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UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

IntroIndex©

ψυχή

MainId: 005475000000000

Version: 0

HasAramaic: False

InLXX: True

AlphaPos: ψ

StrongCodes: G5590

Notes: [{'Caller': 1, 'LanguageCode': 'en', 'LastEdited': '', 'LastEditedBy': '', 'References': [], 'Content': 'In this subdomain (Human Beings) a number of expressions referring to people are based upon metonymies involving terms for parts or aspects of persons. Such metonymic figures of speech are involved in σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα ({D:9.14}), γόνυ[b] ({D:9.16}), χείρ[b] ({D:9.17}), γλῶσσα[g] ({D:9.18}), ὄνομα[b] ({D:9.19}), and ψυχή[c] ({D:9.20}).'}, {'Caller': 2, 'LanguageCode': 'en', 'LastEdited': '', 'LastEditedBy': '', 'References': ['06100200800026'], 'Content': 'Though the Greek term ψυχή is usually glossed as ‘soul,’ it is often more equivalent in meaning to ‘heart’ in English. In {S:06100200800026} the subject is Lot as a righteous person.'}]

BaseForms:

  1. BaseFormID: 005475001000000

    PartsOfSpeech: noun, f.

    Inflections:

    1. Lemma: ψυχή

      BaseFormIndex: 1

      Realizations: -ῆς

    RelatedLemmas: {'Word': 'ψύχομαι', 'Meanings': []}

    LEXMeanings:

    1. LEXID: 005475001001000

      LEXIsBiblicalTerm: M

      LEXEntryCode: 26.4

      LEXIndent: 0

      LEXDomains: Psychological Faculties

      LEXSenses:

      1. LanguageCode: en

        LastEdited: 2022-06-06 15:55:25

        DefinitionShort: the essence of life in terms of thinking, willing, and feeling

        Glosses: ['inner self', 'mind', 'thoughts', 'feelings', 'heart', 'being']

        Comments: It is also possible to render ψυχή in {S:05000102700052} as ‘purpose’ or ‘desire,’ for ψυχή focuses upon the total psychological being involved in struggling for the faith.|ψυχή[a] is often glossed as ‘heart’ or ‘desire.’ Compare the following: περίλυπός ἐστιν ἡ ψυχή μου ἕως θανάτου ‘my heart is sorrowful even to the point of death’ {S:04002603800014}; ἵνα μὴ κάμητε ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν ἐκλυόμενοι ‘so do not let your hearts become discouraged and give up’ {S:05801200300032} (for ψυχή in the idiom κάμνω τῇ ψυχῇ, see {D:25.291}); ἀλλ ὡς δοῦλοι Χριστοῦ ποιοῦντες τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκ ψυχῆς ‘but with all your heart, do what God wants, as slaves of Christ’ {S:04900600600032}. In these passages, however, ψυχή refers really to the entire being of a person, so that {S:04002603800014} may very well be rendered as ‘my sorrow is so great it almost kills me.’ {S:05801200300032} may also be rendered as ‘so do not let yourselves be discouraged and give up,’ and {S:04900600600032} may be appropriately rendered as ‘but with your whole being, do what God wants, as slaves of Christ.’|The meaning of ψυχή in the sense of the person as an individual is treated under {L:ψυχή}[c] ({D:9.20}) as, for example, in {S:04001102900044} (εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν ‘you will find rest for yourselves’).|Even in those contexts in which ψυχή refers to existence beyond death, it may be referring figuratively to the person. For example, in {S:04400202700010} (οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψεις τὴν ψυχήν μου εἰς ᾅδην one may translate ‘you will not abandon my soul to Hades’ or ‘you will not abandon me to the grave.’|It is important to distinguish ψυχή[a], signifying a psychological faculty, from {L:ψυχή}[b], meaning ‘physical life, life principle’ ({D:23.88}). Note, for example, the occurrence of {L:ψυχή}[b] in {S:05800401200038} (διϊκνούμενος ἄχρι μερισμοῦ ψυχῆς καὶ πνεύματος ‘it cuts all the way through to where physical life and spirit meet’). Note also the occurrence of {L:ψυχή}[b] in {S:05200502300034} αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης ἁγιάσαι ὑμᾶς ὁλοτελεῖς, καὶ ὁλόκληρον ὑμῶν τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἀμέμπτως ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τηρηθείη ‘may the God who gives us peace make you holy in every way and keep your whole being - spirit, life, and body - free from all fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ’).|In certain contexts ψυχή would appear to be in contrast with {L:καρδία} ({D:26.3}) and {L:διάνοια} ({D:26.14}) as, for example, in {S:04002203700038} ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐν ὅλω τῇ καρδίᾳ σου καὶ ἐν ὅλω τῇ ψυχῇ σου καὶ ἐν ὅλω τῇ διανοίᾳ σου ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind’). Because of the three terms, some have insisted that there must be at least three quite different parts of human personality. Others, however, have concluded that instead of being three parts of personality, these are only three different perspectives which one may employ in thinking about or describing human personality. Still others would contend that the use of the three terms, {L:καρδία}, ψυχή and {L:διάνοια}, only emphasizes the totality of human personality, and no clear-cut distinctions can possibly be made. Certainly the referents involve considerable overlapping. One could translate with complete justification {S:04002203700038} as ‘you shall love the Lord with all your heart and life and mind.’ In fact, in many languages it is impossible to distinguish between {L:καρδία}, ψυχή, and {L:διάνοια}, and therefore it may be necessary to translate as ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all that you desire and with all that you think’ or ‘you must love the Lord your God with all your being.’

