In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.
The life of every living creature and the breath of all people are in God's hand because He created them and keeps them in existence. The soul here means the life given by breath, and it is ascribed to animals, birds, beasts and fishes as well as to mankind. Since animals share this soul, it cannot mean a never-dying part, but a mortal life that perishes when the breath of life departs. That breath is only the life God gives, not a conscious being apart from the body, and when He takes it back it returns to His keeping without consciousness until He gives it again so the dead live. Because God alone holds life in this way, people can entrust their plans and future to Him in rest and peace, without fearing what others may do to them.
Soul, Breath, and Death
The soul in God's hand is life itself, the Hebrew nephesh meaning life or existence given by breath, as the margin reads. It is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind held in His hand, and the spirit that returns to God at death is simply that breath of life He gave. The living being is meant where soul is named, and breath is the life-breath rather than a conscious spirit existing apart from the body.
Every living creature is said to have this soul or life in God's hand, with the same language of soul and life applied to people and to other creatures. That includes animals as well as man, birds and beasts and fishes and human beings together. The verse distinguishes the soul of every living thing from the breath of all mankind, while soul and spirit and breath and life together name the animating life-principle by which living beings are made alive. Every creature's life and the breath of humanity are in God's hand through that gift.
Because animals as well as humans have this soul, the word cannot be taken in a never-dying sense and gives no proof of an immortal soul with never-ending existence. It does not describe an immortal or deathless part of a creature, so it does not mean that either man or animal is immortal. Human beings have superior faculties, but their souls, like those of fish and birds, are mortal and perish when the breath of life departs. The spirit or breath is merely the breath, the life of man, which goes forth at death and returns to God who gave it. All living beings receive animation from the same source, and that breath is not a portion of God's essence but the life-giving influence by which creatures live.
Every creature depends on God's gift of breath for continued existence, with existence depending on the breath of life and subject to death when it departs. When God takes back the breath of life, it is separated from the body and returns to His hand and keeping, and they cease to exist. At death that life and breath return to His keeping, and He keeps it until He gives it back so that the dead live again, as when the breath of Jairus's daughter came again and she arose. That separated breath is no more conscious after it leaves the body than before it entered the human body. When the breath is separated from the body and taken back by God, man dies and lies in the grave utterly unconscious, with no work or knowledge or wisdom or thought, since it takes the combination of spirit and body together to be conscious.
God Holds Every Life
The life of every living creature and the breath of all mankind are in God's hand, showing Him to be Creator and sustainer on whom all existence depends. He sustains the life and breath of every person by His personal presence through the Spirit, just as He gave life to Adam, so that all life comes from Him. The surrounding verses teach that nature reveals much about God and His will for His creatures, but does not fully reveal His will concerning people. Even the lowliest creatures found in nature point to God and can be observed for instruction.
That sustaining order is seen in the exchange between plants and people, where plants take in the carbon dioxide that people and animals breathe out and release purified air. Because God alone holds life in His hand, He alone can utterly destroy life while man cannot even by burning the body to ashes and scattering them, so the righteous never need to fear what man may try to do to them. The verse supports that God can end the life of those who rebel against Him, but it does not by itself establish that the sinning angels have already died. Human beings cannot control or foresee the forces that can suddenly take life away, and disasters expose human helplessness and call people to remember their dependence on a personal God.
Trust and Duty Toward Life
Every living creature's life and every person's breath are held in God's hand, so human plans and the future can be entrusted to Him who sustains life. Fretting when one's own way is denied gives place to rest and peace through trusting Him. Because God holds the lives of all creatures in His hand, He alone has authority over life, and war is not justifiable without His direct direction. Christ's servants therefore should not take up arms to kill fellow human beings when no such direction is present. The same God who holds all breath and life values and loves each person, desires that person's love and obedience, and seeks the lost sinner to save through Christ's death in their place.
The life of every living creature and the breath of all people are in God's hand because He created them and keeps them in existence. The soul here means the life given by breath, and it is ascribed to animals, birds, beasts and fishes as well as to mankind. Since animals share this soul, it cannot mean a never-dying part, but a mortal life that perishes when the breath of life departs. That breath is only the life God gives, not a conscious being apart from the body, and when He takes it back it returns to His keeping without consciousness until He gives it again so the dead live. Because God alone holds life in this way, people can entrust their plans and future to Him in rest and peace, without fearing what others may do to them.
Soul, Breath, and Death
The soul in God's hand is life itself, the Hebrew nephesh meaning life or existence given by breath, as the margin reads. It is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind held in His hand, and the spirit that returns to God at death is simply that breath of life He gave. The living being is meant where soul is named, and breath is the life-breath rather than a conscious spirit existing apart from the body.
Every living creature is said to have this soul or life in God's hand, with the same language of soul and life applied to people and to other creatures. That includes animals as well as man, birds and beasts and fishes and human beings together. The verse distinguishes the soul of every living thing from the breath of all mankind, while soul and spirit and breath and life together name the animating life-principle by which living beings are made alive. Every creature's life and the breath of humanity are in God's hand through that gift.
Because animals as well as humans have this soul, the word cannot be taken in a never-dying sense and gives no proof of an immortal soul with never-ending existence. It does not describe an immortal or deathless part of a creature, so it does not mean that either man or animal is immortal. Human beings have superior faculties, but their souls, like those of fish and birds, are mortal and perish when the breath of life departs. The spirit or breath is merely the breath, the life of man, which goes forth at death and returns to God who gave it. All living beings receive animation from the same source, and that breath is not a portion of God's essence but the life-giving influence by which creatures live.
Every creature depends on God's gift of breath for continued existence, with existence depending on the breath of life and subject to death when it departs. When God takes back the breath of life, it is separated from the body and returns to His hand and keeping, and they cease to exist. At death that life and breath return to His keeping, and He keeps it until He gives it back so that the dead live again, as when the breath of Jairus's daughter came again and she arose. That separated breath is no more conscious after it leaves the body than before it entered the human body. When the breath is separated from the body and taken back by God, man dies and lies in the grave utterly unconscious, with no work or knowledge or wisdom or thought, since it takes the combination of spirit and body together to be conscious.
God Holds Every Life
The life of every living creature and the breath of all mankind are in God's hand, showing Him to be Creator and sustainer on whom all existence depends. He sustains the life and breath of every person by His personal presence through the Spirit, just as He gave life to Adam, so that all life comes from Him. The surrounding verses teach that nature reveals much about God and His will for His creatures, but does not fully reveal His will concerning people. Even the lowliest creatures found in nature point to God and can be observed for instruction.
That sustaining order is seen in the exchange between plants and people, where plants take in the carbon dioxide that people and animals breathe out and release purified air. Because God alone holds life in His hand, He alone can utterly destroy life while man cannot even by burning the body to ashes and scattering them, so the righteous never need to fear what man may try to do to them. The verse supports that God can end the life of those who rebel against Him, but it does not by itself establish that the sinning angels have already died. Human beings cannot control or foresee the forces that can suddenly take life away, and disasters expose human helplessness and call people to remember their dependence on a personal God.
Trust and Duty Toward Life
Every living creature's life and every person's breath are held in God's hand, so human plans and the future can be entrusted to Him who sustains life. Fretting when one's own way is denied gives place to rest and peace through trusting Him. Because God holds the lives of all creatures in His hand, He alone has authority over life, and war is not justifiable without His direct direction. Christ's servants therefore should not take up arms to kill fellow human beings when no such direction is present. The same God who holds all breath and life values and loves each person, desires that person's love and obedience, and seeks the lost sinner to save through Christ's death in their place.