Breath -
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary
5397. נְשָׁמָה neshamah (nᵉshâmâh)
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נְשָׁמָה nᵉshâmâh, nesh-aw-maw'
from
H5395; a puff, i.e. wind, angry or vital breath,
divine inspiration, intellect. or (concretely) an animal:—blast, (that) breath(-eth), inspiration,
soul, spirit.
feminine noun
Spirit -
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary
7307. רוּחַ ruwach (rûwach)
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רוּחַ rûwach, roo'-akh
from
H7306;
wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively,
life, anger, unsubstantiality; by extension, a region of the sky; by resemblance spirit, but only of a
rational being (including its expression and functions):—air, anger, blast,
breath, × cool, courage,
mind, × quarter, × side, spirit(-ual), tempest, × vain, (whirl-) wind(-y).
feminine noun
7306. רוּחַ ruwach (rûwach)
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רוּחַ rûwach, roo'-akh
a primitive root; properly, to blow, i.e.
breathe; only (literally) to smell or (by implication, perceive (figuratively, to anticipate, enjoy):—accept, smell, × touch,
make of quick understanding.
verb
Man's spirit, which comes from God equates to our internal man. Our spirit is who we are, that which gives us intellect, our mind, understanding. The spirit in man can have life after our outward or physical body dies. Our spirit and soul are not the same, though they are similar. Mankind must have the breath of life, which comes from our spirit in us for physical life. But the spirit in man can continue to have life after physical death IF he/she is indwelt by the life-giving Spirit of Christ. Without the life-giving Spirit when our body breathes it's last, there is no spiritual life in man. He/she simply dies and returns to the dust from which he/she was created.
Soul -
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary
5315. נֶפֶשׁ nephesh (nephesh)
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נֶפֶשׁ nephesh, neh'-fesh
from
H5314; properly,
a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly)
vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):—any, appetite, beast,
body,
breath,
creature, × dead(-ly), desire, × (dis-) contented, × fish, ghost, greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, × jeopardy of) life (× in jeopardy), lust,
man, me,
mind, mortally, one, own,
person, pleasure,
(her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them
(your) -selves, slay,
soul, tablet, they, thing, (× she) will, × would have it.
feminine noun
5314. נָפַשׁ naphash (nâphash)
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נָפַשׁ nâphash, naw-fash'
a primitive root;
to breathe; passively, to be breathed upon, i.e. (figuratively) refreshed (as if by a current of air):—(be) refresh selves (-ed).
verb
The human body indwelt with a spirit from God becomes a complete living soul. Being a living soul means to be a living breathing creature. Every living, breathing thing upon the earth is a living soul, whether animal or human.
Our spirit is NOT put on over the human body! The spirit dwells inside our body. When the living soul dies, it means that which is physical no longer has the breath of life, because the breath of life comes from our spirit in us. The spirit departs our body after death and returns to God who gave it. (Ecc. 12:7) The spirit in man is then said to go
down, like that of the beasts of the field, or the spirit in man will go
up. (Ecc 3:21) The one who goes down is the spirit that dies in unbelief, and the spirit that goes up to heaven is the spirit that has been given eternal life through Christ's Holy Spirit in us, and His Spirit can NEVER die.
When the spirit in us ascends up to heaven after physical death it is called a spiritual body (1Cor 15:44, 46). Those who are spiritually alive in heaven will not be complete again until the last day when their physical body is changed and re-united with the living spirit and they once again become complete living soul. Until that day, while in heaven they remain living (spirit) soul (possessing life), without a physical body because flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom in heaven. (1Cor 15:50)