      LEXReferences: MAT 10:28, MAT 10:28, MAT 11:29, MAT 12:18, MAT 22:37, MAT 26:38, MARK 12:30, MARK 14:34, LUKE 1:46, LUKE 10:27, LUKE 12:19, LUKE 12:19, YHN 12:27, ACTs 2:27, ACTs 4:32, ACTs 14:22, ACTs 15:24, 2COR 12:15, EPH 6:6, PHP 1:27, COL 3:23, 1TH 5:23, HEB 4:12, HEB 10:39, HEB 12:3, 1PET 2:11, 1PET 2:25, 3YHN 1:2, REV 6:9, REV 18:14, REV 20:4

    2. LEXID: 005475001002000

      LEXIsBiblicalTerm: M

      LEXEntryCode: 23.88

      LEXIndent: 0

      LEXDomains: Physiological Processes and States

      LEXSubDomains: Live, Die

      LEXSenses:

      1. LanguageCode: en

        LastEdited: 2022-06-06 15:55:25

        DefinitionShort: the existence of a human being, or other living creature, sustained by the presence of air to breathe and food to eat

        Glosses: life

        Comments: In rendering ψυχή in {S:04501100300032} it may be necessary to indicate more precisely the relationship between ‘to seek’ and ‘life,’ for example, ‘they seek to destroy my life’ or ‘they seek to cause me no longer to live.’|In a number of languages there is no noun-like word for ‘life.’ It may therefore be necessary to change all passages which speak of ‘life’ into a corresponding expression using a verb-like form meaning ‘to live.’

      LEXReferences: MAT 2:20, MAT 6:25, MAT 6:25, MAT 10:39, MAT 10:39, MAT 16:25, MAT 16:25, MAT 16:26, MAT 16:26, MAT 20:28, MARK 3:4, MARK 8:35, MARK 8:35, MARK 8:36, MARK 8:37, MARK 10:45, LUKE 9:24, LUKE 9:24, LUKE 12:20, LUKE 12:22, LUKE 12:23, LUKE 14:26, YHN 12:25, YHN 12:25, ACTs 20:10, ACTs 20:24, ACTs 27:10, ACTs 27:22, ROM 11:3, ROM 16:4, 2COR 1:23, PHP 2:30, 1TH 5:23, HEB 4:12, HEB 6:19, HEB 13:17, YAC 1:21, REV 8:9, REV 12:11

