Fixing Our Eyes on the Hope of the Gospel through Scripture

Flesh in Biblical Theology

The “Flesh in Biblical Theology” chart posted here lists out the various glosses used to translate the word “flesh” in the Blessed Hope Translation. It represents my own best effort to think carefully about what this word of often-significant theological import means in different contexts, and is representative, too, of the kind of decision-making process in which translators must engage at every turn. It has been a very helpful tool for me in the process of translation, and I pray that it might be of some help to you as well.

Glosses Used to Translate "Flesh"

CONTEXTUAL NUANCE/GLOSS

flesh

muscle, skin, etc., contrasted with/joined to bones

EXAMPLES AND NOTES

Gn 2:21-23: “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh”

CONTEXTUAL NUANCE/GLOSS

skin

EXAMPLES AND NOTES

Ex 4:7: “skin” (HSCB, NET, NCV)

Jg 8:7: “skin” (NCV, NET)

2 Ki 4:34: “skin” (NCV, NET); “body” (NLT, TEV)

2 Ki 5:10: “skin” (CJB, NCV, NET, NLT)

2 Ki 6:30: “skin” (CJB,HCSB, NLT)

CONTEXTUAL NUANCE/GLOSS

body

EXAMPLES AND NOTES

Ex 30:32: “body” (most translations)

Lv 13:18: “body” (most translations)

1 Sm 17:44: “body” (NCV, TEV)

2 Ki 4:34: “the flesh of the child became warm” (ESV); “body” (NLT, TEV); “skin” (NCV, NET)

2 Ki 6:30: “on his flesh within” (YLT); “beneath on his body” (ESV)

Jb 2:5: “his bone and his flesh” (ESV); “body” (TEV)

Jb 14:22: “body” (most translations)

Ps 38:7: “no soundness in my flesh” (ESV); “my whole body is sick” (NET); “there is no health in my body” (NIV)

CONTEXTUAL NUANCE/GLOSS

body in contrast to inner being

EXAMPLES AND NOTES

Jb 14:22: “he feels only the pain of his own body, and his inner self [“soul”] mourns for him” (LEB)

Ps 16:9: “my heart is glad and my spirit rejoices; my body [“flesh”] also rests securely” (HCSB)

Ps 63:1, 84:2

CONTEXTUAL NUANCE/GLOSS

meat

food

EXAMPLES AND NOTES

Lv 4:11: “meat” of a sacrificial animal (LEB, NCV, NLT)

Lv 17:4: “meat” (NCV)

Jb 31:31: “meat” (CJB, ESV, LEB, NASB, NET, NIV, RSV); “food” (NCV)

CONTEXTUAL NUANCE/GLOSS

mortal

subject to decay

in need of restoration

EXAMPLES AND NOTES

Gn 6:3: “mortal” (NET, NIV, TEV); “mortal flesh” (NLT)

Dt 5:26: “all flesh” (ESV); “mortal man” (NIV); “human being” (NCV, TEV)

Subject to death and decay
Nu 12:12: “…baby born dead, whose flesh is half consumed when it comes out of its mother’s womb” (NET); “like a stillborn baby, already decayed at birth” (NLT)

Pr 5:11: “at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed” (ESV); “when disease consumes your body” (NLT); “when your health is gone” (NCV); “your flesh and muscles being eaten away” (TEV)

In need of renewal
Jb 33:25: “let his flesh become fresh with youth” (ESV); “his flesh will be healthier than in his youth” (HCSB); “his flesh is restored like a youth’s” (NET); “his flesh is renewed like a child’s” (NIV); “his body will become as healthy as a child’s” (NLT); “his body is made new like a child’s” (NCV); “their bodies will grow young and strong again” (TEV)

Ps 16:9: “my flesh also dwells secure” (ESV); “my body has hope” (NCV); “my life is safe” (NET)

CONTEXTUAL NUANCE/GLOSS

lowliness

lowly in mortality

mortal

merely human

mere human power

human strength

not worthy of trust/confidence

unable to sustain life

not worthy of praise/boasting in

EXAMPLES AND NOTES

Ps 56:4: “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (ESV); “mere men” (NET); “man” (HCSB); “mere flesh” (LEB); “mere man” (NASB); “mortal man” (NIV); “mere mortals” (NLT); “human beings” (NCV); “a mere human being” (TEV); “human power” (CJB)

Boast/trust/praise/have confidence in/depend on God for strength, not mere men/flesh
Ps 56:4: “In God—I boast in his promise—in God I trust, I am not afraid. What can mere men do to me?” (NET)

Jr 17:5: “Curse is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD” (NIV); “makes human flesh his strength” (HCSB); “who depend on mere flesh and blood for their strength” (NET); “who rely on human strength” (NLT); “who depend on humans for strength” (NCV); “put their trust in human beings” (TEV); “who relies on merely human strength” (CJB); “make mere flesh their strength” (NRSV).

