Have
you ever heard someone say, “The difference between man and the animals is that
man has a soul,” and then quote Genesis 2:7?
The idea that the word soul,
the Hebrew nephesh or the Greek psueche, or the spirit, the Hebrew ruach or Greek pneuma, is what distinguishes man from the animals is very
widespread. However, it is clearly and
blatantly unbiblical. Why is this the
case?
you ever heard someone say, “The difference between man and the animals is that
man has a soul,” and then quote Genesis 2:7?
The idea that the word soul,
the Hebrew nephesh or the Greek psueche, or the spirit, the Hebrew ruach or Greek pneuma, is what distinguishes man from the animals is very
widespread. However, it is clearly and
blatantly unbiblical. Why is this the
case?
First,
the Old Testament word for soul, nephesh, is very clearly employed for
both animals and man. Indeed, Genesis 2:7 is the only text where the Hebrew for
living soul is used of man
alone. In Genesis 9:16 the phrase is
arguably used for both men and animals.
In every other text where the phrase living
soul is found, it refers not to people, but to the animals, and often to
the animals in contrast with man. The
relevant passages are as follows:
the Old Testament word for soul, nephesh, is very clearly employed for
both animals and man. Indeed, Genesis 2:7 is the only text where the Hebrew for
living soul is used of man
alone. In Genesis 9:16 the phrase is
arguably used for both men and animals.
In every other text where the phrase living
soul is found, it refers not to people, but to the animals, and often to
the animals in contrast with man. The
relevant passages are as follows:
Gen.
1:20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature
that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open
firmament of heaven.
1:20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature
that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open
firmament of heaven.
Gen.
1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after
his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind:
and it was so.
1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after
his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind:
and it was so.
Gen.
1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to
every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I
have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. (KJV margin, “life: Heb. a living soul.”)
1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to
every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I
have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. (KJV margin, “life: Heb. a living soul.”)
Gen.
2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Gen.
2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and
every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would
call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was
the name thereof.
2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and
every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would
call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was
the name thereof.
Gen.
9:12 And God said, This is the
token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living
creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
9:12 And God said, This is the
token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living
creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
Gen.
9:15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and
every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become
a flood to destroy all flesh.
9:15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and
every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become
a flood to destroy all flesh.
Gen.
9:16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may
remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature
of all flesh that is upon the earth.
9:16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may
remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature
of all flesh that is upon the earth.
Ezek.
47:9 And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth,
which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall
be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for
they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.[1]
47:9 And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth,
which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall
be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for
they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.[1]
There is no basis for saying that
the distinguishing feature of man, in contradistinction to animals, is the
possession of a soul or nephesh.
Since living soul, nephesh chayyah, is employed identically
of the animals in Genesis 1:20, 24, 30 and for man in 2:7, the conclusion that
Genesis 2:7 teaches that the soul is
what distinguishes man from the animals in Genesis 2:7 flies in the face of
context in a radical way. In fact, the nephesh is what distinguishes what is
properly Biblically alive—and thus could not pass away before sin entered into
the world at the time of the Fall—from the plants, which do not have nephesh, and could therefore be eaten
before the Fall without there being death in the world. Because both man and the animals have a soul
or nephesh, neither of them could die
before the Fall.
the distinguishing feature of man, in contradistinction to animals, is the
possession of a soul or nephesh.
Since living soul, nephesh chayyah, is employed identically
of the animals in Genesis 1:20, 24, 30 and for man in 2:7, the conclusion that
Genesis 2:7 teaches that the soul is
what distinguishes man from the animals in Genesis 2:7 flies in the face of
context in a radical way. In fact, the nephesh is what distinguishes what is
properly Biblically alive—and thus could not pass away before sin entered into
the world at the time of the Fall—from the plants, which do not have nephesh, and could therefore be eaten
before the Fall without there being death in the world. Because both man and the animals have a soul
or nephesh, neither of them could die
before the Fall.
Furthermore,
the spirit or ruach (Aj…wr) is
also employed for animals in Genesis 6:17; 7:15, 22 (KJV, “breath of life”), as
well as appearing in texts where the ruach
is a part of man (Genesis 26:35; 41:8; 45:27).
