Grafted Biblical Concept · Concept
The body is the physical dimension of human existence and is treated in Scripture as part of God's good creation rather than as an inherently evil prison for the soul.
Primary Study
Hebrew Word Study
Greek Word Study
sōma · G4983
בָּשָׂר and various bodily terms
σῶμα, -τος, τό, [in LXX for גְּוִיָּה ,בָּשָׂר, etc., and for Aram. נְבֵלָה ;] a body. __1. Prop., of the human body, __(a) as always in Hom. (opposite to δέμας), of the dead body: Mat.27:58, 59 Mrk.15:43, al.; __(b) of the living body: Luk.11:34, 1Co.6:13, al.; ἐν σ. εἶναι, Heb.13:3; as the instrument of the soul, τὰ διὰ τοῦ σ., 2Co.5:10; opposite to πνεῦμα, Rom.8:10, 1Co.5:3 7:4, Jas.2:26; to ψυχή, Mat.6:25 10:28, Luk.12:22 (cf. Wis.1:1, al.); to τὸ π. καὶ ἡ ψ., 1Th.5:23; σ. ψυχικόν, opposite to σ. πνευματικόν, 1Co.15:44; ὁ ναὸς τοῦ σ. αὐτοῦ (genitive epexeg.), Jhn.2:21; τὸ σ. τ. ταπεινώσεως (Hebraistic "genitive of definition"; M, Pr., 73f.; Bl., §35, 5), opposite to τὸ σ. τ. δοξῆς αὐτοῦ, Php.3:21; similarly, τὸ σ. τ. σαρκός, Col.1:22; σ. τοῦ θανάτου (subject to death), Rom.7:24; σ. τ. ἁμαρτίας, Rom.6:6; __(with) periphr., ἀνθρώπου, then absol., σῶμα (Soph., Xen., al.), a person, and in later writers (Polyb., al.), a slave: Rev.18:13 (cf. MM, i, ii, xxiv; Deiss., BS, 160). __2. Of the bodies of animals: living, Jas.3:3; dead, Heb.13:11 ( Exo.29:14, al.). __3. Of inanimate objects (cf. Eng. "heavenly bodies"): 1Co.15:37, 38 40 (Diod., al.). __4. Of any corporeal substance (Plat., al.): opposite to σκιά, Col.2:17. Metaphorical, of a number of persons united by a common bond; in NT, of the Church as the spiritual body of Christ: Rom.12:5, 1Co.10:16, 17 12:13, 27, Eph.1:23 2:16 4:4, 12, 16 5:23, 30, Col.1:18, 24 2:19 3:15; ἓν σ. κ. ἓν πνεῦμα, Eph.4:4. (AS) the body of an animal; a living body, Mat. 5.29, 30; 6.22, 23, 25. Ja. 3.3; a person, individual, 1 Co. 6.16; a dead body, corpse, carcass, Mat. 14.12; 27.52, 58. He. 13.11; the human body considered as the seat and occasion of moral imperfection, as inducing to sin through its appetites and passions, Ro. 7.24; 8.13; genr. a body, a material substance, 1 Co. 15.37, 38, 40; the substance, reality, as opp. to ἡ σκιὰ, Col. 2.17; in N.T., met. the aggregate body of believers, the body of the church, Ro. 12.5. Col. 1.18, et al.: whence
σῶμα, -τος, τό, [in LXX for גְּוִיָּה ,בָּשָׂר, etc., and for Aram. נְבֵלָה ;] a body. __1. Prop., of the human body, __(a) as always in Hom. (opposite to δέμας), of the dead body: Mat.27:58, 59 Mrk.15:43, al.; __(b) of the living body: Luk.11:34, 1Co.6:13, al.; ἐν σ. εἶναι, Heb.13:3; as the instrument of the soul, τὰ διὰ τοῦ σ., 2Co.5:10; opposite to πνεῦμα, Rom.8:10, 1Co.5:3 7:4, Jas.2:26; to ψυχή, Mat.6:25 10:28, Luk.12:22 (cf. Wis.1:1, al.); to τὸ π. καὶ ἡ ψ., 1Th.5:23; σ. ψυχικόν, opposite to σ. πνευματικόν, 1Co.15:44; ὁ ναὸς τοῦ σ. αὐτοῦ (genitive epexeg.), Jhn.2:21; τὸ σ. τ. ταπεινώσεως (Hebraistic "genitive of definition"; M, Pr., 73f.; Bl., §35, 5), opposite to τὸ σ. τ. δοξῆς αὐτοῦ, Php.3:21; similarly, τὸ σ. τ. σαρκός, Col.1:22; σ. τοῦ θανάτου (subject to death), Rom.7:24; σ. τ. ἁμαρτίας, Rom.6:6; __(with) periphr., ἀνθρώπου, then absol., σῶμα (Soph., Xen., al.), a person, and in later writers (Polyb., al.), a slave: Rev.18:13 (cf. MM, i, ii, xxiv; Deiss., BS, 160). __2. Of the bodies of animals: living, Jas.3:3; dead, Heb.13:11 ( Exo.29:14, al.). __3. Of inanimate objects (cf. Eng. "heavenly bodies"): 1Co.15:37, 38 40 (Diod., al.). __4. Of any corporeal substance (Plat., al.): opposite to σκιά, Col.2:17. Metaphorical, of a number of persons united by a common bond; in NT, of the Church as the spiritual body of Christ: Rom.12:5, 1Co.10:16, 17 12:13, 27, Eph.1:23 2:16 4:4, 12, 16 5:23, 30, Col.1:18, 24 2:19 3:15; ἓν σ. κ. ἓν πνεῦμα, Eph.4:4. (AS)
