These two passages are very important because they show that 'self' and nefesh are two different things for both man and God. Yahweh and man are identical, therefore, in spiritual make-up, for both their 'souls' are capable of love. They suggest that the soul is a component of at least two things. Thus, if the soul (nefesh) is body + ruach, as the JWs maintain, then what is the other component? There is no answer to this unless nefesh is defined differently. Since Yahweh-God has a soul (nefesh), and since Yahweh-God is undoubtedly immortal, does this not suggest that man's soul (whatever it is) is immortal too? There is no other way these passages can be interpreted in the kind of mathematical, logical, and consistent way that that is required if all usages of such words as nefesh are considered as being equivalent. (c) Will and Moral Action. "... O my soul (nefesh), come not into their company; O my spirit (ruach), be not joined in their company" (Gen.46:9*) "... My soul (nefesh) chooses strangling and death rather than these my bones" (Job 7:5**) "... Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul (nefesh)" (Ps.25:1) See also Dt.4:92*; Ps.24:4; 119:129,167 *Notice here that nefesh and ruach are used separately in a spiritual sense as though they were two separate, yet similar, aspects of the self. Dt.4:92 adds 'heart' (lev) as a third aspect (heart and soul), **Notice here that nefesh and 'bones' are clearly distinguished; the nefesh is challenged to choose between death and the physical body ('bones'). If, as the WBTS claims, nefesh includes the body (dust/bones), how can it choose a part of itself? The choice presented is between the soul staying with the body or leaving it (and its pain). Dichotomy is clearly indicated here. (d) An Individual or a Person. This is the sense most commonly used by the WBTS: "... the soul (nefesh) shall touch no unclean thing" (Lev.7:21) "... no soul (nefesh) of you shall eat blood" (Lev.17:12*) "... Behold, all souls (nefeshim) are mine" (Ezek.18:4) *Compare this with Gen.9:4 - "But the flesh (body) with the life (nefesh) thereof, which IS the blood (dam) thereof, shall ye not eat". Here nefesh and dam (blood) are the same thing, i.e. 'life'. Can a nefesh (soul/person) eat nefesh? Clearly there are two different uses of nefesh here - one means a PERSON (all of him) and the other simply means 'life principle' as represented by blood. Thus we see two widely different meanings for the same word. (e) Self (used with a pronominal suffix). "... his soul (nefesh) was vexed unto death" (Judg.16:16) "... My soul (nefesh) hath dwelt too long amongst those that hate peace" (Ps.120:6) "... my soul (nefesh) hath not been polluted" (Ezek.4:14) (f) A Dead Body. "You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh (basar) for the dead (nefesh)" (Lev.19:28*) "... all the days that he [the Nazirite] separates himself to Yahweh he shall not go near a dead body (nefesh)" (Num.6:6*) "... If one who is unclean by contact with a dead body (nefesh) ..." (Hag.2:13) *Here we find a DEAD BODY being called a nefesh. But a living soul is also a nefesh. According to the WBTS a soul (nefesh) is body (dust) + ruach (spirit) but in these three examples we have bodies, from which have departed the ruach (spirit(s)), also called nefesh. Yet in Gen.25:18 exactly the OPPOSITE is true (see (g) below). (g) Nefesh Departs at Death "... as her [Rachel's] soul (nefesh) was departing (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin" (Gen.35:18*) *Here is conclusive proof that the nefesh (soul) DEPARTS AT DEATH, in this case, Rachel's, as she was giving birth to her son Benjamin.

This NEFESH is used to refer to a dead body, the departed 'spirit' of a dead person, the 'self' (ego), the whole person (body and spirit), will and morality, the emotions, and the physical appetite. In a nutshell, there is potential for great confusion as the word is used to mean different things, even opposites (like a dead body and a living soul), in a clearly interchangeable manner. In short, in the Hebrew nefesh we have a word similar to the English love or snow.

All of this should serve as a clear warning against trying to develop intricate spiritual anatomical theologies of human beings from the Old Testament or making over simplistic claims as to what a 'soul' or 'spirit' is. Clearly the WBTS doctrine (and that of other soul-sleeper advocates like the Adventists) is right in certain contexts only.

