'Hearts' in the Bible

Then he said to his brothers, “My money has been returned, and behold, it is even in my sack.” And their hearts sank, and they turned trembling to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”

As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen.

And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you:

Then all whose hearts moved them, both men and women, came and brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and bracelets, all articles of gold; so did every man who presented an offering of gold to the Lord.

As for those of you who may be left, I will also bring weakness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies. And the sound of a driven leaf will chase them, and even when no one is pursuing they will flee as though from the sword, and they will fall.

Where can we go up? Our brethren have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are bigger and taller than we; the cities are large and fortified to heaven. And besides, we saw the sons of the Anakim there.”’

Beware that your hearts are not deceived, and that you do not turn away and serve other gods and worship them.

Then the officers shall speak further to the people and say, ‘Who is the man that is afraid and fainthearted? Let him depart and return to his house, so that he might not make his brothers’ hearts melt like his heart.’

When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

Now it came about when all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard how the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the sons of Israel until they had crossed, that their hearts melted, and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the sons of Israel.

The men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of their men, and pursued them from the gate as far as Shebarim and struck them down on the descent, so the hearts of the people melted and became as water.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, to meet Israel in battle in order that he might utterly destroy them, that they might receive no mercy, but that he might destroy them, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

“Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the Lord your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed.

“Now therefore, put away the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”

Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He had severely dealt with them, did they not allow the people to go, and they departed?

Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”

Saul also went to his house at Gibeah; and the valiant men whose hearts God had touched went with him.

In this manner Absalom dealt with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel.

Then a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”

Thus he turned the hearts of all the men of Judah as one man, so that they sent word to the king, saying, “Return, you and all your servants.”

then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know, for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men,

that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers.

“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men,

Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the Lord God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the Lord God of their fathers.

The high places, however, were not removed; the people had not yet directed their hearts to the God of their fathers.

When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous;For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds.

Do not drag me away with the wickedAnd with those who work iniquity,Who speak peace with their neighbors,While evil is in their hearts.

He who fashions the hearts of them all,He who understands all their works.

Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,As in the day of Massah in the wilderness,

Do good, O Lord, to those who are goodAnd to those who are upright in their hearts.

Who devise evil things in their hearts;They continually stir up wars.

The lips of the wise spread knowledge,But the hearts of fools are not so.

Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord,How much more the hearts of men!

The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold,But the Lord tests hearts.

Every man’s way is right in his own eyes,But the Lord weighs the hearts.

If you say, “See, we did not know this,”Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts?And does He not know it who keeps your soul?And will He not render to man according to his work?

Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil.

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead.

“Render the hearts of this people insensitive,Their ears dull,And their eyes dim,Otherwise they might see with their eyes,Hear with their ears,Understand with their hearts,And return and be healed.”

When it was reported to the house of David, saying, “The Arameans have camped in Ephraim,” his heart and the hearts of his people shook as the trees of the forest shake with the wind.

Then the Lord said,“Because this people draw near with their wordsAnd honor Me with their lip service,But they remove their hearts far from Me,And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,

They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend.

This wicked people, who refuse to listen to My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts and have gone after other gods to serve them and to bow down to them, let them be just like this waistband which is totally worthless.

How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the deception of their own heart,

I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me.

“Kerioth has been capturedAnd the strongholds have been seized,So the hearts of the mighty men of Moab in that dayWill be like the heart of a woman in labor.

Behold, He will mount up and swoop like an eagle and spread out His wings against Bozrah; and the hearts of the mighty men of Edom in that day will be like the heart of a woman in labor.

The joy of our hearts has ceased;Our dancing has been turned into mourning.

Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations to which they will be carried captive, how I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which played the harlot after their idols; and they will loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed, for all their abominations.

But as for those whose hearts go after their detestable things and abominations, I will bring their conduct down on their heads,” declares the Lord God.

“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all?

in order to lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols.”’

that their hearts may melt, and many fall at all their gates. I have given the glittering sword. Ah! It is made for striking like lightning, it is wrapped up in readiness for slaughter.

“I will also trouble the hearts of many peoples when I bring your destruction among the nations, into lands which you have not known.

As for both kings, their hearts will be intent on evil, and they will speak lies to each other at the same table; but it will not succeed, for the end is still to come at the appointed time.

And they do not consider in their heartsThat I remember all their wickedness.Now their deeds are all around them;They are before My face.

For their hearts are like an ovenAs they approach their plotting;Their anger smolders all night,In the morning it burns like a flaming fire.

She is emptied! Yes, she is desolate and waste!Hearts are melting and knees knocking!Also anguish is in the whole bodyAnd all their faces are grown pale!

“It will come about at that timeThat I will search Jerusalem with lamps,And I will punish the menWho are stagnant in spirit,Who say in their hearts,‘The Lord will not do good or evil!’

and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’

They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the Lord of hosts.

Then the clans of Judah will say in their hearts, ‘A strong support for us are the inhabitants of Jerusalem through the Lord of hosts, their God.’

He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.”

And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?

But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,

Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, *said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?

It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ,

But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts?

And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.

“Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap;

They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?”

And He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?

And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen

Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,

and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,

and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.

Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.

who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;

being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

Make room for us in your hearts; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one.

I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together.

Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself,

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts;