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nšmh, nšmtˀ (nešmāh, nšāmtāˀ/nešməṯā) n.f. breath; soul
1
breath, breathing, exhaling
Qumran, JLAtg, PTA, CPA, Syr, LJLA
GenApoc 2.10↗ ונשמתי לגו נדנהא‏ : my breath in its sheath [!? in a context of sexual congress] ; TgJ Is2:22↗ דַחלָא דְנִשמַת רוּחַ חַיִין בְאַפוֹהִי‏ : a divinity that has the breath of the spirit of life in its face ; GT D Gen7:22↗ כֹל די נִשְמַת רוּח דְּחַיִּין‏ ; FTP Ex12:2↗ ונשמתי נישמא דחיין‏ ; BHCandBak 422:1 ܡܐ̈ܢܝ ܢܫܡܬܐ‏ : the respiratory organs ; JulSok 19(6):26↗ ܥܕܡܐ ܠܢܫܡܬܐ ܐܚܪܝܬܐ‏ : until the final breath ; P Is2:22↗ ܐܢܫܐ ܕܢܫܡܬܐ ܒܢܚܝܪ̈ܘܗܝ‏ ; PJ Gen2:7↗ ונפח בנחירוהי נשמתא דחיי‏ : He breathed the breath of life into his nostrils
(1)
ܒܚܕܐ ܫܘܝܘܬ ܢܫܡܬܐ : unanimously
Syr
BHce1 421:12 ܒܚܕܐ ܫܘܝܘܬ ܢܫܡܬܐ ܐܨܛܒ݂ܝܘ ܕܗ݂ܘ ܢܗܘܐ ܪܥܝܐ‏ : they unanimously wanted him to become the pastor
(2)
opportunity to relax
Syr
Gr 26:8 ܐܢ ܡܥܝܢܐ ܘܐܢ ܓܲܢܬ݁ܢܝ݂ܬܲܐ܃ ܐܘ ܢܫܡܬܐ ܙܥܘܪܬܐ܃ ܐܘ ܛܠܠܐ ܕܡ ܐܝ̈ܠܢܐ‏ : be it a spring or a small garden, or a small breath, or the shade from trees
2
soul, life force
Common Aramaic
Dan 5:23↗ וְלֵאלָהָא דִּי־נִשְׁמְתָךְ בִּידֵהּ‏ : the God in whose hand is your soul ; PAT65:1.1↗ ˀ[lhˀ rbˀ] m[r]ˀ nšmtˀ : † ; TN Num16:22↗ בנשמת כל בשרה‏ : in the soul of all flesh ; P 4Ezra 7:78↗ ܡܐ ܕܡܬܦܪܫܐ ܢܫܡܬܐ ܡܢ ܦܓܪܐ‏ : when the soul separates from the body
(1)
living being
JLAtg, Syr, LJLA
TgO Deut20:16↗ לָא תְקַיֵים כֹל נִשמָא‏ ; P Dt20:16↗ ܠܐ ܬܚܐ ܟܠ ܢܫܡܐ‏ : you must not let any living thing live ; PJ Deut20:16↗ text not cited
(2)
w. נפק: to die
Gal, PTA, JBA, LJLA
EchR[1]84(12)↗ עד דנפקא נשמתהון‏ ; GT G Exod22:1↗ כַד מַלֵל מִלתַא נְהִירַא נַפקַא נִשמְתַא דְאוּמַּה בְחִירַא‏ ; BT Naz 43a(14)↗ דעייל כשהו׳ גוסס" ונפק נשמת׳ אדיתיב‏ : he entered while he was expiring, and he died before he sat down ; TgLam1:18↗ עד לא נפקת נשמתיה הוה רחיש בשפותיה‏ : before he died he was mumbling with his lips
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Qum. pl. perhaps נשמין
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See also s.v. nšwmy and the note to mpwḥy, mpwḥytˀ n.f.
Page refs. in other dictionaries: LS2: 954[451]DJPA: 350bDJBA: 753bJastrow: 941Drower/Macuch: 300a, 300bJ. Payne-Smith: 354Levy Ch-W: 2:131Tal Sam: 552DCPA[Schulthess]: 273[129]Qumran: 161

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Wed, 04 Nov 2026 17:56:19 -0500