Hi Jason,
Heb. 4:12 I believe is talking about our inner most being. Both the spirit that that gives all living things awareness-life-being, even spirit beings have this. And the soul which I'm thinking is only for physical creators, as angels are never referred to as having a soul. But these words have a close connection in there meaning and so they do overlap in there use in the Scripture to a degree.
But looking at all the ways it is translated gives you a better sense of the word.
I use the 'New American Exhaustive Concordance,' this I find very helpful to see just how the Hebrew and Greek words are used throughout the Scriptures. Maybe this will help.
This shows what word was used for the original and how many times.
soul in the NT
G5590
ψυχή
psuchē; of unc. or.; breath, the soul: - heart (2), heartily (1), life (36), lives (7), mind (1), minds (1), person (1), persons (3), soul (33), souls (14), suspense *(1), thing (1).
spirit in the NT
G4151
πνεῦμα
pneuma; from G4154; wind, spirit: - breath (3), Spirit (239), spirit (103), spirits (32), spiritual (1), wind (1), winds (1).
soul in the OT
H5315
נפשׁ
nephesh (659b); from an unused word; a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion : - any (1), anyone (2), anyone *(1), appetite (7), being (1), beings (3), body (1), breath (1), corpse (2), creature (6), creatures (3), dead (1), dead person (2), deadly (1), death (1), defenseless *(1), desire (12), desire *(2), discontented *(1), endure *(1), feelings (1), fierce *(2), greedy *(1), heart (5), heart’s (2), herself (12), Himself (4), himself (19), human (1), human being (1), hunger (1), life (146), life *(1), lifeblood *(2), lives (34), living creature (1), longing *(1), man (4), man’s (1), men *(2), mind (2), Myself (3), myself (2), number (1), ones (1), others (1), ourselves (3), own (1), passion *(1), people (2), people *(1), perfume *(1), person (68), person *(1), persons (19), slave (1), some (1), soul (238), soul’s (1), souls (12), strength (1), themselves (6), thirst (1), throat (2), will (1), wish (1), wishes (1), yourself (11), yourselves (13).
spirit in the OT
H7307
רוּח
ruach (924c); from an unused word; breath, wind, spirit: - air (2), anger (1), blast (2), breath (31), breathless *(1), cool (1), courage (1), despondency *(1), exposed (1), grief *(1), heart (1), inspired (1), mind (3), motives (1), points (1), quick-tempered *(1), side (4), sides (2), Spirit (76), spirit (127), spirits (3), strength (1), temper (2), thoughts *(1), trustworthy *(1), wind (98), winds (7), windy (2), wrath (1).
I also have the King James Concordance that gives all the Scripture where these words were used, if you need that. (All came from E-Sword)
mercy, peace and love
Kat