What does "Soul" mean in the Bible?
The Scriptures evidently distinguish between the soul and the spirit. Soul appears in 23 verses across 12 books of the Bible.
What does the Bible say about Soul?
SOUL. Gen 2:7. The Scriptures evidently distinguish between the soul and the spirit. 1 Thess 5:23; Heb 4:12. The word which we call "soul" is used to denote mere animal life - the seat of sensations, appetites, and passions. Gen 1:20. Here the word translated "life" is the same with that which is elsewhere translated "soul." Hence it may be inferred that, as we have our bodies and animal life in common with brutes, it must be the spirit which was created in the likeness or image of God, and which raises man above the brutes that perish and makes him a rational and accountable being. Very often, however, the word "soul" is used in a wider sense, and designates the whole immaterial or spiritual nature of man; as when we say that man consists of body and soul. The immortality of the soul is a fundamental doctrine of Christianity, which brought life and immortality to light; so what the ancients hoped or guessed we know. Even among the Jews the truth was only partially revealed. Much more is said about the grave than of the life beyond, and the prevailing tone, in view of death, is one of great sadness. In Christ, however, we are made alive, and can never die. To the Christian, death is robbed of its sting; it is converted into a friend who ushers the soul into the company of the blessed. It is the immortal soul which is the subject of future reward or punishment.
Definition text: Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible · 1898. Public domain.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
What is the Greek word for Soul?
Greek · G5590
ψυχή
psuchē
soul
TBESG, from Abbott-Smith (1922). Public domain.
Where does Soul appear in the Bible?
Soul is referenced in 23 verses across 12 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- 1 Peter 2:11
- 1 Thessalonians 5:23
- 2 Peter 2:8
- 3 John 1:2
- Acts 2:27
- Acts 4:32
- Hebrews 4:12
- Hebrews 6:19
- James 5:20
- John 12:27
- Luke 1:46
- Luke 2:35
- Luke 10:27
- Matthew 10:28
- Matthew 12:18
- Matthew 16:26
- Matthew 22:37
- Matthew 26:38
- Mark 8:36
- Mark 8:37
- Mark 12:30
- Mark 14:34
- Revelation 18:14
What else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Soul.
Common questions
How many times does the Bible mention Soul?
Soul appears in 23 verses across 12 books, most often in Matthew, which accounts for 5 of them.
Which books of the Bible mention Soul?
Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, Hebrews, 1 Peter, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Peter, and 4 more.
Where can I read every verse about Soul?
This page lists 23 of them. Protos carries all 23, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.
