47. 1. “Spirit” refers to an individual’s life. This is clear from the fact that we commonly speak of “yielding up the spirit” when someone dies. In this sense, then, “spirit” means the life of our breathing. In fact, the word “spirit” is derived from [a word for] breathing, which is why in Hebrew the word that means “spirit” also means “wind.”

We have two inner springs of life. One is the motion of the heart, and the other is the breathing of the lungs. The life that depends on the breathing of the lungs is the one properly meant by “spirit” and also by “soul.” In the appropriate place there will be a description of the way this is coordinated with our cognitive thinking, while the life dependent on the motion of the heart is coordinated with the love associated with our will.

It is clear from the following passages that “spirit” in the Word refers to an individual’s life.

You gather in their spirit; they breathe their last and return to dust. (Psalms 104:29)

He remembered that they were flesh, a spirit that departs and does not return. (Psalms 78:39)

When their spirit leaves, they will return to the earth. (Psalms 146:4)

Hezekiah expressed grief that “the life of his spirit” was departing. (Isaiah 38:16)

The spirit of Jacob came back to life. (Genesis 45:27)

A molded image is a lie, and there is no spirit within it. (Jeremiah 51:17)

The Lord Jehovih said to the dry bones, “I will put spirit into you so that you will live. Come from the four winds, O spirit, and breathe on these people who have been killed, and they will live”; and the spirit came into them, and they came back to life. (Ezekiel 37:5-6, 9-10)

When Jesus took the daughter’s hand, her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. (Luke 8:54-55)

David is one of the most significant figures in the Bible. He was a musician, one of history’s greatest poets, the boy warrior who killed the giant Goliath, a devout servant of God, a great leader of men and ultimately Israel’s greatest king. His stories cover the second half of the First Book of Samuel and all of the Second Book of Samuel, and his legacy was such that Jesus himself was born in the “City of David” to fulfill prophecies. For all that, David the man was not perfect. Most notoriously, he ordered his soldiers to make sure one of their comrades was killed in battle because he had seen the man’s wife bathing and wanted her as his own. He was also willing to actually ally with the Philistines for a time, while his predecessor Saul was still king. But in spiritual terms, David’s meaning matches his reputation: He represents the Lord, and especially the Lord as we are able to know Him and understand Him. The Writings call this “divine truth,” and it can be our ultimate guide if we want to serve the Lord and make His desires our own. This representation makes sense if we look at following the Lord as a whole picture. There are essentially two elements. First, we need to accept the Lord, believe in Him, open our hearts to Him, worship Him. These are matters of affection, and related to the Lord’s divine goodness. And they are generally represented by priests, who lead worship and perform rituals. Second, we need to act in accord with the Lord’s wishes: We need to serve others, care for those in need, defend the defenseless and work to make life and society better for everyone. These actions require thought, judgment, design, and are thus related to Lord’s divine truth, or divine guidance. They are generally represented by kings, who are men of action and are responsible for the activity of their nations. As the greatest of the kings, David represents this truth in its greatest form.