Have you ever reflected on Genesis 2:7?

Question

"And Jehovah God proceeded to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man came to be a living soul." - Genesis 2:7 (New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures)

"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." - Genesis 2:7 (King James Version)

According to this verse the man is a living soul. The living soul is nothing else than dust + breath of life. So, why do most of people say that we have inside a soul when we are a soul? Is there another way to understand this verse? You have to take it word by word. There's nothing metaphorical here.
And it also says that Adam became a living soul. That means that there can be dead souls too. So, we're not immortal. We don't have something inside us that survives after death.
"The soul that is sinning—it itself will die." - Ezekiel 18:4, 20 => The person who's sinning (the living soul) dies.

Answer 1

Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe the bible to teach that some "soul" is immortal. Instead, they believe the bible to teach that most dead humans will be resurrected to life in a restored paradise earth, with the hope of living forever under God and Christ.

What does the bible actually teach about "the soul"?

A "soul" is a life, with no implication regarding some immortal otherwordly entity. Each deceased life is in Jehovah God's remembrance (with the potential for future resurrection), but the dead do not exist anywhere but memories until and unless the life is resurrected.

(Ezekiel 18:4) The soul that is sinning - it itself will die.

(Ecclesiastes 9:5) For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all

(Ecclesiastes 9:10) there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol ["hell"]

(Genesis 2:17) But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.”

(Genesis 17:14) And an uncircumcised male who will not get the flesh of his foreskin circumcised, even that soul must be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”

(Judges 16:30) And Samson proceeded to say: “Let my soul die with the Philistines.” Then he bent himself with power, and the house went falling upon the axis lords and upon all the people that were in it, so that the dead that he put to death in his own death came to be more than those he had put to death during his lifetime.

(Job 33:22) And his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those inflicting death.

(Psalm 78:50) He did not hold back their soul from death itself; And their life he handed over even to the pestilence.

(Isaiah 53:12) he poured out his soul to the very death

(Acts 3:23) Indeed, any soul that does not listen to that Prophet will be completely destroyed from among the people.’

(Revelation 16:3) And the second one poured out his bowl into the sea. And it became blood as of a dead man, and every living soul died, yes, the things in the sea.

Answer 2

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.

breath H5397
נשׁמה
neshâmâh
nesh-aw-maw'
From H5395; a puff, that is, wind, angry or vital breath, divine inspiration, intellect or (concretely) an animal: - blast, (that) breath (-eth), inspiration, soul, spirit.

Halfway decent question. Lose the attitude. Worthy of a star.

Answer 3

Yes we are a three part being: BODY - SOUL - SPIRIT Which ever part is fed (BODY or SPIRIT) will control the SOUL.

The bible says that food drink and the passing of time is all the body needs to grow. The Spirit grows on the teachings of the bible (the word of GOD). Don't get literal, any words that express the thoughts of GOD is the word of GOD.

It is widely believed that the SOUL, sours when we as men do those things that are not according to GOD. This state of being is known as living in sin (you have miss the mark). We are alive, but stand a chance of dieing in our sins. If we die in our sin our soul is lost forever. As we strengthen our spirit, we change our minds (repent) and change our ways.

The verses you started with is just a snippet of the greater lesson of the bible, the new and old testament.

Answer 4

You are correct. In Sacred Scripture the term "soul" often refers to human life or the entire human person. But "soul" also refers to the innermost aspect of man. (Matthew 10, 28; 26,38; John 12, 27; 2 Maccabees 6,30) That by which he is most especially in God's image: "soul" signifies the spiritual principle in man.
The unity of soul and body is so profound that one has to consider the soul to be the "form" of the body; that is, it is because of its spiritual soul that the body made of matter becomes a living, human body. Spirit and matter, in men, are not two natures united, but their union forms a single nature.
Have a great day

Answer 5

In his way Stalin was another Hitler, and Stalin lasted longer in power, and died of old age, still in power. Stalin was in charge of Soviet Russia, a very powerful nation. Since that time there have been several dictators in charge of nations which have had wide influence, e.g.Ghaddafi in Libya (small nation by population, but big influence because of oil), Mao Tse Tung in China and Saddam Hussein in Iraq (oil, again, and look at the chaos in Iraq since he was deposed). Nobody can predict the future, but I would not be surprised to find a dictator in a similar position to Hitler at some time.

Answer 6

Gee, I think that's more of a semantics question than a religious question. How many words do you think the Aramaic had, anyway?

And through how many translations did we arrive at the King James version?

Lighten up. This is not important.

Answer 7

Have you ever reflected on Genesis 2:7?
-Nope.

Answer 8

Are you aware that you can loose your soul while you are living and regain it.

Read Pslams 23:3

Answer 9

You are right. see link below

Answer 10

I think that your assumption that "there is nothing metaphorical here", is border line insane. Good luck.