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Principal Point of Faith #3:
The Nature of Man
2. What is a soul, according to the Bible?
(a) The Bible uses the word "soul" for any living, breathing
creature — man, animal, bird, fish, insect. The Bible teaches that
souls can die and will die.
(b) The word translated "soul" in the Bible is the Hebrew word nephesh.
This word does not refer to a personality but is defined as “properly a
breathing creature, i.e. “animal”
—Strong's Greek & Hebrew Dictionary
See Genesis 46:22 — “All the souls that came with Jacob
into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives,
all the souls were threescore and six” " —there were 76 people,
not 76 spirits or immortal somethings.
See Exodus 1:5 — all those who came out of Egypt were called
“souls” (persons).
See Psalm 40:14 — where David prayed to be spared from
the hands of his enemies.“Let them be ashamed and
confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it.”
His soul—his life—could be destroyed!
 
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