In the light of what we have unearthed about nefesh let us consider some of the favourite scriptures used by the JWs to defend their position:

"... let my soul (nefesh) die the death of the upright ones" (Num.23:10, NWT) Does nefesh herein refer to (a) the physical body, (b) the spirit, (c) body and spirit, or (d) some other aspect of life? There is no telling.

The JWs, of course, will claim that it refers to (c), but how can they be sure? Is it dogma that will determine their choice of alternatives (pre-conceived doctrine)? Obviously an interpretation of this scripture, and others we shall be looking at, will depend in large measure what we understand by ruach (spirit). But before we do that, let us consider the Greek equivalent of nefesh as used in the New Testament.

Psuché yuxh (psyche) is the Greek New Testament (NT) word corresponding most closely to the Hebrew nefesh and occurs in the Gospels with similar meanings. Here, though, there are eleven cases where life after death is implied. In all four Gospels, pneuma (the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew ruach) sometimes denotes the principle of life, although at other times it stands for a higher level of spiritual life. Kardia corresponds to lev (heart) and also occurs in a spiritual or psychical sense.

Paul uses psuché 12 times with four different meanings:

(a) Life "... they seek my life (soul/psuché)" (Rom.11:3) "... the first man Adam was made a living soul (psuché)" (1 Cor.15:45) "... I call Eloah (God) for a record of my soul (life/psuché)" (2 Cor.1:23) "... for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life (soul/psuché) to complete your service to me" (Phil.2:20, RSV) "... we were willing to share with you not only the gospel of Eloah (God) but our own souls (lives/psuché), because you were dear to us" (1 Thes.2:8) See also Rom.16:4. (b) Desire. (Compare with (b) under Nefesh) "... doing the will of Eloah (God) from the heart (soul/psuché)" (Eph.6:6, RSV). "... I have you in my heart (soul/psuché)" (Phil.1:27) "... work heartily (psuché)" (Col.3:23) (c) Emotions (as (b) above). "... may your spirit (pneuma), soul (psuché) and body (soma) be kept sound and blameless" (1 Thes.5:23*). *Could impersonal 'spirit' be kept "blameless"? This clearly demonstrates that spirit is personal. (d) Personal "... tribulation and anguish upon every soul (psuché) that doeth evil" (Rom.2:9) "... let every soul (psuché) be subject unto the higher powers" (Rom.13:1)

Paul uses pneuma for the higher aspects of the human spiritual life, distinguishing human nature (psychikos) from divine grace (pneumatikos) (1 Cor.2:14-15). When Paul uses psuché along with pneuma in 1 Thess.5:23 ("I pray Eloah (God) your whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved") he is merely describing the same immaterial (spiritual) part of man in its lower and higher aspects.

This is an important revelation and may be summarised thus: RUACH/PNEUMA = Higher Spiritual Aspect NEFESH/PSUCHÉ = Lower Spiritual Aspect

This 'lower' aspect would appear to include the body (dust) as well. We shall return to Paul's clarification on the difference between Ruach/Pneuma and Nefesh/ Psuché later.

2. Spirit (Heb. Ruach hwr, Gk. Pneuma pneuma)

The Hebrew word ruach occurs 378 times in the OT and is derived from the verb meaning "to breathe out with violence through the nose". It sometimes stands for the 'life centre' and is virtually a synonym for nefesh, but such cases are comparitively few. Generally, ruach is to be regarded as the ANIMATING PRINCIPLE in relation to which nefesh is the LIVING BEING.

In addition to its reference to the human aspect, ruach is also used to refer to elemental wind (Ex.10:3; 14:21; Job 21:18; Ps.1:4; 35:5; 107:25; Ezek.1:4; 1 Ki.19:11) but it is always under Yahweh's control and effects His will (Amos 4:13; Job 28:15; Prov.30:4; Ps.104:3; 135:7; 148:8).

In Ezekiel's famous valley of dry bones vision we are given examples of various uses of ruach in close proximity (Ezek.37:1-14). In verse 9 it means 'wind', in verses 5,6,8,10 'breath', and in verse 14 'spirit'. This example should remind us that the context can only reveal the exact meaning where one word can be rendered differently.

