To be saved from death/ his life was a prey unto him
He was saved from death. He smelled his life again.
("He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; and he shall go out and fall upon the Chaldeans that besiege you, and shall live, and his life shall be for a prey" - Jeremiah 21:9)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
הָיְתָה נַפְשׁוֹ לְשָׁלָל
Definition (Hebrew)
נִצַּל מִמָּוֶת. הִרְוִיחַ בַּחֲזָרָה אֶת חַיָּיו.
("הַיֹּשֵׁב בָּעִיר הַזֹּאת יָמוּת בַּחֶרֶב וּבָרָעָב וּבַדָּבֶר וְהַיּוֹצֵא וְנָפַל עַל הַכַּשְׂדִּים הַצָּרִים עֲלֵיכֶם וְחָיָה וְהָיְתָה לּוֹ נַפְשׁוֹ לְשָׁלָל"- יִרְמְיָהוּ כא ט)