Meaning:

• The heart
• Used figuratively for the feelings, the will and even the intellect
• The centre of anything

Noun, masculine (although conceptually neutral, being used for both men and women). Occurs nearly 600 times in the Old Testament.

Occasionally used for the physical organ of the heart, for example “Nabal’s heart died within him” (1 Samuel 25:37plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_big1 Samuel 25:37

Hebrew וַיְהִ֣י בַבֹּ֗קֶר בְּצֵ֤את הַיַּ֨יִן֙ מִנָּבָ֔ל וַתַּגֶּד ל֣וֹ אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ אֶת הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וַיָּ֤מָת לִבּוֹ֙ בְּקִרְבּ֔וֹ וְה֖וּא הָיָ֥ה לְאָֽבֶן ESV In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. NIV Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone. καὶπρωίὡςἐξένηψενἀπὸτοῦοἴνουἀπήγγειλ…).

Often used to describe the inner Person or mind, the seat of thought, reflection, and understanding. Hebrew anthropology sees thinking as occurring in the heart (rather than the brain). For example, “The LORD saw that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigGenesis 6:5

Hebrew וַיַּ֣רְא יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֥י רַבָּ֛ה רָעַ֥ת הָאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְכָל יֵ֨צֶר֙ מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ת לִבּ֔וֹ רַ֥ק רַ֖ע כָּל הַיּֽוֹם ESV The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. NIV The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. ἰδὼνδὲκύριοςὁθεὸςὅτιἐπληθύνθησαναἱκακίαιτῶνἀνθρώπωνἐπὶτῆςγῆς…).

The word also describes a person's will or intention, that is, the centre of a person’s decisions and moral choices. For example, “Pharaoh hardened his heart” (Exodus 8:15plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigExodus 8:5

Hebrew וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֣ה לְפַרְעֹה֮ הִתְפָּאֵ֣ר עָלַי֒ לְמָתַ֣י אַעְתִּ֣יר לְךָ֗ וְלַעֲבָדֶ֨יךָ֙ וּֽלְעַמְּךָ֔ לְהַכְרִית֙ הַֽצֲפַרְדְּעִ֔ים מִמְּךָ֖ וּמִבָּתֶּ֑יךָ רַ֥ק בַּיְאֹ֖ר תִּשָּׁאַֽרְנָה ESV And the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt!'” NIV δὲκύριοςπρὸςτῷἀδελφῷσουἔκτεινοντῇχειρὶτὴνῥάβδονσουἐπὶτοὺςποταμοὺςκαὶἐπὶτὰςκαὶἐπὶτὰκαὶἀνάγαγετοὺςβατ…), meaning he made a deliberate choice.

The לֵב is also the source of feelings—joy, fear, courage, or sorrow. For example, “Take heart, all you who hope in the LORD” (Psalm 31:24).

And sometimes the word refers to one's sense of right and wrong, for example, “David’s heart struck him” (1 Samuel 24:5plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_big1 Samuel 24:5

Hebrew וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ אַנְשֵׁ֨י דָוִ֜ד אֵלָ֗יו הִנֵּ֨ה הַיּ֜וֹם אֲֽשֶׁר אָמַ֧ר יְהוָ֣ה אֵלֶ֗יךָ הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י נֹתֵ֤ן אֶת איביך אֹֽיִבְךָ֙ בְּיָדֶ֔ךָ וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ לּ֔וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר יִטַ֣ב בְּעֵינֶ֑יךָ וַיָּ֣קָם דָּוִ֗ד וַיִּכְרֹ֛ת אֶת כְּנַֽף הַמְּעִ֥יל אֲשֶׁר לְשָׁא֖וּל בַּלָּֽט ESV And afterward David's heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul's robe. NIV Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. καὶμετὰταῦτακαὶἐπάταξενκαρ…), or in other words, his conscience troubled him.

The לֵב represents the core of human identity—thought, feeling, and will united.

God judges the לֵב: “Man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_big1 Samuel 16:7

Hebrew וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל אַל תַּבֵּ֧ט אֶל מַרְאֵ֛הוּ וְאֶל גְּבֹ֥הַּ קוֹמָת֖וֹ כִּ֣י מְאַסְתִּ֑יהוּ כִּ֣י לֹ֗א אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִרְאֶה֙ הָאָדָ֔ם כִּ֤י הָֽאָדָם֙ יִרְאֶ֣ה לַעֵינַ֔יִם וַיהוָ֖ה יִרְאֶ֥ה לַלֵּבָֽב ESV But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart. καὶκύριοςπρὸςμὴἐπιβλέψῃςἐπὶτὴνὄψινα…).

The לֵב can be deceitful or pure, hard or soft, circumcised or uncircumcised (a metaphor for spiritual condition) (Jeremiah 17:9plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigJeremiah 17:9

Hebrew עָקֹ֥ב הַלֵּ֛ב מִכֹּ֖ל וְאָנֻ֣שׁ ה֑וּא מִ֖י יֵדָעֶֽנּוּ ESV The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? NIV The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? NLT “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? βαθεῖαἡκαρδίαπαρὰπάντακαὶἄνθρωπόςἐστινκαὶτίςαὐτόν… and Deuteronomy 10:16plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigDeuteronomy 10:16

Hebrew וּמַלְתֶּ֕ם אֵ֖ת עָרְלַ֣ת לְבַבְכֶ֑ם וְעָ֨רְפְּכֶ֔ם לֹ֥א תַקְשׁ֖וּ עֽוֹד ESV Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. NIV Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. NLT Therefore, change your hearts and stop being stubborn. καὶπεριτεμεῖσθετὴνσκληροκαρδίανὑμῶνκαὶτὸντράχηλονὑμῶνοὐσκληρυνεῖτεἔτι…).

The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:5plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigDeuteronomy 6:5

Hebrew וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶֽךָ ESV You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. NIV Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. καὶἀγαπήσειςκύριοντὸνθεόνσουἐξὅληςτῆςκαρδίαςσουκαὶἐξὅληςτῆςψυχῆςσουκαὶἐξὅληςτῆςδυνάμεώςσου…) commands love for God “with all your heart” - this means with your entire inner being, your mind, will, and emotion.