As a psychological term ruach is the 'dominant impulse or disposition' (Gen.26:35; Num.5:14; 14:24; Job 20:3; Ps.32:2; 51:10; 2 Ki.19:7). Many instances occur where the state of ruach in a man leads to a particular course of action (cp. Prov.16:32; 25:28; Hag.1:14). In other words, ruach is not a constant but can be a variable constituent of nefesh.

Evil spirits as personal entities are frequently mentioned (e.g. 1 Sam.17:16; 18:10; Num.5:14; Hos.4:12; 5:4) and 1 Ki.22:19-25 shows that a personal spirit is intended. On the other hand, many uses of ruach imply a beneficial supernatural influence (e.g. Ex.28:3; Dt.34:9; Isa.28:6; Zech.12:10). The immanence of Yahweh is made evident when His will is effected everywhere by His Ruach (Spirit) (cp. Ps.104; 139). The earliest appearance of this word in this connection is in Gen.1:2 (cp. Job 32:8; 33:4). Especially noteworthy is the connection between the Ruach (Spirit) and the divine covenant with Israel (Hag.2:5) and the equipping of various officials for the service of Yahweh (Num.11:25; 1 Sam.11:6; 16:13; Mic.3:8; Isa.11:2-3; 61:1). In three instances 'Ruach haQodesh' ('Holy Spirit') occurs (Ps.51:11; Isa.63:10-11). Whereas many of the phrases used to describe the Spirit of Yahweh are impersonal (consistent with JW belief), the activity, knowledge, and character elsewhere attributed to the Ruach (Spirit) point clearly in the direction of personality and deity (contradicting JW belief). Thus trying to pin down the nature of ruach ('spirit') seems to be as difficult as that encountered in trying to pin down the meaning of nefesh ('soul').

Pneuma, the corresponding Greek translation of Ruach in the Greek New Testament (remembering as we must that the original was written in Hebrew and Aramaic), appears 220 times in the NT. No fewer than 91 of these, with or without qualification as to character or source, stand for the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit). The general meanings of pneuma are similar to those of ruach (as would be expected), but there is a noticeable change of emphasis, especially in the Pauline epistles, where it is seldom used to denote the 'life-principle' or 'breath', and is much more common with higher associations. This is generally passed over by the WBTS in favour of those passages which support their preconceived doctrine.

'Wind' is the correct translation in John 3:8, but elsewhere the word for wind is anemos. The meaning 'breath' is relevant in 2 Thess.2:8. A further meaning of pneuma is the immaterial (spiritual) part of man's constitution. Along with sarx it denotes the whole human personality (2 Cor.7:1; Col.2:5). The same idea is brought about by its combination with soma (1 Cor.5:3-5; 7:34) from which we derive our English word 'somatic' (of the body). Here body and spirit are sharply distinguished, holiness being achievable in either or both as two separate parts. Closely linked with this usage is that where the word means the part of man which survives death (Mt.27:50; Lk.8:55; 23:46; John 19:30; Acts 7:59; Heb.12:23; 1 Pet.3:18-19; Rev.11:11).

As a psychological term pneuma represents the seat of perception, feeling, will, a state of mind, or may be equivalent to the ego (Mk.2:8; Lk.1:47; Jn.11:33; Ac.17:16; 18:25; 19:21; Mt.26:41; 1 Cor.4:21; Gal.6:1; 1 Pet.3:4; Rom.8:16; 1 Cor.16:18; Gal.6:18).

Many instances in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) and a few in Acts refer to evil spirits, but the most distinctive use of pneuma in the Greek translation of the NT is seen in the cases where the divine Ruach (Spirit) is indicated, and especially where She* is directly connected with Christ or the One which She* represents. (*The Ruach is consistently and without exception feminine in Hebrew and Aramaic in both the Masoretic OT and the Hebrew/Aramaic NT. There is considerable gender confusion in the Greek rendering because of the construction of that language 1). Sometimes She is described as "of Eloah (God)" (e.g. 1 Cor.2:11,14), at other times as "of Yahweh" (Aramaic Ac.8:39 - the Greek uses "Lord" and wrongly gives the impression that Christ is being referred to), or "of Christ" (e.g. Ac.16:17; 1 Pet.1:11; Phil.1:19). Several passages have the expression Ruach haQodesh ('Holy Spirit') (e.g. Mt.12:32; Mk.3:29; Lk.12:10). In two places the Ruach (Spirit) is set alongside the Father and the Son in a context clearly implying Deity and jurisdictional equality (Mt.28:19; 2 Cor.13:14 cp. 1 Pet.1:2).

