The Idea of Human Being in the Bible. The Elements of Biblical Anthropology

Abstract

Biblical anthropology presents a monistic image of the human being, in which a human is a spiritual and physical unity. However, a more detailed study reveals some difficulties. The most typical example is the popular understanding of the term “soul.” Its exact meaning corresponds closely to the biblical Hebrew term of rûaḥ (spirit) or nišmat ḥajjîm (breath of life). The Hebrew noun nepeš, which is often translated as “soul,” appears actually more complex. Its meaning includes also the following modern terms: throat, life, person, human. The present study draws attention to the historical development of some Hebrew and Greek terms as well as ideas of biblical anthropology and eschatology, e.g. “soul,” “person,” “human” (nepeš, psychē), “body” (bāśar, sarks, sōma), “spirit” (rûaḥ), “heart” (lēb/lēbāb), the idea of the “afterlife” and the “spiritual body” after resurrection.