that is life indeed (1 Tim. 6:19 revised reading), life that embraces

immortality (Rom. 2:7), life that will ultimately swallow up mortality (1

Cor. 15:19; 2 Cor. 5:4); this is the gift of God through the finished Work of

our Lord Jesus Christ.  When zoe is imparted and existing in an individual as

his personal life, it is given another name, psuche.  As an extension of this

great subject, we turn our attention to the usage and implications of the

term 'the breath of life' found in Genesis 2:7.

Elsewhere we have seen that man, equally with the lower creation, is

called 'a living soul', but we also saw enough in the record of Genesis 1:26-

28 to prevent us from concluding that he was that and nothing more.  It is

sometimes said that 'man is like the beasts that perish', but we should

remember that the full statement is: 'Man that is in honour, and

understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish' (Psa. 49:12,20), which is

a somewhat different thought.  Ephesians 4:17,18 says of the Gentiles, that

they have 'the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God

through the ignorance that is in them', which cannot be true of the lower

We have seen that both man and the lower animals are called 'souls'

(Gen. 1:20,21; 2:7), and at first glance we may conclude that man is nothing

different from the beasts that perish.  This, however, is too sweeping a

statement, for while it is true that both man and beast 'have all one breath'

(ruach), there is in Genesis 7:21,22 another word which seems peculiar to man

alone, and therefore establishes an essential difference.

Neshamah.  This word neshamah is generally translated 'breath' or

'breathe' in the A.V., its other renderings being 'blast', 'inspiration',

'soul' and 'spirit'.  The word occurs 24 times, and we believe in 23 of the

occurrences man only is the subject.  The one passage which demands a more

lengthy analysis is Genesis 7:21,22.

We propose therefore, to pass in review the 23 passages, and then

consider Genesis 7:21,22 to see whether this particular word does, or does

not, mark off man from all other creatures.  For easy reference we will

number each occurrence.  Appendix 16 of The Companion Bible gives all

'And breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man

became a living soul' (Gen. 2:7).  It may be queried who it is that is

said to breathe, God or Adam, for the pronoun 'he' does not decide the

question.  This breath is by the nostrils, and therefore in this

respect differs in nothing from that of the lower creatures.  Be the

answers to these questions what they may, here is the introduction of

something special in the process of creation, something quite

exceptional, occurring nowhere in the record of Genesis 1, but finding

somewhat of a parallel in the equally distinctive pause and counsel of

Genesis 1:26.

'Thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth' (Deut. 20:16).  We

know that sometimes both man and beast were destroyed by the advancing

Israelites, as was the case at Jericho.  But when taking the next city,

Ai, Israel were, by divine command, expressly told to spare the cattle.

'And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and

her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof shall ye take

for a prey' (Josh. 8:2).  If we insist that neshamah

in Deuteronomy 20:16 must include cattle, we introduce a serious