The Bible defines the soul as a living being — not an immortal inner entity
Most religious traditions teach that humans have an immortal soul that leaves the body at death. But the Bible teaches something quite different: 'Jehovah God went on to form the man out of dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man came to be a living person.' (Genesis 2:7, NWT) The Hebrew word translated 'person' here is nephesh — traditionally rendered 'soul.' Man did not receive a soul; he became a soul.
Animals are also called 'souls' in Scripture. Genesis 1:20 in Hebrew uses nephesh for sea creatures and birds. The soul is not some special spiritual part unique to humans — it refers to any living, breathing creature.
Ezekiel 18:4 clearly states: 'The soul who sins is the one who will die.' If the soul were immortal, this statement would be meaningless. Revelation 16:3 speaks of 'every living soul in the sea' dying. The idea of an immortal soul comes not from the Bible but from Greek philosophy, especially Plato's teachings about the immortality of the soul.
Understanding that the soul is the person himself — not a separate entity — makes the hope of resurrection even more beautiful. God will re-create the whole person, restoring everything that defined who they were.
JW Study is a free Bible reading tracker for Jehovah's Witnesses. Read What Is the Soul? in the New World Translation, take personal study notes, and build a consistent reading habit. For deeper research, use the Insight on the Scriptures volumes and publications available at wol.jw.org alongside JW Library.