2 Ch 32:8: “With him is an arm of flesh, but with us the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles” (ESV); “only human strength” (HCSB); “mere human strength” (NET); “human power” (TEV); “human strength” (CJB)

Ps 145:21: “My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise (“all flesh”) praise his holy name forever and ever” (NIV); “all his creatures” (TEV); “everyone on earth” (NLT); “everyone” (NCV); “all who live” (NET); “every living thing” (HCSB)

Is 40:6-8: “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (ESV); “all humanity is grass” (HCSB); “all people are like grass” (NET); “all men are like grass” (NIV); “all human beings are like grass” (CJB); “all humanity is merely grass” (CJB); “all people are grass” (NRSV)

Jr 32:27: “I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?” (ESV)

Cf Is 2:22: “Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?” (NIV)

Cf Is 2:22, 31:3, 51:12; Ps 9:20, 56:11

CONTEXTUAL NUANCE/GLOSS

"corrupt"

EXAMPLES AND NOTES

Gn 6:3: “corrupt” (HCSB)

CONTEXTUAL NUANCE/GLOSS

“creature”

“all living creatures”

EXAMPLES AND NOTES

Gn 6:12: “all living creatures” (NET); “all living beings” (CJB); “everyone” (NCV, NLT); “every creature” (HCSB)

Ge 6:17: all flesh with the “breath of life in them”

Lv 17:11: “a creature” (CJB, HCSB, NIV); “every living thing” (NET, TEV); “the life of the body is in its blood” (NLT); “the life of the flesh is in the blood” (ESV)

Ps 136:25: “all flesh” (ESV); “every creature” (HCSB, NIV); “all living things” (NET); “every living thing” (NLT); “every living creature” (CJB, NCV, TEV)

CONTEXTUAL NUANCE/GLOSS

“flesh of your foreskin”

circumcision

covenant “in your flesh”

EXAMPLES AND NOTES

Ge 17:11: “flesh of your foreskins” (ESV); “undergo circumcision” (NIV); “foreskin” (NLT); “circumcise” (TEV)

Ge 17:13: The covenant shall be “in your flesh an everlasting covenant” (ESV); “marked in your flesh as an everlasting covenant” (HCSB); “the sign of my covenant will be visible in your flesh as a permanent reminder” (NET); “your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant” (NLT); “your bodies will be marked to show that you are part of my agreement that lasts forever” (NCV); “this will be a physical sign to show that my covenant with you is everlasting” (TEV)

Cf Le 12:3

CONTEXTUAL NUANCE/GLOSS

“my own flesh and blood”

kin

kinship relationship

close relative

common bloodline

same family

same race

EXAMPLES AND NOTES

Gn 29:14: “my bone and my flesh” (ESV and most literal translations); “my own flesh and blood” (HCSB, NET, NIV, TEV)

Lv 18:6: “relation of his flesh” (YLT); “close relative” (ESV, HCSB, LEB, NCV, NET, NIV, NLT); “near of kin” (NKJV, NRSV, RSV); “blood relative” (NASB)

Jg 9:2: “your own flesh and blood” (most translations); “relative” (NCV); “blood relative” (CJB)

2 Sm 5:1: “your bone and flesh” (ESV); “your own flesh and blood” (HCSB); “your own family” (NCV)

2 Sm 19:12: “my bone and my flesh”; “my own flesh and blood” (NIV); “my own family” (NCV)

Ne 5:5: “our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers” (ESV); “we share the same flesh and blood as our fellow countrymen” (NET); “we and our children are just like our countrymen and their children” (HCSB); “we belong to the same family as those who are wealthy” (NLT); “we are just like our fellow Jews” (NCV); “we are of the same race as our fellow-Jews” (TEV)

CONTEXTUAL NUANCE/GLOSS

generic representation of the person

EXAMPLES AND NOTES

Lv 26:29: “You will eat the flesh of your sons” (ESV); “you will eat your own children” (TEV)

Jg 8:7: “I will flail your flesh with thorns” (ESV); “I will beat you with thorns and briars” (TEV)

