G4983 — σῶμα (sōma)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G4983
Original: σῶμα
Transliteration: sōma
Pronunciation: so'-mah
Part of Speech: Neuter noun
Root: Related to σῴζω (sōzō, G4982) — to save, preserve; root idea of soundness/wholeness
Occurrences: 122 unique verses (146 tokens) in NT
Books: 18
First Occurrence: Mat 5:29 — "thy whole body should be cast into hell"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

The body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literal or figurative: body, slave.

Semantic Domains¶

Louw-Nida: - Primary Domain 008.001: Body, Body Parts, and Body Products → Body - Other words in domain: ἄνθρωπος (G0444), πτῶμα (G4430), σάρξ (G4561), σκεῦος (G4632), σκῆνος (G4636), σκήνωμα (G4638), σωματικός (G4984), σωματικῶς (G4985) - Secondary Domain 023.007: Physiological Processes and States → Live, Die (body as the locus of mortal existence) - Additional Domain 001.004: Heavenly Bodies (astronomical use in 1 Cor 15)

UBS Semantic Domains: - [008] Body, Body Parts, and Body Products - [009] People - [011] Groups and Classes of Persons and Members of Such Groups and Classes - [087] Status - [058] Nature, Class, Example - [001] Geographical Objects and Features - [023] Physiological Processes and States

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
body / bodies	116	95.1%
bodily / in body / body's	4	3.3%
slaves	1	0.8%

The overwhelming (95%) consistency with "body/bodies" makes sōma one of the most uniformly translated Greek NT words. The single "slaves" rendering is Rev 18:13 (σώματα καὶ ψυχὰς ἀνθρώπων — "bodies and souls of men" = slaves).

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
1 Corinthians	35	8.0
Colossians	8	8.4
Ephesians	8	5.2
James	5	4.6
Romans	13	3.0
2 Corinthians	7	2.7
Hebrews	5	1.7
Matthew	12	1.1
1 Thessalonians	1	1.1
Luke	11	1.0
1 Peter	1	1.0
Mark	5	0.7
Galatians	1	0.7
John	5	0.6
Philippians	2	—
Revelation	1	0.2
Acts	1	0.1
Jude	1	—

Paul is the dominant user (72 of 122 verses). The Pauline concentration in 1 Corinthians (35 uses) reflects the extended body-of-Christ ecclesiology in chs. 12–15. Colossians and Ephesians combine the church-body theme with the cosmic headship of Christ. The Synoptics use sōma primarily for the literal physical body. John uses it mainly for Jesus's body in passion/resurrection contexts.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Physical Human Body (Literal)¶

The body as the material form of a person — what can be clothed, fed, injured, or killed. - Mat 5:29 — "thy whole body should be cast into hell" - Mat 6:22 — "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light" - Luk 12:22 — "Take no thought...neither for the body, what ye shall put on" - 1Th 5:23 — "your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless"

2. Dead Body / Corpse¶

The body after death — awaiting burial or resurrection. - Mat 27:58–59 — "Joseph...begged the body of Jesus...and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth" - Act 9:40 — "Peter...turning [him] to the body said, Tabitha, arise" - Jde 1:9 — Michael disputed with the devil about the body of Moses

3. Christ's Body — Incarnate, Crucified, and Eucharistic¶

The physical body of Jesus in the Incarnation, on the cross, and in the Eucharist. - Jhn 2:21 — "he spake of the temple of his body" - Heb 10:5 — "a body hast thou prepared me" (Psa 40:6) - 1Pe 2:24 — "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree" - Mat 26:26 — "Take, eat: this is my body" - Luk 22:19 — "This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me"

4. Body Under Sin and Mortal Existence (Pauline Ethics)¶

The unredeemed body as a battleground — subject to sin, decay, and death; needing mortification by the Spirit. - Rom 6:12 — "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body" - Rom 7:24 — "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" - Rom 8:10 — "the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" - Rom 8:13 — "if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live"

5. Body as Temple / Presented to God¶

The body as God's property — to be glorified, sanctified, and offered as worship. - 1Co 6:19 — "your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you...ye are not your own" - 1Co 6:20 — "therefore glorify God in your body" - Rom 12:1 — "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God" - Php 1:20 — "Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death"