{
"type": "abbott-smith",
"slug": "g4983",
"title": "σῶμα",
"source": "STEPBible TBESG (based primarily on Abbott-Smith)",
"strong": "G4983",
"language": "greek",
"lemma": "σῶμα",
"transliteration": "sōma",
"pronunciation": "",
"part_of_speech": "G:N-N",
"meaning": "",
"description": "",
"definition": "σῶμα, -τος, τό, [in LXX for גְּוִיָּה ,בָּשָׂר, etc., and for Aram. נְבֵלָה ;] a body. __1. Prop., of the human body, __(a) as always in Hom. (opposite to δέμας), of the dead body: Mat.27:58, 59 Mrk.15:43, al.; __(b) of the living body: Luk.11:34, 1Co.6:13, al.; ἐν σ. εἶναι, Heb.13:3; as the instrument of the soul, τὰ διὰ τοῦ σ., 2Co.5:10; opposite to πνεῦμα, Rom.8:10, 1Co.5:3 7:4, Jas.2:26; to ψυχή, Mat.6:25 10:28, Luk.12:22 (cf. Wis.1:1, al.); to τὸ π. καὶ ἡ ψ., 1Th.5:23; σ. ψυχικόν, opposite to σ. πνευματικόν, 1Co.15:44; ὁ ναὸς τοῦ σ. αὐτοῦ (genitive epexeg.), Jhn.2:21; τὸ σ. τ. ταπεινώσεως (Hebraistic \"genitive of definition\"; M, Pr., 73f.; Bl., §35, 5), opposite to τὸ σ. τ. δοξῆς αὐτοῦ, Php.3:21; similarly, τὸ σ. τ. σαρκός, Col.1:22; σ. τοῦ θανάτου (subject to death), Rom.7:24; σ. τ. ἁμαρτίας, Rom.6:6; __(with) periphr., ἀνθρώπου, then absol., σῶμα (Soph., Xen., al.), a person, and in later writers (Polyb., al.), a slave: Rev.18:13 (cf. MM, i, ii, xxiv; Deiss., BS, 160). __2. Of the bodies of animals: living, Jas.3:3; dead, Heb.13:11 ( Exo.29:14, al.). __3. Of inanimate objects (cf. Eng. \"heavenly bodies\"): 1Co.15:37, 38 40 (Diod., al.). __4. Of any corporeal substance (Plat., al.): opposite to σκιά, Col.2:17. Metaphorical, of a number of persons united by a common bond; in NT, of the Church as the spiritual body of Christ: Rom.12:5, 1Co.10:16, 17 12:13, 27, Eph.1:23 2:16 4:4, 12, 16 5:23, 30, Col.1:18, 24 2:19 3:15; ἓν σ. κ. ἓν πνεῦμα, Eph.4:4. (AS)",
"glosses": [
"body",
"bodily, body, slave"
],
"lexical_summary": [],
"exhaustive_concordance": [],
"brown_driver_briggs": [],
"topical_lexicon": [],
"occurrences": [],
"references": [
{
"osis": "Mat.27.58, 59",
"display": "Mat.27:58, 59"
},
{
"osis": "Mrk.15.43",
"display": "Mrk.15:43"
},
{
"osis": "Luk.11.34",
"display": "Luk.11:34"
},
{
"osis": "1Co.6.13",
"display": "1Co.6:13"
},
{
"osis": "Heb.13.3",
"display": "Heb.13:3;"
},
{
"osis": "2Co.5.10",
"display": "2Co.5:10;"
},
{
"osis": "Rom.8.10",
"display": "Rom.8:10"
},
{
"osis": "1Co.5.3; 7.4",
"display": "1Co.5:3 7:4"
},
{
"osis": "Jas.2.26",
"display": "Jas.2:26"
},
{
"osis": "Mat.6.25; 10.28",
"display": "Mat.6:25 10:28"
},
{
"osis": "Luk.12.22",
"display": "Luk.12:22"
},
{
"osis": "Wis.1.1",
"display": "Wis.1:1"
},
{
"osis": "1Th.5.23",
"display": "1Th.5:23;"
},
{
"osis": "1Co.15.44",
"display": "1Co.15:44;"
},
{
"osis": "Jhn.2.21",
"display": "Jhn.2:21;"
},
{
"osis": "Php.3.21",
"display": "Php.3:21;"
},
{
"osis": "Col.1.22",
"display": "Col.1:22;"
},
{
"osis": "Rom.7.24",
"display": "Rom.7:24;"
},
{
"osis": "Rom.6.6",
"display": "Rom.6:6;"
},
{
"osis": "Rev.18.13",
"display": "Rev.18:13"
},
{
"osis": "Jas.3.3",
"display": "Jas.3:3;"
},
{
"osis": "Heb.13.11",
"display": "Heb.13:11"
},
{
"osis": "Exo.29.14",
"display": "Exo.29:14"
},
{
"osis": "1Co.15.37, 38, 40",
"display": "1Co.15:37, 38 40"
},
{
"osis": "Col.2.17.",
"display": "Col.2:17."