Animals and men also both have a body or gewiyyah (hÎ¥yˆw◊…g;
Gen 47:18 (people); Judges 14:8-9 (animal)).
Similarly, the New Testament word for soul, pseuche (yuch/), is also used for both animals (Rev 8:9;
16:3) and people (Matthew 10:28). The
word spirit or pneuma (pneuvma) is used for people
(Acts 7:59) but not specifically for animals in the New Testament, although
there are also simply not that many animals in the NT, and pneuma is employed in the Greek LXX for the animals in the verses
where the Greek translates the Hebrew ruach
(e. g., Gen 6:17; 7:15, pneuma zoes, pneuvma
zwhvß, but not 7:22, where the LXX
has pnoen zoes, pnohn
zwhvß, instead).
the spirit or ruach (Aj…wr) is
also employed for animals in Genesis 6:17; 7:15, 22 (KJV, “breath of life”), as
well as appearing in texts where the ruach
is a part of man (Genesis 26:35; 41:8; 45:27).
Animals and men also both have a body or gewiyyah (hÎ¥yˆw◊…g;
Gen 47:18 (people); Judges 14:8-9 (animal)).
Similarly, the New Testament word for soul, pseuche (yuch/), is also used for both animals (Rev 8:9;
16:3) and people (Matthew 10:28). The
word spirit or pneuma (pneuvma) is used for people
(Acts 7:59) but not specifically for animals in the New Testament, although
there are also simply not that many animals in the NT, and pneuma is employed in the Greek LXX for the animals in the verses
where the Greek translates the Hebrew ruach
(e. g., Gen 6:17; 7:15, pneuma zoes, pneuvma
zwhvß, but not 7:22, where the LXX
has pnoen zoes, pnohn
zwhvß, instead).
So
if neither the terms for body, soul, or spirit distinguish man from the animals, what does? Genesis 1:26 provides the answer—the image of
God. Only mankind possesses the image of
God, while animals and men both have ruach
and nephesh; plants have no nephesh and, therefore, are not living,
Biblically speaking. Because man is in
the image of God, one can properly say that man has a radically different soul
and spirit (and body, for that matter) than those of animals, and that man’s body,
soul, and spirit will exist forever either in the New Jerusalem or the lake of
fire, unlike those of animals. However, these
differences are not the fundamental ones, but are built upon the fundamental
difference of man’s unique characteristic of being created in God’s image.
if neither the terms for body, soul, or spirit distinguish man from the animals, what does? Genesis 1:26 provides the answer—the image of
God. Only mankind possesses the image of
God, while animals and men both have ruach
and nephesh; plants have no nephesh and, therefore, are not living,
Biblically speaking. Because man is in
the image of God, one can properly say that man has a radically different soul
and spirit (and body, for that matter) than those of animals, and that man’s body,
soul, and spirit will exist forever either in the New Jerusalem or the lake of
fire, unlike those of animals. However, these
differences are not the fundamental ones, but are built upon the fundamental
difference of man’s unique characteristic of being created in God’s image.
This study, including a PDF file where Hebrew and Greek characters are not garbled if they are so on your computer, can also be accessed here.
