The word "soul" is often removed in modern Bible translations. For example Judges 10:16:

And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. -- Judges 10:16 (KJV)

vs

So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and He became impatient over the misery of Israel. -- Judges 10:16 (ESV)

The reason for this is the ambiguity regarding the Hebrew word for "soul" according to Strong's Concordance:

nephesh : a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion Original Word : נֶפֶשׁ Part of Speech : Noun Feminine Transliteration : nephesh Phonetic Spelling : (neh'-fesh) Definition : a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

The Greek word for "soul" according to Strong's Concordance:

psuché : breath, the soul Original Word : ψυχή, ῆς, ἡ Part of Speech : Noun, Feminine Transliteration : psuché Phonetic Spelling : (psoo-khay') Definition : breath, the soul Usage : (a) the vital breath, breath of life, (b) the human soul, (c) the soul as the seat of affections and will, (d) the self, (e) a human person, an individual.

What it is

• God also has a soul (Isaiah 1:14; Judges 10:16 (KJV))
• The soul has emotions:
  • Angry/Bitter
    • Hannah (1 Samuel 1:10 KJV)
  • Rest/Relax (Matthew 11:29)
  • Sorrowful
    • Jesus (Matthew 26:38, Mark 14:34)
  • Fear
    • New church members (Acts 2:43)
  • Troubled/Unsettled/Distressed
    • Israelites (Numbers 21:4)
    • Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:27)
    • Jesus (John 12:27)
• God can abandon a soul (Psalm 16:10)
• The soul is not immortal. (Matthew 10:28)

The soul cannot be destroyed by humans (Matthew 10:28), but it departs when we die. For example:

And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died)... And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. -- Genesis 35:18-19 (KJV)

And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again. And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. -- 1 Kings 17:21-23 (KJV)

According to Job, our souls are distinct from God's spirit:

Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,

As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul; All the while my breath [or soul] is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils. -- Job 27:1-3 (KJV)

What it can do

• The soul can bless persons (Genesis 27:4,19; Psalm 103:1)
• The soul can love God (Deuteronomy 6:5, 10:12, 11:13, 13:3, 30:6; Josh 22:5; Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:33)
• Souls become the same / one / added together
  • by relationship, e.g. mother, son, daughter, wife, friend (Deuteronomy 13:6), e.g.
    • Jonathan and David (1 Samuel 18:1-3, 1 Samuel 20:17)
  • by faith (Acts 2:41, 4:32)
• The soul must obey His voice (Deuteronomy 30:2, 30:10)
• The soul can shout and sing (Psalm 71:23)
• The soul can experience violence (Proverbs 13:2 KJV)
• The soul has desires (Proverbs 13:19)
  • The soul can desire God (Isaiah 26:9; Psalm 42:1, 63:1,8)
  • The soul can magnify the Lord Jesus (Luke 1:46)
  • The soul can sin (Micah 6:7; Habakkuk 2:10)
  • The soul can lust (Genesis 34:3,8; 1 Peter 2:11), for example:
    • Prince Shechem, son of Hamor the Hivite (Genesis 34:3)
• The soul can rest (Matthew 11:29)
• The soul can be obedient or disobedient (1 Peter 1:22)
  • The soul must obey governing authorities (Romans 13:1; Hebrews 13:17)
  • Must obey God's commands (Deuteronomy 30:2,10; Leviticus 26:15)

What you can do with it

• You can bind your soul by an oath (Numbers 30:2 KJV)
• You can forfeit your soul (Matthew 16:26, Luke 12:20; Mark 8:36-37)
• You can speak to your soul (Luke 12:19)
• You can strengthen your soul (Acts 14:22)
• The word or correction saves your soul (James 1:21; 5:20)
• You can purify your soul by obeying the truth (1 Peter 1:22)

Purpose

• Human soul causes body to live and leave the world at death (Luke 12:20)
  • Rachel (Genesis 35:18)
  • Elijah: widow's son (1 Kings 17:21-22)

This study is part of an ongoing research project and may contain errors.