Scriptural Meaning of the Word Soul.
THE idea of selfhood or physical personality is presented with certainty in all those passages which speak of the soul as desiring food, eating, or being satisfied with food. The following are unmistakable in their import. Ex. 12:15. For whosoever eateth leavened bread . . that soul shall be cut off from Israel. Lev. 7:18. The soul that eateth of it [the flesh] shall bear his iniquity. Verse 20. The soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice, etc. Verse 25. For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast, . . even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off. Verse 27. Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people. Lev. 22:11. But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it. Num. 21:5. Our soul loatheth this light bread. Deut. 12:15. Thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after; or desireth. Verse 20. Because thy soul longeth to eat flesh; thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after. Verse 21. Thou shalt eat flesh in thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after. Deut. 14:26. For whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth; and thou shalt eat, etc. Deut. 23:24. Thou mayest eat grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure. The original signifies, thy soul is satisfied. 1 Sam. 2:16. Then take as much [flesh] as thy soul desireth. Job 6:7. The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat. Job 33:20. So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat. Ps. 69:10. When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting. Ps. 78:18. They tempted God in their hearts by asking meat for their lust. Heb., meat for their souls. Ps. 107:5. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Verse 9. For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Verse 19. Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat. Prov. 6:30. — steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry. Prov. 13:25. The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul. Prov. 27:7. The full soul loatheth an honey comb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. Eccl. 2:24. Nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labor. Eccl. 6:7. All the labor of a man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled. Heb., the soul is not filled. Isa. 29:8. It shall even be as when a hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite. Isa. 32:6. To make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. Lam. 1:19. They sought their meat to relieve their souls. Eze. 7:19. They shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels. Hos. 9:4. All that eat thereof shall be polluted; for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the Lord. This list might be increased considerably; but we have given enough to show that this use is quite frequent in the Scriptures. One case occurs of like use in the New Testament, namely, in Luke 11:19. I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. A similar expression, "I said to myself," is in common use, and always understood, but never referred to a double personality. Prof. Bush classes verses 22, 23, of this chapter, under this head, and apparently with propriety. "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat." Literally, Take no thought for your soul, what ye shall eat. We have already quoted a number of texts which speak of dead souls. All these are decisive as proof that the soul is the person, or physical being. Another class, equally decisive, is composed of those texts which speak of the soul as liable to death. These texts are very numerous. We quote some which are very explicit. Gen. 37:21. And Reuben . . said, Let us not kill him. Heb., smite his soul. Lev. 23:30. And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Lev. 24:17. And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death. Heb., Any one who smiteth, or killeth, the soul of a man. Num. 23:10. Let me die the death of the righteous. Heb., Let my soul die the death of the righteous. Num. 31:19. Whosoever hath killed any person. Heb., hath killed any soul. Num. 35:11. That the slayer may flee thither which killeth any person at unawares. Verse 15. Every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither. Verse 30. Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die. In each of the above verses person is from neh-phesh—soul. Verse 31. Ye shall take no satisfaction for the life [soul] of a murderer which is guilty of death [literally, to die]. Deut. 19:6. Lest the avenger of the blood . . slay him. Heb., smite his soul. Verse 11. And smite him mortally [Heb. his soul] that he die. Deut. 22:26. As when a man riseth against his neighbor and slayeth him. Smiteth the soul. Deut. 27:25. Cursed be that taketh reward to slay an innocent person, or soul. The Hebrew reads literally, to smite the soul of the blood of the innocent. Or, perhaps more properly, the words are in apposition, thus, to smite the soul, the blood of the innocent. Josh. 2:13. And that ye will save alive my father, my mother, . . and deliver our lives from death. Heb., our souls from death. Verse 14. And the men answered her. Our life for yours, if ye utter this our business. Heb., Our soul instead of yours to die, if ye, etc. Josh. 11:11. And they smote all the souls that were therein with the edge of the sword. Jud. 16:16. His soul was vexed unto death. Verse 30. Let me die with the Philistines. Heb., let my soul die, etc. Jud. 18:25. Lest angry fellows [men bitter of soul] run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of thy household. Heb., thy soul with the souls, etc. 1 Sam. 19:11. If thou save not thy life [thy soul] to-night, to-morrow thou shalt be slain. 1 Sam. 22:22. I have occasioned the death of all the persons [the souls] of thy father's house. 1 Kin. 20:32. Thy servant Ben-hadad saith, I pray thee, let me [my soul] live. Job 7:15. My soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than life. Job 18:4. He teareth himself [his soul] in his anger. We cannot give all the passages in this paper which we wish to present under this head. Some of the greatest interest remain to be noticed. We do not propose to give all of this class, but only selected ones from the class.