Topical Encyclopedia
The heart, in biblical terms, is often regarded as the center of human emotions, desires, and moral inclinations. It is the seat of the affections, where love, compassion, and other emotions reside. The Bible frequently uses the heart to describe the inner life of a person, reflecting their true character and intentions.
1.
Proverbs 4:23 · "Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life." This verse emphasizes the importance of protecting one's heart, as it is the source of life and the wellspring of one's actions and emotions.
2.
Jeremiah 17:9 · "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Here, the heart is depicted as inherently deceitful, highlighting the need for divine intervention and guidance to understand and purify it.
3.
Psalm 51:10 · "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." This plea for a clean heart underscores the desire for purity and righteousness, recognizing that only God can transform the heart.
4.
Matthew 5:8 · "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Jesus teaches that purity of heart is essential for experiencing the presence of God, indicating that the heart's condition is crucial for spiritual vision and understanding.
5.
Ezekiel 36:26 · "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." This promise of a new heart signifies a transformation from hardness to sensitivity, enabling a deeper relationship with God.
6.
Romans 10:10 · "For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved." The heart is central to faith and justification, illustrating its role in the process of salvation.
7.
1 Samuel 16:7 · "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.'" This passage reveals that God values the heart over external appearances, focusing on inner qualities rather than superficial traits.
8.
Proverbs 3:5 · "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." Trusting God with one's whole heart is a recurring theme, emphasizing reliance on divine wisdom over human reasoning.
9.
Philippians 4:7 · "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." The heart is a recipient of divine peace, which acts as a protective guard against anxiety and turmoil.
10.
Hebrews 4:12 · "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart." The Word of God discerns the heart's true intentions, revealing its thoughts and motivations.
The heart, as depicted in these scriptures, is a complex and vital aspect of human existence. It is the locus of emotions, the source of moral actions, and the object of divine transformation. The biblical portrayal of the heart underscores its significance in the spiritual life and its need for continual renewal and alignment with God's will.
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Deuteronomy 5:29O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
Nave's Topical IndexDeuteronomy 6:5,6
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.
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1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.
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1 Chronicles 28:9
And you, Solomon my son, know you the God of your father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts: if you seek him, he will be found of you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off for ever.
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2 Chronicles 12:14
And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.
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Psalm 22:26
The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
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Psalm 34:18
The LORD is near to them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit.
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Psalm 51:10,17
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
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Psalm 57:7
My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
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Psalm 112:7
He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
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Proverbs 4:23
Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
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Proverbs 14:30
A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.
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Proverbs 15:13-15
A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
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Proverbs 16:1
The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.
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Proverbs 20:9
Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
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Jeremiah 17:1,9,10
The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven on the table of their heart, and on the horns of your altars;
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Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
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Matthew 9:4
And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Why think you evil in your hearts?
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Matthew 12:33
Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
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Matthew 15:18-20
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
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Matthew 23:26
You blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
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Mark 7:21
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
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Acts 8:22
Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.
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Romans 2:5,14-16
But after your hardness and impenitent heart treasure up to yourself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
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Hebrews 3:8,15
Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:
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Resources
What does it mean that God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7)? | GotQuestions.orgHow could David be considered a man after God's own heart? | GotQuestions.orgIs it biblical to ask Jesus into your heart? | GotQuestions.orgHeart: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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