Numbers 27:16

27:16 “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all humankind, ¹  appoint ²  a man over the community,

Job 12:10

12:10 in whose hand ³  is the life ⁴  of every creature

and the breath of all the human race. ⁵ 

Ecclesiastes 12:7

12:7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was,

and the life’s breath ⁶  returns to God who gave it.

Isaiah 57:16

57:16 For I will not be hostile ⁷  forever

or perpetually angry,

for then man’s spirit would grow faint before me, ⁸ 

the life-giving breath I created.

Zechariah 12:1

The Repentance of Judah

12:1 The revelation of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: The Lord – he who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundations of the earth, who forms the human spirit within a person ⁹  – says,

Hebrews 12:9

12:9 Besides, we have experienced discipline from ¹⁰  our earthly fathers ¹¹  and we respected them; shall we not submit ourselves all the more to the Father of spirits and receive life? ¹² 

[27:16]  ¹ tn Heb “flesh”; cf. NAB, NIV “all mankind”; NCV “all people”; NLT “all living things.”

[27:16]  ² tn This is the same verb פָּקַד (paqad) that is used throughout the book for the aspect of “numbering” the people.

[12:10]  ³ tn The construction with the relative clause includes a resumptive pronoun referring to God: “who in his hand” = “in whose hand.”

[12:10]  ⁴ tn The two words נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) and רוּחַ (ruakh) are synonymous in general. They could be translated “soul” and “spirit,” but “soul” is not precise for נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh), and so “life” is to be preferred. Since that is the case for the first half of the verse, “breath” will be preferable in the second part.

[12:10]  ⁵ tn Human life is made of “flesh” and “spirit.” So here the line reads “and the spirit of all flesh of man.” If the text had simply said “all flesh,” that would have applied to all flesh in which there is the breath of life (see Gen 6:17; 7:15). But to limit this to human beings requires the qualification with “man.”

[12:7]  ⁶ tn Or “spirit.” The likely referent is the life’s breath that originates with God. See Eccl 3:19, as well as Gen 2:7; 6:17; 7:22.

[57:16]  ⁷ tn Or perhaps, “argue,” or “accuse” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[57:16]  ⁸ tn Heb “for a spirit from before me would be faint.”

[12:1]  ⁹ tn Heb “who forms the spirit of man within him” (so NIV).

[12:9]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “we had our earthly fathers as discipliners.”

[12:9]  ¹¹ tn Grk “the fathers of our flesh.” In Hebrews, “flesh” is a characteristic way of speaking about outward, physical, earthly life (cf. Heb 5:7; 9:10, 13), as opposed to the inward or spiritual dimensions of life.

[12:9]  ¹² tn Grk “and live.”