WG: Soul / Life
Overview
The soul/life concept in the NT involves three Greek words for "life" — ψυχή (psychē), ζωή (zōē), and βίος (bios) — each with distinct semantic ranges. Psychē is the self/person/life-force; zōē is the vital principle and eternal life; bios is livelihood and manner of living. Two additional words round out the concept cluster: καρδία (kardia) overlaps with psyche in describing the inner person, and ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi) is the primary verb of destruction/loss paired with psyche.
Word Group Members
| Strong's |
Word |
Transliteration |
POS |
Occurrences |
Role in Concept |
Library Entry |
| G5590 |
ψυχή |
psychē |
noun |
105 |
Core word — soul, life, self |
G5590 |
| G2222 |
ζωή |
zōē |
noun |
134 |
Vital principle — eternal/spiritual life |
G2222-zoe |
| G979 |
βίος |
bios |
noun |
11 |
Livelihood — possessions, manner of life |
TODO(need G979 study) |
| G2588 |
καρδία |
kardia |
noun |
160 |
Overlap — heart as seat of inner life |
TODO(need G2588 study) |
| G622 |
ἀπόλλυμι |
apollymi |
verb |
92 |
Key verb — lose/destroy soul/life |
G622-apollymi.md |
| G5591 |
ψυχικός |
psychikos |
adj |
6 |
Derivative — natural, sensual (vs. spiritual) |
TODO(need G5591 study) |
Relationships
Shared Roots
- ψυχή (G5590) and ψυχικός (G5591) — from root ψύχω (to breathe, blow cool)
- ζωή (G2222) stands alone (from ζάω, to live)
- βίος (G979) stands alone
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)
| Word A |
Word B |
Shared Verses |
Typical Context |
| psychē (G5590) |
kardia (G2588) |
10 |
"heart and soul" pairing in Shema quotations (Matt 22:37, Mark 12:30) |
| psychē (G5590) |
apollymi (G622) |
8 |
"lose one's soul/life" — Jesus' save/lose paradox (Matt 16:25) |
| psychē (G5590) |
pneuma (G4151) |
5 |
soul/spirit distinction (1 Thess 5:23, Heb 4:12) |
| kardia (G2588) |
pneuma (G4151) |
14 |
heart and spirit together (broader inner-life vocabulary) |
| zōē (G2222) |
pneuma (G4151) |
7 |
"spirit of life" contexts |
| psychē (G5590) |
zōē (G2222) |
0 |
Never co-occur — complementary distribution, not overlapping |
| psychē (G5590) |
bios (G979) |
0 |
Never co-occur — fully distinct semantic lanes |
LXX Overlaps
| Greek Words |
Shared Hebrew Source |
Notes |
| psychē (G5590) + zōē (G2222) |
both translate חַי (chay, H2416) |
Greek distinguishes what Hebrew sometimes conflates as "living/life" |
| psychē (G5590) + kardia (G2588) |
both translate לֵבָב (lebab, H3824) |
Greek splits "heart" (kardia) from "soul/self" (psyche); Hebrew lebab covers both |
Roles in the Concept
- The Self: psychē (ψυχή) — the whole living person, the "who" that lives and feels
- The Principle: zōē (ζωή) — the quality or force of being alive, especially eternal life
- The Livelihood: bios (βίος) — the means and manner of living (possessions, daily life)
- The Interior: kardia (καρδία) — the inner seat of thought and will (overlaps with psyche's inner-self sense)
- The Threat: apollymi (ἀπόλλυμι) — the verb of losing, destroying, or perishing
- The Adjective: psychikos (ψυχικός) — "natural/soulish" as opposed to pneumatikos "spiritual"
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together
- Matt 22:37 — kardia + psychē: "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul"
- Matt 16:25-26 — psychē + apollymi: "whosoever will save his life shall lose it... what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
- 1 Thess 5:23 — psychē + pneuma: "your whole spirit and soul and body"
- Heb 4:12 — psychē + pneuma + kardia: "dividing asunder of soul and spirit... a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart"
- Luke 12:19-23 — psychē + bios context: rich fool addresses his soul about goods laid up
Generated from: search_strongs.py, co-occurrence queries
Last updated: 2026-03-31