[1]
The
Hebrew for these verses, with the relevant phrase in red, is as follows:
The
Hebrew for these verses, with the relevant phrase in red, is as follows:
:Mˆy`DmDÚvAh
Aoyñîq√r y™EnVÚp_lAo X®r$DaDh_lAo P∞Epwøo◊y ‹Pwøo◊w h¡D¥yAj vRp∞Rn X®r™Rv Mˆy$A;mAh …wâx√rVvˆy My$IhølTa rRmaâø¥yÅw
Gen. 1:20
Aoyñîq√r y™EnVÚp_lAo X®r$DaDh_lAo P∞Epwøo◊y ‹Pwøo◊w h¡D¥yAj vRp∞Rn X®r™Rv Mˆy$A;mAh …wâx√rVvˆy My$IhølTa rRmaâø¥yÅw
Gen. 1:20
:N`Ek_yIh◊y`Aw
;h¡DnyImVl X®r™Ra_wøt◊y`Aj◊w cRmö®rÎw h¶DmEhV;b ;hYÎnyImVl ‹hÎ¥yAj vRp§Rn X®r%DaDh a°Exwø;t My#IhølTa rRmaâø¥yÅw 1:24
;h¡DnyImVl X®r™Ra_wøt◊y`Aj◊w cRmö®rÎw h¶DmEhV;b ;hYÎnyImVl ‹hÎ¥yAj vRp§Rn X®r%DaDh a°Exwø;t My#IhølTa rRmaâø¥yÅw 1:24
:N`Ek_yIh◊y`Aw
h¡DlVkDaVl bRc™Eo q®r¶Ry_lD;k_tRa hYÎ¥yAj vRp∞Rn ‹wø;b_rRvSa X®r#DaDh_lAo c∞Emwør
— lâOkVl…w Mˆy%AmDÚvAh Pw°øo_lDkVl…w X®rDaDh t∞A¥yAj_lDkVlá…w 1:30
h¡DlVkDaVl bRc™Eo q®r¶Ry_lD;k_tRa hYÎ¥yAj vRp∞Rn ‹wø;b_rRvSa X®r#DaDh_lAo c∞Emwør
— lâOkVl…w Mˆy%AmDÚvAh Pw°øo_lDkVl…w X®rDaDh t∞A¥yAj_lDkVlá…w 1:30
:h`D¥yAj vRp¶RnVl Mä∂dDa`Dh y¶Ih◊y`Aw My¡I¥yAj
t∞AmVvˆn wy™DÚpAaV;b j¶AÚpˆ¥yÅw h$Dm∂dSa∞Dh_NIm ‹rDpDo M#∂dDa`Dh_tRa My%IhølTa
h∏Îwh◊y ·rRxyˆ¥yÅw 2:7
t∞AmVvˆn wy™DÚpAaV;b j¶AÚpˆ¥yÅw h$Dm∂dSa∞Dh_NIm ‹rDpDo M#∂dDa`Dh_tRa My%IhølTa
h∏Îwh◊y ·rRxyˆ¥yÅw 2:7
:wáømVv a…wñh h™D¥yAj vRp¶Rn Mö∂dDaèDh w¬øl_a∂rVqˆy r°RvSa · lOk◊w wóøl_a∂rVqˆ¥y_hAm
twäøa√rIl M$∂dDa∞Dh_lRa ‹aEbÎ¥yÅw Mˆy$AmDÚvAh Pwâøo_lD;k ‹tEa◊w ‹h®dDÚcAh
t§A¥yAj_lD;k h#Dm∂dSa`Dh_NIm My%IhølTa h∏Îwh◊y ·rRxˆ¥yÅw 2:19
twäøa√rIl M$∂dDa∞Dh_lRa ‹aEbÎ¥yÅw Mˆy$AmDÚvAh Pwâøo_lD;k ‹tEa◊w ‹h®dDÚcAh
t§A¥yAj_lD;k h#Dm∂dSa`Dh_NIm My%IhølTa h∏Îwh◊y ·rRxˆ¥yÅw 2:19
:M`Dlwøo tëOrOdVl
M¡RkV;tIa r∞RvSa h™D¥yAj
vRp¶Rn_lD;k Ny¢Eb…w M$Rky´ny∞Eb…w ‹yˆnyE;b N#EtOn y∞InSa_rRvSa
‹tyîrV;bAh_twáøa taôøz My#IhølTa rRmaâø¥yÅw 9:12
M¡RkV;tIa r∞RvSa h™D¥yAj
vRp¶Rn_lD;k Ny¢Eb…w M$Rky´ny∞Eb…w ‹yˆnyE;b N#EtOn y∞InSa_rRvSa
‹tyîrV;bAh_twáøa taôøz My#IhølTa rRmaâø¥yÅw 9:12
:r`DcD;b_lD;k
t™EjAvVl l…w$;bAmVl ‹Mˆy‹A;mAh dwôøo h∏‰yVh`Iy_aáøl◊w r¡DcD;b_lDkV;b h™D¥yAj vRp¶Rn_lD;k Ny¢Eb…w M$Rky´ny∞Eb…w ‹yˆnyE;b r§RvSa y#ItyîrV;b_tRa y∞I;t√rAkÎz◊w 9:15
t™EjAvVl l…w$;bAmVl ‹Mˆy‹A;mAh dwôøo h∏‰yVh`Iy_aáøl◊w r¡DcD;b_lDkV;b h™D¥yAj vRp¶Rn_lD;k Ny¢Eb…w M$Rky´ny∞Eb…w ‹yˆnyE;b r§RvSa y#ItyîrV;b_tRa y∞I;t√rAkÎz◊w 9:15
:X®r`DaDh_lAo
r¶RvSa r™DcD;b_lDkV;b hYÎ¥yAj
vRp∞Rn_lD;k ‹NyEb…w My$IhølTa Ny∞E;b M$Dlwøo tyâîrV;b ‹rO;k◊zIl
Dhy#ItyIa√r…w N¡DnDo`R;b tRvä®;qAh h¶Dt◊yDh◊w 9:16
r¶RvSa r™DcD;b_lDkV;b hYÎ¥yAj
