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Our immediate consideration is 'life', but we refer the reader to the
article entitled Man (p. 70) for a fuller treatment than we can give here.
The two other words translated 'life' are yom, meaning days or length of life
(Psa. 91:16), and etsem, meaning bone (Job 7:15, A.V. margin), both of which
are figurative expressions and need not detain us.
Zoe must be distinguished from bios. Bios means not life itself, but
the manner of life, the means of living. Zoology is different from Biology
inasmuch as Biology is the science of life in its evident acceptation,
whereas Zoology is a department of Biology and is concerned with living
animals, even as we think of the Zoological Gardens as something different
from Kew Gardens. The widow, so graciously commended by the Lord, cast into
the treasury all her 'living' (bios) not her 'life' (zoe). The good soldier
does not become entangled with his 'living' (bios 2 Tim. 2:4). Cremer speaks
of zoe as the kind of existence possessed by individualized being, to be
explained as self-governing existence which God is and man has, or is said to
have, and which on its part, is supreme over all the rest of creation.
Zoe aionios 'eternal or everlasting life', describes life, not so much
as distinct from our present earthly existence, but rather as directly and in
the clearest way contrasted with death in its widest range. In this sense
life is described as the sum of the Divine promises under the gospel (Eph.
4:18; Tit. 1:2), and of the revelation of grace (Tit. 1:2); and even of
gospel preaching (2 Tim. 1:10). Hence the expression 'The words of this
life' (Acts 5:20); and Christ Himself is 'Our life' (Col. 3:4).
The purpose of the Gospel of John is given in John 20:31 as 'Life
through His Name'.
'We speak on the one hand of zoology, for animals (ta zoa) have the
vital principle: they live, as well as men ... but on the other hand,
we speak of biography, for men not only live, but they lead lives,
lives in which there is that moral distinction between one and another,
which may make them well worthy to be recorded' (Trench, Synonyms of
the New Testament).
Psuche, the Greek equivalent of nephesh, is translated 'soul' 58 times
and 'life' 40 times in the New Testament. The following references in
Matthew's Gospel will give a fair idea of its usage and meaning (Matt. 2:20;
6:25; 10:39; 16:25 and 20:28). In the New Testament psuche denotes life in
the distinction of individual existence, (Rev. 8:9; 16:3). It is elsewhere
used of man alone, and, indeed, primarily of the life belonging to the
individual (Matt. 2:20). In English it appears in such words as psychic,
psychology, etc. Pneuma 'spirit' is translated 'life' but once, namely in
Revelation 13:15. Other words used which must be noted to complete the
survey, are:
Zao
'to live'. 'We despaired of life' (2 Cor. 1:8).
Biotikos
'Belonging or pertaining to life' (Luke 21:34; 1 Cor.
6:3,4).
Apsucha
'Things without breath' (1 Cor. 14:7).
Agoge
'Course of life' (2 Tim. 3:10).
Biosis
'manner of life' (Acts 26:4).
Zoopoieo
'to make alive' (2 Cor. 3:6; Gal. 3:21).
Zoe is the life principle, God alone has 'life in Himself' (John 1:4;
5:26), this is life in its essence. Life more abundant (John 10:10), life