    3. LEXID: 005475001003000

      LEXIsBiblicalTerm: Y

      LEXEntryCode: 9.20

      LEXIndent: 0

      LEXDomains: People

      LEXSubDomains: Human Beings

      LEXSenses:

      1. LanguageCode: en

        LastEdited: 2022-06-06 15:55:25

        DefinitionShort: (a figurative extension of meaning of {L:ψυχή}[a] ‘inner self, mind,’ {D:26.4}) a person as a living being{N:001}

        Glosses: ['person', 'people']

      LEXReferences: LUKE 6:9, YHN 10:24, ACTs 2:41, ACTs 2:43, ACTs 3:23, ACTs 7:14, ACTs 27:37, ROM 2:9, ROM 13:1, 1COR 15:45, 1TH 2:8, HEB 10:38, YAC 5:20, 1PET 1:9, 1PET 1:22, 1PET 3:20, 1PET 4:19, 2PET 2:14, YUD 1:15, REV 18:13

    4. LEXID: 005475001004000

      LEXIsBiblicalTerm: M

      LEXEntryCode: 4.1

      LEXIndent: 0

      LEXDomains: Animals

      LEXSubDomains: Animals

      LEXCollocations: ψυχὴ ζωῆς

      LEXSenses:

      1. LanguageCode: en

        LastEdited: 2022-06-06 15:55:25

        DefinitionShort: (an idiom, literally: living soul) any living creature, whether animal or human

        Glosses: living creature

        Comments: Though the phrase ψυχὴ ζωῆς is highly generic in meaning, its specific reference in {S:06601600300036} is to creatures of the sea, and therefore in most languages one must translate simply ‘fish’ or ‘that which lives in the sea.’

      LEXReferences: REV 16:3

    5. LEXID: 005475001005000

      LEXIsBiblicalTerm: Y

      LEXEntryCode: 25.280

      LEXIndent: 0

      LEXDomains: Attitudes and Emotions

      LEXSubDomains: Sorrow, Regret

      LEXCollocations: ψυχὴν βασανίζω

      LEXSenses:

      1. LanguageCode: en

        LastEdited: 2022-06-06 15:55:25

        DefinitionShort: (an idiom, literally: to be tormented in soul) to experience mental torment involving sorrow mixed with anger

        Glosses: ['to experience anguish', 'to be tormented in one’s heart']

      LEXReferences: 2PET 2:8

    6. LEXID: 005475001006000

      LEXIsBiblicalTerm: Y

      LEXEntryCode: 88.200

      LEXIndent: 0

      LEXDomains: Moral and Ethical Qualities and Related Behavior

      LEXSubDomains: Hate, Hateful

      LEXCollocations: κακόω τὴν ψυχὴν κατά

      LEXSenses:

      1. LanguageCode: en

        LastEdited: 2022-06-06 15:55:25

        DefinitionShort: (an idiom, literally: to cause a person’s attitude to be bad against) to cause someone to have hostile feelings of dislike toward someone

        Glosses: ['to turn someone against', 'to cause to dislike']

      LEXReferences: ACTs 14:2

    7. LEXID: 005475001007000

      LEXIsBiblicalTerm: Y

      LEXEntryCode: 25.291

      LEXIndent: 0

      LEXDomains: Attitudes and Emotions

      LEXSubDomains: Discouragement

      LEXCollocations: κάμνω τῇ ψυχῇ

      LEXSenses:

      1. LanguageCode: en

        LastEdited: 2022-06-06 15:55:25

        DefinitionShort: (an idiom, literally: to become tired in spirit) to gradually lose one’s motivation to accomplish some goal

        Glosses: ['to become discouraged', 'to become tired of']