2 Ki 5:10: “your flesh will be restored”; “he would be completely cured of his disease” (TEV)

Ne 5:5“our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers” (ESV); “we and our children are just like our countrymen and their children” (HCSB)

Jb 2:5: “stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse…” (ESV); “But reach out your hand and take away his health” (NLT)

Ps 38:7: “there is no soundness in my flesh” (ESV); “I am near to death” (TEV)

Ps 119:120: “my flesh trembles for fear of you” (ESV); “I tremble in awe of You” (HCSB); “I shake in fear of you” (NCV); “I am filled with fear because of your judgments” (TEV); “I tremble in fear of you” (NLT)

CONTEXTUAL NUANCE/GLOSS

humankind

people

mankind

human race

humanity

EXAMPLES AND NOTES

Nu 16:22: “all flesh” (ESV); “all people” (NCV, NET); “all mankind” (NIV); “all creatures” (NLT); “all life” (TEV); “humankind” (CJB)

Nu 27:16: “all flesh” (ESV); “all humankind” (NET); “all mankind” (NIV); “all creatures” (NLT); “all people” (NCV); “all life” (TEV)

Dt 5:26: “all flesh” (ESV); “all mankind” (HCSB); “the entire human race” (NET)

Ps 65:2: “all flesh” (ESV); “all men” (NASB, NIV); “all humanity” (NASB); “all of us” (NLT); “all people” (NCV); “people everywhere” (TEV); “all mankind” (NIV);

Is 40:5: “all flesh” (ESV); “all humankind” (CJB, LEB); “all people” (NCV, NET, NLT, NRSV); “all humanity” (HCSB); “the whole human race” (TEV)

CONTEXTUAL NUANCE/GLOSS

human being

EXAMPLES AND NOTES

Dt 5:26: “all flesh” (ESV); “human being” (NCV, TEV)

CONTEXTUAL NUANCE/GLOSS

mortal human nature under sin’s domination and mastery without the restraining influence of the Spirit prior to conversion (“slavery to sin”)

EXAMPLES AND NOTES

Special usage in Pauline theology (see BDAG, 915, sv σάρξ 2.c.α.).

Prior to conversion. See, eg, Rm 7:5 (HCSB footnote: “A person’s life before accepting Christ”).“

slavery to sin”

“mortal nature dominated by sin”

CONTEXTUAL NUANCE/GLOSS

mortal nature still characterized by strong sinful desires and subject to temptation, but with the desires now being resisted through the gracious enablement of the Spirit, “put to death” through the Spirit before a sinful action is produced (=the opposite of slavery to sin); mortal nature still seized by the power of sin, but not mastered by it

EXAMPLES AND NOTES

Special usage in Pauline theology (see BDAG, 915, sv σάρξ 2.c.α., 3.a.). Qualified, though, following conversion, because of the Spirit’s presence/grace/enablement accessed through union with the Messiah.

Following conversion. See, eg, Rm 6, 8; Ga 2:17-21, 5:16-17; Tit 2:11-12

freedom from slavery to sin

evil desires and thoughts and feelings are “put to death” through the Spirit, and are therefore stopped before producing sinful actions“

mortal nature seized by sin,” but sin resisted by the power of the Spirit

“the power of sin and death,” as a governing influence over the mortal nature

More from Blessed Hope Translation

There Was This Man of Flesh...

As the paragraph below demonstrates, the word “flesh,” like many other words in the Bible, is often highly dependent on context for its meaning. If you like, try to use the “Flesh in Biblical Theology” chart to translate “flesh” in this paragraph according to its various meanings.

Once upon a time there was this man of flesh, who went into a supermarket one Monday to purchase a pound of flesh for dinner. Now it happened that at the time he went into the store, the man’s flesh was bright red due to a hard day out in the sun. Well, when all flesh in the store, including some of the man’s own flesh, saw the man’s bright red flesh, they started to laugh. When the man heard his own flesh laughing at his flesh, his flesh began to tremble with anger. Being fleshly, and forgetting the sign in his flesh, he yielded to the flesh and began screaming at all flesh in the store. However, the man with the bright red flesh remembered that those of his own flesh, as well as those of other flesh in the store who were who were laughing at his flesh, were themselves, too, but flesh, and likewise in need of strength to resist the flesh. Turning to the other flesh in the store who shared with him in flesh, he smiled and forgave them. He then gave one of his own flesh a high five, paid the money for the pound of flesh (he was delighted to find out from the cashier that the flesh was on sale that day), and happily went home to his own flesh, who, on seeing his bright red flesh, quickly ran and grabbed the aloe.