# G5590 - psyche **Strong's:** [G5590](https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5590/) · BLB lookup **Pronunciation:** psoo-khay' **Part of speech:** feminine noun **LXX equivalent:** renders Hebrew *nephesh* (soul / life, H5315) **NT occurrences:** 103 ## Semantic range (Thayer / BDAG / TDNT) 1. **Life / breath of life**, the animating principle that distinguishes living from dead 2. **Soul / inner self**, the seat of feelings, desires, affections, mental life 3. **Person / self**, the whole-personal-individual ("how many *psychai* perished" = "how many people died") 4. **Mind / intellectual life** in some contexts 5. **Eternal soul**, the immortal aspect (esp. in [Mt 10:28](/codex/matthew-10-28/)) The semantic range mirrors Hebrew *nephesh* (see [H5315 - nephesh](/codex/h5315-nephesh/) pending) and Latin *anima*. A *psychē* is essentially the *living-self*, the principle of life and inner-personal existence. ## Theological force ### *Psychē* and the body NT anthropology presents *psychē* in close relation to *sōma* (body): - **[Matthew 10:28](/codex/matthew-10-28/)**, "do not fear those who kill the *sōma* but cannot kill the *psychēn*; rather fear Him who can destroy both *psychēn* and *sōma* in hell", explicit body / soul distinction; soul survives bodily death; both face final judgment - **[Matthew 6:25](/codex/matthew-6-25/)**, "do not be worried about your *psychē*, what you will eat… is not the *psychē* more than food, and the *sōma* more than clothing?" - **[1 Thessalonians 5:23](/codex/1-thessalonians-5-23/)**, "may your spirit (*pneuma*) and *psychē* and *sōma* be preserved complete, without blame" - **[Hebrews 4:12](/codex/hebrews-4-12/)**, Word divides "*psychēs* and *pneumatos*" - **[3 John 2](/codex/3-john-2/)**, "be in good health, just as your *psychē* prospers" The pattern: the *psychē* is the *inner self* / *life*, distinguishable from but integrated with the *sōma*. ### The intermediate state Several NT passages indicate the *psychē* survives bodily death: - **[Revelation 6:9](/codex/revelation-6-9/); 20:4**, "the *psychas* of those who had been slain… under the altar" - **[Matthew 10:28](/codex/matthew-10-28/); [Luke 12:19-20](/codex/luke-12-19-20/)**, *psychē* as that which can be lost/saved beyond bodily life - **[Acts 2:27](/codex/acts-2-27/), [31](/codex/acts-2-31/)**, "His *psychēn* was not abandoned to Hades" This grounds the doctrine of the **intermediate state**, between bodily death and bodily resurrection, the *psychē* / *pneuma* exists consciously with the Lord ([2 Cor 5:1-10](/codex/2-corinthians-5-1-10/); [Phil 1:23](/codex/philippians-1-23/), "to depart and be with Christ"). ### Saving the soul A key NT pattern, the salvation of the *psychē*: - **[Matthew 16:25-26](/codex/matthew-16-25-26/)**, "for whoever wishes to save his *psychēn* will lose it; but whoever loses his *psychēn* for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole *kosmos* and forfeits his *psychēn*?" - **[Mark 8:35-37](/codex/mark-8-35-37/); [Luke 9:24-25](/codex/luke-9-24-25/)**, parallel - **[James 1:21](/codex/james-1-21/); 5:20**, "save his *psychēn* from death" - **[1 Peter 1:9](/codex/1-peter-1-9/), [22](/codex/1-peter-1-22/); 2:11, 25; 4:19**, *psychē* as the object of salvation The pattern: salvation includes the eternal destiny of the *psychē*, beyond bodily life. ## *Psychē* and *pneuma*, overlap and distinction The Bible distinguishes *psychē* (soul) and *pneuma* (spirit) but does not always sharply separate them: - *Psychē*, life-principle, inner-self, mind, will, emotion - *Pneuma*, spirit, the deepest immaterial faculty, capacity for relation with God Trichotomism (body / soul / spirit as three components) sees these as distinct ([1 Thess 