BIBLE GREEK WORD STUDY
Sōma — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
σῶμα (sōma) refers to the body as a sound whole, applied broadly to the physical person and to extended figurative senses in the New Testament.
Meaning of the word
The lexicon defines σῶμα as 'the body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively.' At its core it denotes the physical body — the material frame of a human person — as an organic unity rather than a mere collection of parts. The word can point to the whole person acting in the world, including the natural appetites and vulnerabilities that come with embodied life (Romans 6:12; 8:10).
Beyond the literal physical sense, σῶμα is used figuratively to describe a corporate or moral reality that functions as one 'body.' Paul speaks of 'the body of sin' (Romans 6:6) and 'the body of Christ' (Romans 7:4), where σῶμα names a structured whole whose parts share one life. In such phrases the word points to solidarity: what happens to the body happens to the person, or what happens to one member touches the whole.
Usage in Scripture
In the Synoptic teaching of Jesus, σῶμα appears in sayings about the eye as the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22–23) and about not being anxious for the body and its clothing (Matthew 6:25). Here the word assumes a holistic view of the person: the eye, the body, and the inner light belong together as one whole, and worry over bodily needs is weighed against the greater worth of the body itself.
In Paul's epistles σῶμα carries much of its theological weight. Romans 4:19 applies it to Abraham's own body, now as good as dead — a literal use tied to the realism of human weakness before God's promise. Romans 6 and 8 develop the term morally and eschatologically: the body can be a seat of sin's reign (6:12), yet it is also the object of future redemption (8:23), made alive by the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead (8:11). A reader should note that Paul treats the body as neither intrinsically evil nor merely disposable — it is the field where grace, sin, and resurrection meet.
The word in detail
- G4983 The lexical note describes σῶμα as 'the body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively.' This single phrase already covers the two trajectories seen in the NT: the physical human body (Matthew 6:25; Romans 4:19) and the extended figurative body that names a solidarity (Romans 6:6; 7:4).
Example verses
- Matthew 6:22 The eye is called 'the lamp of the body,' using σῶμα to set up the whole person as the field where inner light or darkness is displayed.
- Matthew 6:25 Jesus contrasts life and body with food and clothing, presenting σῶμα as the embodied self whose worth is greater than its maintenance.
- Romans 6:6 'The body of sin' uses σῶμα figuratively: the old self is a structured whole that must be put off so believers are no longer enslaved to sin.
- Romans 8:23 Believers 'wait for... the redemption of our body,' treating σῶμα as the embodied self that will share in final eschatological salvation.
Common questions
Is σῶμα the same as 'flesh' (σάρξ) in the New Testament?
No. The lexicon defines σῶμα as the body as a sound whole, while σάρξ (sarx) often carries a moral or relational coloring (sinful nature, human weakness). Paul can speak of the body as dead because of sin (Romans 8:10) and yet as the object of future redemption (Romans 8:23), showing the body itself is not identified with evil.
Does σῶμα always mean the physical body?
No. The lexical note explicitly says it is used 'literally or figuratively.' While many passages refer to the physical body (Matthew 6:25; Romans 4:19), others use it for 'the body of sin' (Romans 6:6) or 'the body of Christ' (Romans 7:4), where it names a structured whole rather than flesh and bones.
Why is 'the redemption of our body' (Romans 8:23) important?
Because it shows that, in Paul's theology, the body is not discarded at the resurrection. The same σῶμα that is now mortal and subject to sin is destined to be redeemed, made alive by the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11).