6. The Church as Corporate Body of Christ¶

The ekklesia as a unified body with many members, under Christ as Head. - 1Co 12:12–13 — "as the body is one, and hath many members...so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body" - 1Co 12:27 — "ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular" - Eph 1:23 — "Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all" - Col 1:18 — "he is the head of the body, the church" - Eph 4:4 — "There is one body, and one Spirit"

7. The Resurrection Body¶

The transformed body — raised, glorified, fashioned like Christ's glorious body. - 1Co 15:44 — "It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body" - Rom 8:23 — "waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body" - Php 3:21 — "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body" - 2Co 5:6–8 — "whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord... willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
Χριστός (Christós)	G5547	18x	"body of Christ" — ecclesial and Eucharistic
εἷς (heîs)	G1520	17x	"one body" — unity of the corporate body
θεός (theós)	G2316	16x	"glorify God in your body"; "body is for the Lord"
Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs)	G2424	15x	"body of Jesus" — passion and resurrection narratives
μέλος (mélos)	G3196	15x	"members of the body" — organic body metaphor
πᾶς (pâs)	G3956	15x	"whole body" — holistic reference
πνεῦμα (pneûma)	G4151	12x	"spirit and body"; "body as temple of the Spirit"
κύριος (kýrios)	G2962	12x	"the body is for the Lord"; "present with the Lord"
ὀφθαλμός (ophthalmós)	G3788	7x	"light of the body is the eye" (Mat 6:22; Luk 11:34)
σάρξ (sárx)	G4561	7x	"body of flesh" — the material nature

Word Family / Cognates¶

G4984 σωματικός (sōmatikos) — adjective: bodily, corporeal (Luk 3:22 "in a bodily shape"; Col 2:9 "bodily")
G4985 σωματικῶς (sōmatikōs) — adverb: bodily (Col 2:9 "all the fulness of the Godhead bodily")

Synonyms¶

No direct synonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G4983.

Antonyms¶

G4639 σκιά (skia) — shadow; Col 2:17 sets σῶμα as the substantial reality over against mere shadow
G4151 πνεῦμα (pneuma) — spirit; regular contrast term where body and spirit are distinguished (Mat 10:28; 1Co 5:3; 1Th 5:23)

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
σάρξ (sárx)	G4561	both = "body" in some contexts	sárx stresses fleshly/sinful nature or material substance; sōma is the whole body as a functioning unit, morally neutral
ψυχή (psychē)	G5590	both can mean "person/life"	psychē = the soul, inner life, person as living being; sōma = the outward physical form
נֶפֶשׁ (nephesh)	H5315	KJV renders nephesh "body" 4×	nephesh = the living soul/person (OT holistic); sōma = the bodily form specifically
בָּשָׂר (bâsâr)	H1320	KJV renders bâsâr "body" 2×	bâsâr = fleshly material, kin; sōma = the whole body as a unit

Louw-Nida Domain Neighbors (023.007 — Live, Die)¶

Strong's	Lemma	Total vv	Primary KJV Translation
G386	ἀνάστασις	36	resurrection
G450	ἀνίστημι	28	arose, raised
G599	ἀποθνῄσκω	47	die, died
G622	ἀπόλλυμι	29	perish, destroy
G110	ἀθανασία	3	immortality
G86	ᾅδης	10	hell, Hades

Sōma appears in the Live/Die domain because the body is the site of mortal existence, death, and resurrection.

Hebrew Source (via LXX)¶

Hebrew Word	Strong's	Co-occ	PMI Score	Notes
גְּוִיָּה (gᵉvîyâh)	H1472	8	7.97	Primary LXX equivalent; body (alive or dead)
בָּשָׂר (bâsâr)	H1320	21	4.93	Flesh/body — appears in Levitical washing contexts
גֶּשֶׁם (geshem)	H1655	5	8.42	Aramaic body (Dan); high PMI but low raw count
נְבֵלָה (nᵉbêlâh)	H5038	6	5.65	Carcass/dead body

The LXX uses σῶμα most consistently for גְּוִיָּה (body). The high co-occurrence with H1320 בָּשָׂר reflects extensive Levitical purity laws ("wash his body in water"); a TR-basar-sarx trace already exists. No single dominant bridge word reaches threshold for a new TR file.