Conclusion

The limited vocabulary of the early Hebrew language coupled with an imprecise OT revelation on the nature of man and his make-up leads to words like nefesh and ruach that have a multiplicity of meanings and frequent equivalencies that lead to their interchangeable usage. This being so, the 'scriptural algebraic' method popular amongst JWs and others is clearly not always valid. The Bible is an unfolding revelation. Accordingly we find in the NT not only a clearer delineation between the spirit and physical body, but also a better understanding of resurrection and the afterlife. This revelation has continued, unabated, throughout all generations. We are still learning, still receiving new insights from the Elohim (Godhead). The use of 'proof- texts' to establish a the truth of a particular (and often preconceived) doctrine is unwise at best and hazardous at worst because of the simple fact that not all parts of the Bible are necessarily equal in their inspiration when it comes to the understanding of certain doctrines. If we take the words of Yah'shua (Jesus) literally, viz. that the New Covenant revelation and Torah (Law) is a 'filling up' or 'completing' of the Old (Mt.5:17), then we are obliged to view Scripture as unfolding from the incomplete to the complete. It is no accident, therefore, that people like the JWs and other proponents of soul-sleeping prefer to use OT scriptures to those of the NT which give a better perspective and fuller revelation. A typical error, not just of JWs but of all Christians, is to confuse the symbolic, metaphorical, poetical and allegorical with the literal. The Bible is a highly symbolic book and is far more abstract that our literalistically-inclined Western minds have been trained up to be aware of. This literalistic approach has generated errors and false theological paradigms that could have been avoided with careful study and an understanding of the Hebrew mindframe. The West is, philosophically speaking, still very Greek-orientated, and the early church was led into unscriptural speculations about many important doctrinal areas (such as the Godhead) as it shifted its mental base from Jerusalem to Athens and Rome.

Our study reveals that the JWs and others subscribing to their teachings about 'soul' and 'spirit' have arrived at some correct conclusions but as many false ones as well. And half-truths, as we all know, can be dangerous. When a JW or an Adventist cites a favourite scripture like, "The soul (nefesh) that is sinning - it itself will die" (Ezek.18:4, NWT), one needs to remember just what the word 'soul' means. The context clearly reveals that nefesh here means a person. Who "dies"? Is it the body, the ruach, or the whole person? What indeed is "dying"?

There is no biblical evidence that the ruach (spirit) can die. Indeed, as the WBTS itself points out, the ruach at death returns to Yahweh who gave it (Eccl.12:7). But is the ruach simply Yahweh's "active force" that gives the body life or may it be also a spirit person with an existence and conscience independent of the physical body? The WBTS would say the former. However, the testimony of all the scriptures dealing with this subject is that both propositions are true. So, yes, there is a non-personal active force, if you like, that returns to Yahweh but there is also a spirit-person, one who has consciousness and who may also become unconscious under certain conditions. The JWs have seized on those scriptures which refer to ruach as a non-personal divine force but ignored those which clearly point to a conscious spirit-person. Obviously, then, we cannot have a meaningful theology on the Soul and Spirit without considering both aspects.

That 1 Thessalonians 5:23 is an embarrassment to the WBTS is demonstrated by their mutilation of it in their New World Translation (NWT), a version of the Bible created without reference to Hebrew or Greek texts and modified by men without scholastic ability to conform the Word to their own preconceived doctrines. (To this date the WBTS has never published the names or credentials of the NWT ''translators"). Their rendition, which can be compared with any other translation, reads:

"May the very God of peace sanctify you completely. And sound in every respect may the spirit and soul and body of you [brothers] be preserved in a blameless manner in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess.5:23, NWT).

The WBTS's own Emphatic Diaglot (which uses as its ground text a minority Catholic Vatican MS #1209 with recension by J.J.Griesbach) puts it rather better:

"And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your whole person - the spirit and the soul and the body - be preserved blameless in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Taking all the scriptures together on this subject, we may with some justification conclude that a 'whole person' is one who has three, overlapping constituent parts - spirit (ruach), soul (nefesh) and body (belem) - the Greek equivalents being pneuma, psuché, and soma. At this point, though, we need to introduce another Hebrew word that is rendered 'spirit' and that is neshamah:

"To whom have you uttered words? And whose spirit (neshamah) came from you?" (Job 26:4). "The spirit (neshamah) of a man is the lamp of Yahweh, searching all the inner depths of his heart" (Prov.20:27).

