According to Jesus, the most important commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).
How do we do that?
We start by understanding the biblical meaning of the word “heart.”
Today it is common to describe the human heart as primarily the “seat of emotions,” i.e. our feelings. Yet Hebrews 4:12 refers to “the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hmm. Why is that?
By consulting Hebrew and Greek dictionaries, along with the findings of those who have devoted decades to studying the meanings of the words found in Scripture, here’s what I’ve discovered.
There are several words used in the Bible to describe the immaterial, invisible, and transcendent nature of mankind: heart, soul, spirit, and mind are four of the most frequently used terms, along with other words like intentions, attitudes, desires, affections, purposes, will, etc.
Here’s a good summary statement about these words from Dr. Robert A. Morey, (M.Div and D.Min, Westminster Theological Seminary), author of Death and the Afterlife.
“All the terms (i.e. heart, soul, spirit, and mind) are used interchangeably and are all synonyms which refer to man’s invisible side.” (Morey, p. 54).
For example, “At no point does the Old Testament speak of man’s “soul” and “spirit” as being separate metaphysical entities.” (Morey p. 54).
More from Morey: in the OT, “The word “heart” (lev) was metaphorically used to describe that part of man which transcended mere physical life. Brown, Driver, and Briggs pointed out (p. 523) that lev refers to “the inner man, mind, will, heart . . . the inner man in contrast to the outer (Ps. 73:26) . . . , i.e. the soul, comprehending mind, affections, and will.”
Morey (p. 62) comes to a similar conclusion regarding the NT word for heart (kardia):
“The NT speaks of man’s transcendent self as his “heart” 162 times. Arndt and Gingrich (p. 404) point out that kardia is the word frequently used in the Septuagint for the center of man’s emotion, intellect, and will. Thayer (p. 325) defines it as “the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetite, purposes, endeavors, etc.”
“The kardia of man is that part of him which feels, thinks, and decides (Mark 9:24; Luke 24:25; John 14:1). It is used with psuche as the center of worship (Mark 12:30; John 4:24). It cannot be reduced to the mere principle of physical life which animates the body of animals as well as man. It everywhere refers to the supernatural or invisible part of man which is his transcendent ego or self.”
Here’s another reputable source: Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Vine defines the OT word for “heart” as . . .
“The inner man, contrasted to the outer man” (see Deut 30:14; Joel 2:13; 1 Sam 16:7)
“The seat of desire, inclination, or will” (Ex 7:14; Ex 35:5, 21, 29; Ps 86:12)
“The seat of emotions” (Ex 4:14; Judges 16:25; Is 35:4; 1 Sam 2:1, 4:13)
“The seat of knowledge and wisdom and as a synonym of the mind” (Deut 8:5; 1 Kings 3:29; Job 22:22)
“The seat of conscience and moral character” (Job 27:6; 2 Sam 4:10; Is 38:3; Ps 24:4)
“The seat of rebellion and pride” (Gen 8:21; Ez 28:2; Jer 17:1)
To summarize Vine on the OT use of “heart” – “The heart stands for the inner being of man, the man himself. As such, it is the fountain of all he does (Prov 4:4). All his thoughts, desires, words, and actions flow from deep within him. Yet a man cannot understand his own heart (Jer 17:9). As a man goes on in his own way, his heart becomes harder and harder and harder. But God will circumcise (cut away the uncleanness of) the heart of His people so that they will love and obey Him with their whole being (Deut 30:6).”
Vine defines the NT word for “heart” as “man’s entire mental and moral activity, both the rational and the emotional elements. In other words, the heart is used figuratively for the hidden springs of the personal life.”
He then quotes Hastings’ Bible Dictionary:
“The Bible describes human depravity as in the heart because sin is a principle which has its seat in the center of man’s inward life, and then defiles the whole circuit of his action (Matt 15:19-20). On the other hand, Scripture regards the heart as the sphere of Divine influence (Rom 2:15, Act 15:9). The heart, lying deep within, contains ‘the hidden man’ (1 Peter 3:4), the real man. It represents the true character but conceals it.”
Vine then catalogs the various uses of “heart” with accompanying NT verses. The heart denotes:
- the seat of grief (John 14:1; Romans 9:2; 2 Corinthians 2:4)
- the seat of joy (John 16:22; Ephesians 5:19)
- the desires (Matthew 5:28; 2 Peter 2:14)
- the affections (Luke 24:32; Acts 21:13)
- the perceptions (John 12:40; Ephesians 4:18)
- the thoughts (Matthew 9:4; Hebrews 4:12)
- the understanding (Matthew 13:15; Romans 1:21)
- the reasoning powers (Mark 2:6,8; Luke 24:38)
- the imagination (Luke 1:51)
- the intentions (Hebrews 4:12)
- purpose (Acts 11:23; 2 Corinthians 9:7)
- the will (Romans 6:17; Colossians 3:15)
- the seat of faith (Mark 11:23; Romans 10:10; Hebrews 3:12)
To love God with our heart means much more than loving Him with our emotions. It means loving Him with all our being. That’s what the heart is. Jesus wasn’t identifying three different parts of our inner person (heart, soul, mind); rather He used three synonymous words for emphasis.
May God give us grace to love Him completely. He’s worthy of our total devotion.
NOTE: This post is an excerpt from the book,
What the Bible Does (Part 1): How the Bible Solves Your Biggest Problem,
by Wayne Davies. Available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats.
The Kindle version is free.
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