},
{
"osis": "Rom.12.5",
"display": "Rom.12:5"
},
{
"osis": "1Co.10.16, 17; 12.13, 27",
"display": "1Co.10:16, 17 12:13, 27"
},
{
"osis": "Eph.1.23; 2.16; 4.4, 12, 16; 5.23, 30",
"display": "Eph.1:23 2:16 4:4, 12, 16 5:23, 30"
},
{
"osis": "Col.1.18, 24; 2.19; 3.15",
"display": "Col.1:18, 24 2:19 3:15"
},
{
"osis": "Eph.4.4.",
"display": "Eph.4:4."
}
],
"occurrence_count": 142,
"url": "bible/greek/g4983",
"source_url": "https://github.com/openscriptures/strongs",
"source_license": "CC BY-SA"
}the body of an animal; a living body, Mat. 5.29, 30; 6.22, 23, 25. Ja. 3.3; a person, individual, 1 Co. 6.16; a dead body, corpse, carcass, Mat. 14.12; 27.52, 58. He. 13.11; the human body considered as the seat and occasion of moral imperfection, as inducing to sin through its appetites and passions, Ro. 7.24; 8.13; genr. a body, a material substance, 1 Co. 15.37, 38, 40; the substance, reality, as opp. to ἡ σκιὰ, Col. 2.17; in N.T., met. the aggregate body of believers, the body of the church, Ro. 12.5. Col. 1.18, et al.: whence
{
"type": "greenfield",
"slug": "greenfield-373ebcf63f9c",
"title": "Σῶμα",
"source": "A Greek-English Lexicon to the New Testament",
"strong": "G4983",
"language": "greek",
"lemma": "Σῶμα",
"transliteration": "sōma",
"pronunciation": "",
"part_of_speech": "",
"meaning": "",
"description": "",
"definition": "the body of an animal; a living body, Mat. 5.29, 30; 6.22, 23, 25. Ja. 3.3; a person, individual, 1 Co. 6.16; a dead body, corpse, carcass, Mat. 14.12; 27.52, 58. He. 13.11; the human body considered as the seat and occasion of moral imperfection, as inducing to sin through its appetites and passions, Ro. 7.24; 8.13; genr. a body, a material substance, 1 Co. 15.37, 38, 40; the substance, reality, as opp. to ἡ σκιὰ, Col. 2.17; in N.T., met. the aggregate body of believers, the body of the church, Ro. 12.5. Col. 1.18, et al.: whence",
"glosses": [
"bodily, body, slave"
],
"lexical_summary": [],
"exhaustive_concordance": [],
"brown_driver_briggs": [],
"topical_lexicon": [],
"occurrences": [],
"references": [],
"occurrence_count": 142,
"url": "bible/greenfield/greenfield-373ebcf63f9c",
"source_url": "https://github.com/openscriptures/strongs",
"source_license": "CC BY-SA"
}the body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively
{
"strongs": "G4983",
"language": "greek",
"lemma": "σῶμα",
"transliteration": "sōma",
"pronunciation": "",
"part_of_speech": "",
"glosses": [
"bodily, body, slave"
],
"definitions": [
"the body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively"
],
"administrator_commentary": "",
"source": {
"dataset": "Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Lexicon",
"provider": "Open Scriptures",
"url": "https://github.com/openscriptures/strongs",
"license": "CC BY-SA"
},
"version": 1,
"updated_at": "2026-08-05T10:41:55-05:00",
"strong": "G4983"
}142 occurrences
First listed reference: Mat.27.58, 59
Biblical Usage
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