This word is rendered variously as 'wind', 'angry or vital breath', 'divine inspiration' or 'intellect', possessing therefore many of the same meanings and associations as ruach, but its primary meaning can be discerned from its root, nasham, which means 'to destroy', and points back to the omnipotent power of the Creator which is also somehow and in some way resident in man.

Fig.A shows a complete, mortal person with all four components. Fig.B shows the body (belem) detached at death, leaving behind the threefold 'spirit' of man, viz. neshamah-ruach-nefesh.

We may speculate and suggest that these refer to the spiritual, mental and emotional aspects of man, which one day will be reunited to the physical body by resurrection, thereafter becoming inseparably connected. Notice that in this model a portion of the nefesh (soul) dies along with the belem (body) which would harmonise with those scriptures beloved of the WBTS and Adventists. Scientific studies have been performed using Kirlian photography which shows a kind of psychic energy surrounding living matter (such as a living leaf detached from a plant) which progressively disappears as it dies. Might this be a portion of the nefesh that dies along with the body, an invisible energy that dissipates into nature? Might this be the physical aspect of the nefesh character-print of a dead person left behind by the neshamah- ruach-nefesh which is sometimes sensed by the living?

At death, the 'thinking' processes associated with the physical body die with the flesh (belem) as the WBTS correctly maintains (Ps.146:4) but that does not mean that man suddenly becomes unconscious or ceases to exist save as a memory in the mind of Yahweh. A higher intelligent (spiritual) self (the neshamah) together with its natural or emotional self (ruach) survives. The nefesh and ruach of those who had perished in the flood in Noah's day were therefore consciously able to respond to Yah'shua's (Jesus') preaching in the world of spirits during the time between death and resurrection (1 Pet.3:18- 20). So too were the nefesh and ruach of the 'dead' Elijah and Moses able to converse intelligently with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration in the presence of the apostles Peter, James and John (Mt.17:1-9). This is far more consistent with biblical teaching than unwarranted and incredible WBTS speculations that the apostles were just "dreaming" the whole episode.

Human life is complex and to suppose that our invisible spirit is any less complex than our physical body is, I think, stretching credulity. As one who has been in the ministry for the last two decades I am persuaded by experience alone that this is so. There are, of course, many occult ideas such as are presented in the oriental religions that speak of either chakras (Hinduism) or sephiroth (Kabbalism) but to try and superimpose these on the biblical revelation is both unwarranted and dangerous because the entire philosophy of these religions is antithetical to the truth revealed in Yahweh's Word. We can speculate that in man there is a range of substances from coarse material (dust) to fine spiritual matter and perhaps find some justification for such a belief in our personal experiences. Experiences, which by their nature are subjective, however, are notoriously unreliable when it comes to establishing objective truth as the pagan New Age influence in society has more than amply demonstrated. And this must surely be the reason why Yahweh has given us the Bible as an anchor in objectivity.

Our own revelations (published in the Olive Branch, New Covenant Press, Oslo, 1997), which are in any case merely secondary to the Biblical revelation which remains as primary canon in perpetuity, say little more than is already to be found in the Bible (see, for example, the Olive Branch 147) though other, deeper revelations to be had in the Chavurah Bekorot (Holy Order) confirm and elucidate upon the model shown in Figs. A & B. About the most we can say taking the complete Bible revelation on soul, without any kind of speculation, is that it is a lot more complex than the Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, Christadelphians, and Armstrongite Churches of God would have us believe. Whilst we may say that some aspects of the soul (nefesh) are mortal, as these churches teach, the evidence is overwhelming that another part of us does survive as a conscious entity after death and not merely as a memory file in the brain of God.

Endnotes

1 This very large and important subject is treated elsewhere in more depth. See Christopher C. Warren, The Deity of the Holy Spirit in The Trinity: The Position of the New Covenant Church of God, New Covenant Press, Arvika, 1999, pp.6-16) and The Feminine Gender of the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) in Yah'shua the Messiah and