5:23](/codex/1-thessalonians-5-23/); [Heb 4:12](/codex/hebrews-4-12/)). Dichotomism sees them as facets of the one immaterial part (Calvin; Berkhof). Both are defensible NT readings. The *psychē* is what a *human* shares with all living beings (animals also have *psychē* in some passages, [Rev 8:9](/codex/revelation-8-9/); 16:3); the *pneuma* is more closely tied to God-relating capacity. ## Anti-Greek-philosophical pattern NT anthropology *uses* Greek vocabulary (*psychē* is the Greek philosophical term) but transforms it. The Greek tradition often saw the soul as: - **Naturally immortal**, soul is divine, body is prison - **Pre-existent / reincarnating**, Plato; Pythagoras - **Separable as goal**, escape the body to liberate the soul Christianity transforms: - **Conditionally / contingently immortal**, the soul exists by God's gift, not its own nature - **Created**, at conception, not pre-existent (mainstream view) - **Embodied destiny**, the soul reunites with a glorified body in resurrection ([1 Cor 15](/codex/1-corinthians-15/)) ## Connection to Hebrew *nephesh* The OT *nephesh* is rendered *psychē* in the LXX. The Hebrew *nephesh* spans similar semantic range: - [Genesis 2:7](/codex/genesis-2-7/), Adam becomes a "living *nephesh*" - [Leviticus 17:11](/codex/leviticus-17-11/), "the *nephesh* of the flesh is in the blood" - [Psalm 23:3](/codex/psalms-23-3/), "He restores my *nephesh*" - [Psalm 42:1-2](/codex/psalms-42-1-2/), "as the deer pants… so my *nephesh* pants" The pattern: *nephesh* / *psychē* spans life-principle, inner-self, and personal-individual, never strictly identical with body but never wholly separate either. ## Notable verses ### Soul / personal life - **[Matthew 16:26](/codex/matthew-16-26/)**, what shall a man give in exchange for his *psychēn*? - **[Mark 12:30](/codex/mark-12-30/)**, love the Lord with all your *psychēs* - **[Luke 1:46](/codex/luke-1-46/)**, Mary: "my *psychē* exalts the Lord" - **[John 12:27](/codex/john-12-27/)**, "now My *psychē* has become troubled" ### Soul / life - **[John 10:11](/codex/john-10-11/), [15](/codex/john-10-15/), [17](/codex/john-10-17/)**, Christ lays down His *psychēn* for the sheep - **[Acts 2:41-43](/codex/acts-2-41-43/)**, "*psychai* added… every *psychē* kept feeling a sense of awe" - **[Romans 11:3](/codex/romans-11-3/); 16:4**, "they have laid down their *psychas*" ### Salvation / final destiny - **[Matthew 10:28](/codex/matthew-10-28/)**, fear Him who can destroy *psychē* and *sōma* in hell - **[James 1:21](/codex/james-1-21/)**, *logon* able to save your *psychas* - **[1 Peter 1:9](/codex/1-peter-1-9/)**, "obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your *psychōn*" - **[Hebrews 10:39](/codex/hebrews-10-39/)**, "those who have faith to the preserving of the *psychēs*" ## Patristic / scholarly note Patristic anthropology engages *psychē* extensively: - Tertullian (*De Anima*), first sustained Christian treatise on the soul - Origen, pre-existence-of-souls (controversial; later condemned) - Augustine (*De Trinitate*; *Confessions*), soul as image of God - Aquinas (*Summa Theologica* I, qq. 75-89), comprehensive soul-treatment Modern: J. P. Moreland & Scott Rae (*Body and Soul*, 2000); Stewart Goetz & Charles Taliaferro (*A Brief History of the Soul*, 2011); William Hasker (*The Emergent Self*, 1999). ## See also - [H5315 - nephesh](/codex/h5315-nephesh/), Hebrew equivalent - [G4983 - soma](/codex/g4983-soma/), body - [G4151 - pneuma](/codex/g4151-pneuma/), spirit - [G2588 - kardia](/codex/g2588-kardia/), heart - [Modal Argument from Mind](/codex/modal-argument-from-mind/), apologetic syllogism - [Luke 24.39](/codex/luke-24-39/), bodily-soul integration passage ## Notes _Lexical workspace for psychē._