I’ve heard a good friend and fellow preacher say from time to time that he knows a little Greek. And then, the punch line comes, “He owns a great little restaurant down the street.” All joking aside, I know that he, like all preachers, would like to be more familiar with the Greek, the language the New Testament was originally penned in.
Checking The Greek: Insights from the Original New Testament Language
Last week, we examined the words spirit and soul, focusing specifically on the two Hebrew words that primarily render them. Likewise, the English New Testament primarily translates the words spirit and soul from two Greek words, psuche and pneuma.
Spirit and Soul: A Look into the GreekThe Bible uses both the word spirit and soul when speaking about man. What do these words refer to? Are they synonyms, or does each refer to something distinct?
To answer our questions, there are four words, two Hebrew and two Greek, which are translated as spirit and soul into English. They are nephesh and ruach (Hebrew), psuche and pneuma (Greek). This week we will look at the Hebrew words, next week we will examine the Greek.
Spirit and Soul: A look into the Hebrew