pûr ́sun, pûr ́s'n, pûr-un-al ́ti (נפשׁ, nephesh, אישׁ, ‘īsh, אדם, ‘ādhām, פּנים, pānīm, πρόσωπον, prósōpon, ὑπόστασις, hupóstasis): The most frequent word for “person” in the Old Testament is nephesh, “soul” (Genesis 14:21, “Give me the persons, and take the goods”; Genesis 36:6, the King James Version “all the persons”: Numbers 5:6 the King James Version “that person,” etc.): ‘īsh “a man,” “an individual,” Is also used (Judges 9:2, “threescore and ten persons”; 1 Samuel 16:18, “a comely person,” etc.); ‘ādhām, “a man,” “a human being” (Numbers 31:28, “of the persons, and of the oxen”; Proverbs 6:12, “a worthless person,” etc.); ‘ĕnōsh, “a man,” “a weak, mortal man,” occurs twice (Judges 9:4, the King James Version “vain and light persons”; Zephaniah 3:4); ba‛al, “owner,” “lord,” is once translated “person” (Proverbs 24:8, the King James Version “a mischievous person”), and methīm, “men,” once (Psalms 26:4, the King James Version “vain persons”); pānīm “face,” is frequently translated “person” when the reference is to the external appearance, as of persons in high places, rich persons who could favor or bribe, etc., chiefly in the phrases “regarding the person,” “accepting the person” (Deuteronomy 10:17; Malachi 1:8).
In the New Testament prosōpon, “face,” “countenance,” stands in the same connection (Matthew 22:16, “Thou regardest not the person of men”; Galatians 2:6, “God accepteth not man’s person”; Acts 10:34, “God is no respecter of persons”; Romans 2:11, “there is no respect of persons with God”; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25; James 2:1, 2:9); in 2 Corinthians 1:11 we have “persons” (prosōpon), absolute as in the later Greek, “the gift bestowed ... by many persons,” the only occurrence in the New Testament; in 2 Corinthians 2:10 prosōpon may stand for “presence,” as the Revised Version “in the presence of Christ,” but it might mean “as representing Christ”; in Hebrews 1:3, the King James Version hupostasis, “that which lies under,” substratum, is rendered “person,” “the express image of his person,” i.e. of God, which the Revised Version renders “the very image of his substance,” margin “the impress of his substance,” i.e. the manifestation or expression of the invisible God and Father. “Person” is also frequently supplied as the substantive implied in various adjectives, etc., e.g. profane, perjured, vile.
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Author: International Std. Bible Encyclopedia
Keywords: Person, Personality, Soul, Nephesh, Inner person
Bible reference(s): Gen 14:21, Gen 36:6, Jdg 9:2, 1Sa 16:18, Jdg 9:4, Pro 24:8, Num 5:6, 2 Corinthians 1:11, Acts 10:34, Colossians 3:25, Ephesians 6:9, Galatians 2:6, James 2:1, Matthew 22:16, Romans 2:11, Psalms 16:10, Psalms 30:3
Source: James Orr (editor), The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, 5 volume set.
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.