Spirit and Soul

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By Trsmd


Dictionary meaning

I never thought about there being a difference other than spirit is of Latin origin and Soul of Germanic origin, but looking at the Bible quote I would have to say the in this case "spirit" is meant in the original Latins sense of "spiritus" which means "breath, life, life's breath" whereas "soul" is the life conciousness.

Read the following definitions from the online etymology dictionary.

soul (1)

O.E. sawol "spiritual and emotional part of a person, animate existence," from P.Gmc. *saiwalo (cf. O.S. seola, O.N. sala, O.Fris. sele, M.Du. siele, Du. ziel, O.H.G. seula, Ger. Seele, Goth. saiwala), of uncertain origin. Sometimes said to mean originally "coming from or belonging to the sea," because that was supposed to be the stopping place of the soul before birth or after death. Hence, from P.Gmc. *saiwaz (see sea). Meaning "spirit of a deceased person" is attested in O.E. from 971. As a synonym for "person, individual" (e.g. every living soul) it dates from c.1320. Soulmate (1822) is first attested in Coleridge. Soul-searching (n.) is attested from 1948, from the phrase used as a pp. adj. (1612).

spirit (n.)

c.1250, "animating or vital principle in man and animals," from O.Fr. espirit, from L. spiritus "soul, courage, vigor, breath," related to spirare "to breathe," from PIE *(s)peis- "to blow" (cf. O.C.S. pisto "to play on the flute"). Original usage in Eng. mainly from passages in Vulgate, where the L. word translates Gk. pneuma and Heb. ruah. Distinction between "soul" and "spirit" (as "seat of emotions") became current in Christian terminology (e.g. Gk. psykhe vs. pneuma, L. anima vs. spiritus) but "is without significance for earlier periods" [Buck]. L. spiritus, usually in classical L. "breath," replaces animus in the sense "spirit" in the imperial period and appears in Christian writings as the usual equivalent of Gk. pneuma. Meaning "supernatural being" is attested from c.1300 (see ghost); that of "essential principle of something" (in a non-theological sense, e.g. Spirit of St. Louis) is attested from 1690, common after 1800. Plural form spirits "volatile substance" is an alchemical idea, first attested 1610; sense narrowed to "strong alcoholic liquor" by 1678. This also is the sense in spirit level (1768).



Reasoning from the Scriptures

What is a Soul?

Right in the very first book of the Bible, Genesis, we are told that the soul is not something you have, it is something you are. We read of the creation of Adam, the first human being: “The man came to be a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7) The Hebrew word used here for soul, ne'phesh, occurs well over 700 times in the Hebrew Scriptures, never once conveying the idea of a separate, ethereal, spiritual part of man. On the contrary, the soul is tangible, concrete, physical.

Look up the following cited texts in your own copy of the Bible, for the Hebrew word ne'phesh is found in each of them. They clearly show that the soul can face risk, danger, and even be kidnapped (Deuteronomy 24:7; Judges 9:17; 1 Samuel 19:11); touch things (Job 6:7); be locked up in irons (Psalm 105:18); crave to eat, be afflicted by fasting, and faint from hunger and thirst; and suffer from a wasting disease or even insomnia as a result of grief. (Deuteronomy 12:20; Psalm 35:13; 69:10;) In other words, because your soul is you, your very self, your soul can experience anything you can experience.

Does that mean, then, that the soul can actually die? Yes. Far from being immortal, human souls are spoken of in the Hebrew Scriptures as being “cut off,” or executed, for wrongdoing, being struck fatally, murdered, destroyed, and torn to pieces. (Exodus 31:14; Deuteronomy 19:6; 22:26; Psalm 7:2) “The soul that is sinning—it itself will die,” says Ezekiel 18:4. Clearly, death is the common end of human souls, since all of us sin. (Psalm 51:5) The first man, Adam, was told that the penalty for sin was death—not transfer to the spirit realm and immortality. (Genesis 2:17) And when he sinned, the sentence was pronounced: “For dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19) When Adam and Eve died, they simply became what the Bible often refers to as ‘dead souls’ or ‘deceased souls.’

Some people think that “spirit” is just another word for “soul.” However, that is not the case. The Bible makes clear that “spirit” and “soul” refer

to two different things. How do they differ?

Bible writers used the Hebrew word ru´ach or the Greek word pneu´ma when writing about the “spirit.” The Scriptures themselves indicate the meaning of those words. For instance, Psalm 104:29 states: “If you [God] take away their spirit [ru´ach], they expire, and back to their dust they go.” And James 2:26 notes that “the body without spirit [pneu´ma] is dead.” In these verses, then, “spirit” refers to that which gives life to a body. Without spirit, the body is dead. Therefore, in the Bible the word ru´ach is translated not only as “spirit” but also as “force,” or life-force. For example, concerning the Flood in Noah’s day, God said: “I am bringing the deluge of waters upon the earth to bring to ruin all flesh in which the force [ru´ach] of life is active from under the heavens.” (Genesis 6:17; 7:15, 22) “Spirit” thus refers to an invisible force (the spark of life) that animates all living creatures.


