God’s Word states that after Adam was created, he became a living soul when his body, which God made out of dust, received breath from God (Genesis 2:7). Before this life-giving breath came from God, there was no “Adam.” He became an individual (a soul) when body and breath came together. The soul is the full integration that makes up each individual person. It is specific to each person. It never leaves his or her body and it dies when the person dies. The fact the soul is this all-in-one combination of body and God’s life-giving breath is a big deal. The Bible teaches us to think holistically about the soul and the lives we live. It’s also important to take care of ourselves and be good stewards of the bodies, minds and spirits God has given us as our souls. THE FORMULA FOR A LIVING SOUL Body + Breath of Life = Living Soul If you have a look at the original languages the Bible was written in, terms sometimes translated as “soul” actually meant “life” or “person.” Two examples come to mind: In Hebrew, the term nephesh and in Greek, psuche are both translated as “soul” in the Bible. However, they can also be translated as “life” or “person.” Looking at the original Hebrew and Greek as well as the various uses of these terms helps us get to a more comprehensive view of who we are as humans. It turns out “soul” may not even be the best-fitting modern translation of the original language because of the connotations of immortality and mysticism linked to the word “soul.” In Hebrew, the way to say “Let me live” (I Kings 20:32) is “Let my soul live.” See how the use of “soul” here ties into a person’s overall existence? Now take a look at the more drawn-out phrase, “that my soul may bless you before I die” (Genesis 27:4, NKJV). It actually means “that I may bless you.” The use of the word “soul” is speaking to someone’s complete identity. The Bible uses these terms as a way of closely identifying with an individual—it’s not referring to a separate entity, life force, or energy. Another way to look at this is that humans do not have a soul but are a soul (1 Corinthians 15:45; Genesis 2:7).