      LEXReferences: HEB 12:3

    8. LEXID: 005475001008000

      LEXIsBiblicalTerm: Y

      LEXEntryCode: 21.20

      LEXIndent: 0

      LEXDomains: Danger, Risk, Safe, Save

      LEXSubDomains: Cause To Be Safe, Free from Danger

      LEXCollocations: κτάομαι τὴν ψυχήν

      LEXSenses:

      1. LanguageCode: en

        LastEdited: 2022-06-06 15:55:25

        DefinitionShort: (an idiom, literally: to acquire one’s soul or to acquire one’s life) to save oneself from grave danger or death

        Glosses: ['to save oneself', 'to protect oneself']

      LEXReferences: LUKE 21:19

    9. LEXID: 005475001009000

      LEXIsBiblicalTerm: Y

      LEXEntryCode: 21.7

      LEXIndent: 0

      LEXDomains: Danger, Risk, Safe, Save

      LEXSubDomains: Expose Oneself to Danger

      LEXCollocations: παραδίδωμι τὴν ψυχήν

      LEXSenses:

      1. LanguageCode: en

        LastEdited: 2022-06-06 15:55:25

        DefinitionShort: (an idiom, literally: to hand over life) to expose oneself willingly to a danger or risk

        Glosses: ['to risk', 'to risk one’s life']

        Comments: In a number of languages the equivalent of ‘risking one’s life’ is ‘exposing oneself to death’ or ‘showing that one is willing to die’ or ‘walking into the danger of dying.’

      LEXReferences: ACTs 15:26

    10. LEXID: 005475001010000

      LEXIsBiblicalTerm: Y

      LEXEntryCode: 21.24

      LEXIndent: 0

      LEXDomains: Danger, Risk, Safe, Save

      LEXSubDomains: Cause To Be Safe, Free from Danger

      LEXCollocations: τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ περιποιέομαι

      LEXSenses:

      1. LanguageCode: en

        LastEdited: 2022-06-06 15:55:25

        DefinitionShort: (an idiom, literally: to do something with regard to one’s life) to save or preserve one’s own life

        Glosses: ['to save one’s life', 'to save oneself']

      LEXReferences: LUKE 17:33

    11. LEXID: 005475001011000

      LEXIsBiblicalTerm: Y

      LEXEntryCode: 25.279

      LEXIndent: 0

      LEXDomains: Attitudes and Emotions

      LEXSubDomains: Sorrow, Regret

      LEXCollocations: τὴν ψυχὴν διέρχεται ῥομφαία

      LEXSenses:

      1. LanguageCode: en

        LastEdited: 2022-06-06 15:55:25

        DefinitionShort: (an idiom, literally: a sword goes through one’s soul) to feel the intense pain of sorrow

        Glosses: ['to feel pain and sorrow', 'to be sorrowful and distressed']

      LEXReferences: LUKE 2:35

    12. LEXID: 005475001012000

      LEXIsBiblicalTerm: M

      LEXEntryCode: 23.113

      LEXIndent: 0

      LEXDomains: Physiological Processes and States

      LEXSubDomains: Live, Die

      LEXCollocations: τὴν ψυχὴν τίθημι

      LEXSenses:

      1. LanguageCode: en

        LastEdited: 2022-06-06 15:55:25

        DefinitionShort: (an idiom, literally: to lay down one’s life) to die, with the implication of voluntary or willing action

        Glosses: ['to die voluntarily', 'to die willingly']

        Comments: Though in English the phrases ‘to lay down one’s life’ or ‘to give one’s life’ do suggest a voluntary dying, a literal rendering of such expressions in other languages would not necessarily imply the same. It may therefore be necessary to use such expressions as ‘to die willingly’ or ‘to die without resisting.’ In some languages ‘willingly’ is expressed primarily as a negation of objecting, for example, ‘I will not object to dying.’

      LEXReferences: YHN 10:11, YHN 10:15, YHN 10:17, YHN 13:37, YHN 13:38, YHN 15:13, 1YHN 3:16, 1YHN 3:16