Comments

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me  says:
17 months ago

to me this is very condisening, the more i read it, to me it is saying the same thing, just worded differently, Yes i do believe the the soul and the spirit is one.

without the spirit the body is dead? what is the body without the soul?

Trsmd profile image

Trsmd  says:
17 months ago

Thanks ME ( from West Chester, Ohio, United States)

for posting your valuable comments here..

Darrell Roberts profile image

Darrell Roberts  says:
7 months ago

I agree the soul and the spirit are two different concepts to the ancient ones. Another term that get me is when people try to use Lord and God interchangeably when they are also two differnt concepts. The ancient Egyptians also held the soul and the spirit as two differnt ideas.

Trsmd profile image

Trsmd  says:
7 months ago

Thanks Darrell Roberts for posting your comments..

HOOWANTSTONO profile image

HOOWANTSTONO  says:
7 months ago

This subject is probably the most mis-understood subject yet. But when you understand, and see how they are correctly applied, all things fall in place, and you can identify the three things that make up man kind.

Man created in Gods image and likeness.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and man Spirit,Soul, and Body, and each living as one unit

Genesis 2:7

"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

So here is the foundational three DUST,BREATH,and SOUL.

Read the interpretations below.

SPIRIT (RUAH)

Hebrew

RUAH - occurs 442 times and is translated in 16 different ways in the Old Testament

Spirit - 232 times

Wind - 97 times e.g. Gen 8:1; Ex 10:13; Num 11:31; 2Sam 22:11; Job 1:19; Ps 1:45

Breath - 28 times e.g. Gen 6:17; 2Sam 22:16; Job 4:9; Ps 18:15; Ecc 3:19

Smell - 8 times e.g. Gen 8:21; Ex 30:28; Lev 26:31; Deut 4:28; Job 39:25; Ps 115:6

Mind - 6 times e.g. Gen 26:35; Pro 29:11; Eze 11:5; Hab 1:11

Blast - 4 times e.g. Ex 15:8; 2Kings 19:7; Isaiah 25:4

Another word translated as "spirit" in the Old Testament is "Nshahmah" this occurs 24 times translated :-

Breath - 17 times e.g. Gen 2:7; Deut 20:16; 1King 15:29; Job 27:3

Blast - 3 times e.g. 2Sam 22:16; Job 4:9; Psamls 18:5

Spirit - 2 times e.g. Job 26:4; Prov 20:27

Inspiration - 1 time e.g. Job 32:8

Greek (PNEUMA)

PNEUMA occurs 385 times in the New Testament.

Spirit - 291 times

Ghost - 92 times e.g. Matt 1:18; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:15; John 1:33

Wind - 1 time John 3:8

Life - 1 time Rev 13:15

I hope you don't mind looking up all these verses to see the meaning of both RUAH and PNEUMA to see what the spirit is.

SOUL (NEHPHESH)

Hebew

NEHPHESH - occurs 745 times in the Old Testament.

Life or Lives - 120 times e.g. Gen 1:20+30; Ex 4:19; Lev 27:2; Num 35:31

Person - 30 times e.g. Gen 14:21; Ex 16:16; Lev 27:2; Num 5:6

Mind - 16 times e.g. Gen 23:8; Deut 18:6; 1Sam 2:35; 2Sam 17:8; 2Kingts 9:15

Heart - 15 times e.g. Ex 23:9; Lev 26:16; Deut 25:15; 1Sam 2:33

The Dead - 13 times e.g. Lev 19:28; Num 5:2; Hag 2:13

Creature - 9 times e.g. Gen 1:21; Gen 9:10; Lev 11:46

Will - 4 times e.g Deut 21:14; Ps 27:12; Ps 14:2; Eze 16:27

Appetite - 2 times Pro 23:2; Ecc 6:7

Lust - 2 times Ex 15:9; Ps 78:18

Thing - 2 times Lev 11:10; Eze 47:9

Greek (PSUCHE)

PSUCHE - occurs 105 times in the New Testament.

Soul - 58 times e.g.Matt 10:28; Mark 8:36-37; Luke 1:46; John 12:27; Acts 2:27;

Rom 2:9; 1Cor 15:45; 2Cor 1:23

Life - 40 times [e.g. Matt 2:20; Mark 3:4; Luke 6:9; John 10:11; Acts 15:26;

Rom 11:3; Phi 2:30; 1John 3:16; Rev 8:0

Mind - 3 times Acts 14:2; Phi 1:27; Heb 12:3

Heart - 2 times Eph 6:6; Col 3;23

Us - 1 time John 10:24

You - 1 time 2Cor 12:15

Now that you have read these verses, I hope you can see the distinct difference between the "spirit" and the "soul". In short, the spirit is the breath of life, the part that keeps the body alive - the soul is the person's personality, his psyche, it is him or her, the part that is eternally lost or eternally saved.

Trsmd profile image

Trsmd  says:
7 months ago

Thanks Hoowantstono for the broad details and comments..

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