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Question

What does Scripture explicitly say about the nature and composition of human beings (biblical anthropology)? Focus on nephesh (soul), ruach (spirit), neshamah (breath), the creation of man, whether humans ARE souls or HAVE souls, and what happens at death.

Topics

SOUL

  • See SPIRIT
  • See IMMORTALITY
  • See MAN, A SPIRIT
  • See RIGHTEOUS, FUTURE STATE OF
  • See WICKED, PUNISHMENT OF

Note: Nave's SOUL entry is entirely cross-references. The substantive content is under MAN -- SPIRIT, IMMORTALITY, etc.

SPIRIT

  • Called "the inner man," ROM 7:22; EPH 3:16
  • See ANGELS
  • See DEMONS
  • See HOLY SPIRIT
  • See MAN, A SPIRIT
  • See SATAN

BODY

  • Called HOUSE 2CO 5:1
  • HOUSE OF CLAY JOB 4:19
  • THE TEMPLE OF GOD 1CO 3:16; 6:3,15,19
  • Corruptible JOB 17:14; 1CO 15:53,54
  • Resurrection of 1CO 15:19-54
  • See RESURRECTION

BREATH

  • Of life GEN 2:7; 7:22; ACT 17:25
  • Of God 2SA 22:16; JOB 4:9; 15:30; 33:4; 37:10; PSA 18:15; 33:6; ISA 30:33
  • FIGURATIVE EZK 37:9

IMMORTALITY

  • General scriptures concerning GEN 5:24; 2SA 12:23; 2KI 2:11; NEH 9:5; JOB 4:17-21; 14:13; PSA 16:10,11; 21:4; 22:26; 23:6; 31:5; 36:9; 37:18,27; 49:7-9,14,15; 73:26; 86:12; 102:4,25-28; 121:8; 133:3; 145:1,2; PRO 14:32; ECC 3:21; 12:7; ISA 14:9; 25:8; 26:19; 38:18,19; EZK 32:31; DAN 12:2,3; MAT 10:28; 16:26; 19:16,17; 25:46; MRK 10:30; 12:26,27; LUK 9:25; 10:25-28; 20:36-38; JHN 3:14-16,36; 5:39,40; 6:39,40,44,47,50,51,53,54,58; 10:28; 11:25,26; 14:19; 17:2,3; ACT 20:32; 23:8,9; 26:7,8,18; ROM 2:7; 6:22,23; 1CO 15:12-55; GAL 6:8; COL 1:5,6; 1TH 4:13-18; 5:10; 2TH 1:7-9; 2:16; 1TI 4:8; 6:12,19; 2TI 1:9,10; TIT 1:2; 3:7; HEB 9:15; 10:34; 11:5,10,13-16; 1PE 1:3-5; 1JN 2:17,25; 5:13; Jude 1:21; REV 1:7; 3:4; 22:5
  • See RESURRECTION
  • See RIGHTEOUS, PROMISES TO
  • See WICKED, PUNISHMENT OF

DEATH

  • Miscellaneous Subjects:
  • Called GIVING UP THE GHOST GEN 25:8; 35:29; LAM 1:19; ACT 5:10
  • KING OF TERRORS JOB 18:14
  • A CHANGE JOB 14:14
  • GOING TO THY FATHERS GEN 15:15; 25:8; 35:29
  • PUTTING OFF THIS TABERNACLE 2PE 1:14
  • REQUIRING THE SOUL LUK 12:20
  • GOING THE WAY WHENCE THERE IS NO RETURN JOB 16:22
  • BEING GATHERED TO OUR PEOPLE GEN 49:33
  • GOING DOWN INTO SILENCE PSA 115:17
  • RETURNING TO DUST GEN 3:19; PSA 104:29
  • BEING CUT DOWN JOB 14:2
  • FLEEING AS A SHADOW JOB 14:2
  • DEPARTING PHP 2:23
  • Called SLEEP DEU 31:16; JOB 7:21; 14:12; JER 51:39; DAN 12:2; JHN 11:11; ACT 7:60; 13:36; 1CO 15:6,18,51; 1TH 4:14,15
  • EXEMPTION FROM:
  • Enoch GEN 5:24; HEB 11:5
  • Elijah 2KI 2
  • Promised to saints at the second coming of Christ 1CO 15:51; 1TH 4:15,17
  • No death in heaven LUK 20:36; REV 21:4
  • UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO GEN 2:17; 3:19; 27:2; DEU 32:39; JOS 23:14; 1SA 2:6; 20:2,3; 2SA 1:23; 14:14; JOB 1:21; 3:13,17-19; 7:1,8-10,21; 10:21,22; 14:2,5-12,14,19-21; 16:22; 17:13,14,16; 21:23,25,26,32,33; 30:23; 34:14,15; 36:18,19; 38:17; PSA 6:5; 23:4; 30:9; 39:4,13; 49:7,9; 68:20; 82:7; 88:9-14; 89:48; 90:3; 103:14-16; 104:29; 115:17; 143:3; 144:4; 146:4; ECC 2:14-18; 3:2,19-21; 4:2; 5:15; 6:6,10; 7:1,2,15; 8:8; 9:3,5,6,10; 12:5,7; ISA 25:8; 38:1,10-13,18; 40:7; 51:12; JER 9:21; HOS 13:14; ZEC 1:5; MAT 10:28; LUK 20:34-38; 23:39-43; JHN 9:4; ROM 5:12,14; 1CO 15:21,22,26,55-57; 1TI 6:7; 2TI 1:10; HEB 2:14,15; 9:27; 13:14; JAS 1:10,11; 1PE 1:24; REV 1:18; 20:12-14; 21:4
  • SECOND DEATH: PRO 14:12; EZK 18:4,10,13,21,23,24; 33:8,9,11,14-16; MAT 7:13; 10:28; 25:30,41,46; MRK 9:43,44; ROM 1:32; 6:16,21,23; 8:13; 9:22; 2TH 1:9; JAS 1:15; 4:12; 2PE 2:12; REV 2:11; 19:20; 20:14; 21:8

