Or, “breath.” The apostle closes his argument with an irrefutable fact that he invites his opponents to consider—there is not life in the body when the breath is absent (see on Gen. 2:7).

That is, so-called faith, because apart from works genuine faith does not exist. Intellectual assent, creedal conviction, may exist without good works, but not living faith, which cooperates with God’s plan for man’s restoration.

 There was nothing dead about either Abraham’s or Rahab’s faith or that of any of the other heroes of faith honored in Heb. 11. By faith they obeyed. Church members in name only, without personal witness that reflects the ministry of Christ on their behalf, are, as it were, mere corpses.