Lexical Definition

‎נְשָׁמָה‎ nᵉshâmâh (nesh-aw-maw') breath ^H:N-F
from ‎נָשַׁם‎

blast, (that) breath(-eth), inspiration, soul, spirit.

• a puff, i.e. wind, angry or vital breath, divine inspiration, intellect. or (concretely) an animal

1) breath, spirit
1a) breath (of God)
1b) breath (of man)
1c) every breathing thing
1d) spirit (of man)

See Greek: θυμός · πνεῦμα · πνοή

Extended Information

• Aramaic equivalent: nish.ma (‎נ‎ִ‎ש‎ְׁ‎מ‎ָ‎א‎ "breath" נִשְׁמָא)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎נְשָׁמָה‎ noun feminine breath; — ‎׳‎‎נ‎ Deut 20:16 + 9 t.; construct ‎נִשְׁמַת‎ (compare Lag^{BN 82}) Gen 2:7 + 10 t.; suffix ‎נִשְׁמָתִי‎ Job 27:3 ‎נִשְׁמָתוֺ‎ Job 34:14 plural ‎נְשָׁמוֺת‎ Isa 57:16 —

1. breath of God as hot wind kindling a flame Isa 30:33 as destroying wind 2Sam 22:16 = Ps 18:16*; Job 4:9 as cold wind producing ice Job 32:8; Job 33:4.

2. breath of man 1Kgs 17:17; Isa 42:5; Job 27:3; Dan 10:7 breath of life ‎נשׁמת חיים‎ Gen 2:7 (J); compare ‎נִשְׁמַת רוּחַ‎ ‎חַיִּים‎ Gen 7:22 (J); as breathed in by God it is God's breath in man Job 34:14; Job 36:4 and is characteristic of man ‎אדם אשׁר נשׁמה באפו‎ Isa 2:22 man in whose nostrils is but a breath (late gloss).

3. synonym ‎נפשׁ כָּל נְשָׁמָה‎ every breathing thing Deut 20:16; Josh 11:11; Josh 11:14; 1Kgs 15:29 ‎כָּלהַֿנְּשָׁמָה‎ Josh 10:14; Ps 150:6 ‎נְשָׁמוֺת‎ Isa 57:16.

4. spirit of man, || ‎רוּחַ‎, ‎אָדָם‎ ‎׳‎‎נ‎ ‎׳‎‎נֵר י‎ Prov 20:27 the spirit of man is a lamp of ‎׳‎‎י‎.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References