DEAD (PEOPLE)

  • Raised to life, see HEB 11:35
  • INSTANCES OF: The son of the widow of Zarephath 1KI 17:17-23; The Shunammite woman's son 2KI 4:32-37; The young man laid in Elisha's grave 2KI 13:21; The widow's son LUK 7:12-15; Jairus' daughter LUK 8:49-55; Lazarus JHN 11:43,44; Dorcas ACT 9:37-40; Eutychus ACT 20:9-12
  • UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO JOB 3:13-19; 14:11-15,21; 17:13-16; PSA 6:5; 30:9; 49:15; 88:10-12; 115:17; PRO 21:16; ECC 9:5,6; EZK 32:31; DAN 12:2; LUK 9:30,31; 16:19-31; 20:35,36; 23:43; JHN 11:25

RESURRECTION

  • General scriptures concerning JOB 14:12-15; 19:25-27; PSA 16:9,10; 17:15; 49:15; ISA 25:8; 26:19; EZK 37:1-14; DAN 12:2,3,13; HOS 13:14; MAT 22:23-32; 24:31; 25:1-13; 27:52,53; MRK 12:18-27; LUK 14:14; 20:27-38; JHN 5:21,25,28,29; 6:39,40,44,54; 11:23-25; 14:19; ACT 2:26-31; 4:1,2; 17:18,32; 23:6,8; 24:14,15; 26:6-8; ROM 4:16-21; 8:10,11,19,21-23; 1CO 6:14; 15:12-32,35-57; 2CO 4:14; 5:1-5; PHP 3:10,11,21; 1TH 4:14,16; 2TI 1:10; 2:18; HEB 6:2; 11:19,35; REV 1:18; 20:4-6,13
  • FIGURATIVE of regeneration ROM 6:4; EPH 2:1,5,6; COL 2:12; 3:1
  • TYPIFIED Isaac GEN 22:13; with HEB 11:19; Jonah JON 2:10; with MAT 12:40
  • SYMBOLICAL REV 11:11

MAN -- CREATED

  • GEN 1:26,27; 2:7; 5:1,2; DEU 4:32; JOB 4:17; 10:2,3,8,9; 31:15; 33:4; 35:10; PSA 8:5; 100:3; 119:73; 138:8; 139:14; ECC 7:29; ISA 17:7; 42:5; 43:7; 45:12; 64:8; JER 27:5; ZEC 12:1; MAL 2:10; MRK 10:6; HEB 2:7

MAN -- CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

  • GEN 1:26,27; 9:6; ECC 7:29; 1CO 11:7; 15:48,49; JAS 3:9

MAN -- SPIRIT

  • JOB 4:19; 32:8; PSA 31:5; PRO 20:27; ECC 1:8; 3:21; 12:7; ISA 26:9; ZEC 12:1; MAT 4:4; 10:28; 26:41; MRK 14:38; LUK 22:40; 23:46; 24:39; JHN 3:3-8; 4:24; ACT 7:59; ROM 1:9; 2:29; 7:14-25; 1CO 2:11; 6:20; 7:34; 14:14; 2CO 4:6,7,16; 5:1-9; EPH 3:16; 4:4; 1TH 5:23; HEB 4:12; JAS 2:26

MAN -- MORTAL

  • JOB 4:17; ECC 2:14,15; 3:20; 1CO 15:21,22; HEB 9:27

MAN -- LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS

  • JOB 4:18-21; PSA 8:5; HEB 2:7,8
  • DEATH -- SECOND (from within DEATH entry): PRO 14:12; EZK 18:4,10,13,21,23,24; 33:8,9,11,14-16; MAT 7:13; 10:28; 25:30,41,46; REV 2:11; 19:20; 20:14; 21:8
  • DEATH -- Called SLEEP: DEU 31:16; JOB 7:21; 14:12; JER 51:39; DAN 12:2; JHN 11:11; ACT 7:60; 13:36; 1CO 15:6,18,51; 1TH 4:14,15
  • MAN -- INSIGNIFICANCE OF: JOB 4:18,19; 15:14; 22:2-5; 25:4-6; 35:2-8; PSA 8:3,4; 144:3,4

These companion sites use the same tool-driven research methodology:

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