vRp∞Rn_lD;k ‹NyEb…w My$IhølTa Ny∞E;b M$Dlwøo tyâîrV;b ‹rO;k◊zIl
Dhy#ItyIa√r…w N¡DnDo`R;b tRvä®;qAh h¶Dt◊yDh◊w 9:16
:lAj`D…nAh
hD;m™Dv awøb¶Dy_rRvSa löO;k y$DjÎw ‹…waVpá∂r´y◊w hR;l#EaDh Mˆy∞A;mAh hD;m%Dv
…wa°Db ·yI;k dóOaVm h∞D;bår h™Dg∂;dAh h¶DyDh◊w hY‰yVj`Iy ‹Mˆy‹AlSjÅn M§Dv
aw°øbÎy ·rRvSa_lD;k l∞Ra X&OrVvˆy_rRvà≈a —h∞D¥yAj vRp∞Rn_lDk h∞DyDh◊w Ezek. 47:9
hD;m™Dv awøb¶Dy_rRvSa löO;k y$DjÎw ‹…waVpá∂r´y◊w hR;l#EaDh Mˆy∞A;mAh hD;m%Dv
…wa°Db ·yI;k dóOaVm h∞D;bår h™Dg∂;dAh h¶DyDh◊w hY‰yVj`Iy ‹Mˆy‹AlSjÅn M§Dv
aw°øbÎy ·rRvSa_lD;k l∞Ra X&OrVvˆy_rRvà≈a —h∞D¥yAj vRp∞Rn_lDk h∞DyDh◊w Ezek. 47:9
John Mark IB
Dear Dr Ross,
I hope you and yours are well,
Thanks for the great article that gives the easy answer, that scholars like yourself and Pastor Brandenburg and Dr Strouse would easily know, but it helps less theologically educated folks like myself better understand the issue, I always thought I had the answer, and that the difference between us, mankind and animals, was here in the passage:
Genesis 2:7 KJV
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
As it is in English, since my Hebrew is horrible, I thought the fact that GOD breathed the life of the eternal soul, and animals not having the same etc., that was the difference, thanks very much for pointing out, that it is in fact the actual image of GOD, and man being created in His image, that is the key to the passage, I used to want to believe that our pets go to heaven and live up in heaven eternally, but I no longer believe that, so basically I think your question of do animals have souls or spirits? is actually meant to be, or what most people ask is do animals go to heaven? Would seem to be if they are not created in the image of GOD, and don't have the same eternal breath of life, soul, then the answer seems to be no? Is that correct? Thanks very much for your excellent help and teachings as always may The LORD bless you and yours with health love joy and peace always in Jesus name amen! Have a blessed day and week
Dear John Mark,
You are correct in the statement that there is no basis for concluding that animals alive today will go to heaven, although Revelation 19 indicates that there are horses in the eschaton, and I don't see why there would be no animals on the new Earth.
Also, as noted in the post, one who has a King James Bible with the marginal notes from 1611 will notice in Genesis 1:20 that animals have "soul."
Thanks for the comment.