'Heart' in the Bible

The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit.God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.

For the choir director: on Mahalath. A Davidic Maskil.The fool says in his heart, “God does not exist.”They are corrupt, and they do vile deeds.There is no one who does good.

My heart shudders within me;terrors of death sweep over me.

His buttery words are smooth,but war is in his heart.His words are softer than oil,but they are drawn swords.

My heart is confident, God, my heart is confident.I will sing; I will sing praises.

I call to You from the ends of the earthwhen my heart is without strength.Lead me to a rock that is high above me,

They devise crimes and say,“We have perfected a secret plan.”The inner man and the heart are mysterious.

The righteous one rejoices in the Lordand takes refuge in Him;all those who are upright in heartwill offer praise.

If I had been aware of malice in my heart,the Lord would not have listened.

Insults have broken my heart,and I am in despair.I waited for sympathy,but there was none;for comforters, but found no one.

The humble will see it and rejoice.You who seek God, take heart!

BOOK III(Psalms 73–89)A psalm of Asaph. God is indeed good to Israel,to the pure in heart.

Did I purify my heartand wash my hands in innocence for nothing?

My flesh and my heart may fail,but God is the strength of my heart,my portion forever.

At night I remember my music;I meditate in my heart, and my spirit ponders.

Then they would not be like their fathers,a stubborn and rebellious generation,a generation whose heart was not loyaland whose spirit was not faithful to God.

He shepherded them with a pure heartand guided them with his skillful hands.

I long and yearnfor the courts of the Lord;my heart and flesh cry out for the living God.

I will praise You with all my heart, Lord my God,and will honor Your name forever.

Remember, Lord, the ridicule against Your servants—in my heart I carry abuse from all the peoples—

for justice will again be righteous,and all the upright in heart will follow it.

Light dawns for the righteous,gladness for the upright in heart.

I will pay attention to the way of integrity.When will You come to me?I will live with a heart of integrity in my house.

A devious heart will be far from me;I will not be involved with evil.

I will destroy anyonewho secretly slanders his neighbor;I cannot tolerate anyonewith haughty eyes or an arrogant heart.

My heart is afflicted, withered like grass;I even forget to eat my food.

wine that makes man’s heart glad—making his face shine with oil—and bread that sustains man’s heart.

A song. A Davidic psalm.My heart is confident, God;I will sing; I will sing praiseswith the whole of my being.

For I am afflicted and needy;my heart is wounded within me.

Hallelujah!I will praise the Lord with all my heartin the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.

He will not fear bad news;his heart is confident, trusting in the Lord.

His heart is assured; he will not fear.In the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

Happy are those who keep His decreesand seek Him with all their heart.

I will praise You with a sincere heartwhen I learn Your righteous judgments.

I have sought You with all my heart;don’t let me wander from Your commands.

I have treasured Your word in my heartso that I may not sin against You.

Help me understand Your instruction,and I will obey itand follow it with all my heart.

Turn my heart to Your decreesand not to material gain.

I have sought Your favor with all my heart;be gracious to me according to Your promise.

The arrogant have smeared me with lies,but I obey Your precepts with all my heart.

May my heart be blameless regarding Your statutesso that I will not be put to shame.

I have Your decrees as a heritage forever;indeed, they are the joy of my heart.

ק QofI call with all my heart; answer me, Lord.I will obey Your statutes.

שׂ Sin/ שׁ ShinPrinces have persecuted me without cause,but my heart fears only Your word.

A Davidic song of ascents.Lord, my heart is not proud;my eyes are not haughty.I do not get involved with thingstoo great or too difficult for me.

Davidic.I will give You thanks with all my heart;I will sing Your praise before the heavenly beings.

Search me, God, and know my heart;test me and know my concerns.

Do not let my heart turn to any evil thingor perform wicked actswith men who commit sin.Do not let me feast on their delicacies.

My spirit is weak within me;my heart is overcome with dismay.

listening closely to wisdomand directing your heart to understanding;

For wisdom will enter your mind,and knowledge will delight your heart.

My son, don’t forget my teaching,but let your heart keep my commands;

Never let loyalty and faithfulness leave you.Tie them around your neck;write them on the tablet of your heart.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,and do not rely on your own understanding;

he taught me and said:“Your heart must hold on to my words.Keep my commands and live.

Don’t lose sight of them;keep them within your heart.

Guard your heart above all else,for it is the source of life.

and you will say, “How I hated discipline,and how my heart despised correction.

He always plots evil with perversity in his heart—he stirs up trouble.

a heart that plots wicked schemes,feet eager to run to evil,

Always bind them to your heart;tie them around your neck.

Don’t lust in your heart for her beautyor let her captivate you with her eyelashes.

Tie them to your fingers;write them on the tablet of your heart.

Don’t let your heart turn aside to her ways;don’t stray onto her paths.

A wise heart accepts commands,but foolish lips will be destroyed.

The tongue of the righteous is pure silver;the heart of the wicked is of little value.

The one who brings ruin on his householdwill inherit the wind,and a fool will be a slaveto someone whose heart is wise.

A shrewd person conceals knowledge,but a foolish heart publicizes stupidity.

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down,but a good word cheers it up.

Delayed hope makes the heart sick,but fulfilled desire is a tree of life.

The heart knows its own bitterness,and no outsider shares in its joy.

Even in laughter a heart may be sad,and joy may end in grief.

A tranquil heart is life to the body,but jealousy is rottenness to the bones.

Wisdom resides in the heart of the discerning;she is known even among fools.

The lips of the wise broadcast knowledge,but not so the heart of fools.

A joyful heart makes a face cheerful,but a sad heart produces a broken spirit.

All the days of the oppressed are miserable,but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.

Bright eyes cheer the heart;good news strengthens the bones.

The reflections of the heart belong to man,but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

Everyone with a proud heart is detestable to the Lord;be assured, he will not go unpunished.

A man’s heart plans his way,but the Lord determines his steps.

Anyone with a wise heart is called discerning,and pleasant speech increases learning.

A wise heart instructs its mouthand increases learning with its speech.

A joyful heart is good medicine,but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud,but humility comes before honor.

A man’s own foolishness leads him astray,yet his heart rages against the Lord.

Many plans are in a man’s heart,but the Lord’s decree will prevail.

Counsel in a man’s heart is deep water;but a man of understanding draws it out.

Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure;I am cleansed from my sin”?

A king’s heart is like streams of water in the Lord’s hand:He directs it wherever He chooses.

The lamp that guides the wicked—haughty eyes and an arrogant heart—is sin.

The one who loves a pure heartand gracious lips—the king is his friend.

Foolishness is tangled up in the heart of a youth;the rod of discipline will drive it away from him.

for it’s like someone calculating inwardly.“Eat and drink,” he says to you,but his heart is not with you.

My son, if your heart is wise,my heart will indeed rejoice.

My son, give me your heart,and let your eyes observe my ways.

Don’t gloat when your enemy falls,and don’t let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,

I saw, and took it to heart;I looked, and received instruction:

Singing songs to a troubled heartis like taking off clothing on a cold dayor like pouring vinegar on soda.

Smooth lips with an evil heartare like glaze on an earthen vessel.