לֵב
The heart ; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings , the will and even the intellect ; likewise for the centre of anything
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Canonical witness: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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What does לֵב (lev) mean in the Bible?
לֵב (lev) is a Hebrew word meaning "the heart ; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings , the will and even the intellect ; likewise for the centre of anything". The heart represents the source from which speech flows. This term runs through the canonical themes of Covenant, Wisdom.
Meaning
The seat of will, intellect, and emotion—the inner moral and spiritual center governing all human motivation and choice.
the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything BDB: inner man Usage: care for, comfortably, consent, × considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), × heed, × I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), × regard(-ed), × themselves, × unawares, understanding, × well, willingly, wisdom.
Why This Word Matters
The heart represents the source from which speech flows. Hosea 4:11-19
The proverb highlights that God evaluates the internal moral orientation of a person. Isaiah 6:9-13
The heart determines the direction of life and must therefore be guarded. Proverbs 10:20
Wisdom must shape the inner life to guide outward conduct. Proverbs 11:20
The passage emphasizes guarding the inner life so it does not drift toward temptation. Proverbs 4:20-27
The young man lacks wisdom in the inner life, leaving Him vulnerable. Proverbs 7:1-5
Hardening of the heart explains the people’s spiritual insensitivity and covenant failure. Proverbs 7:24-27
Center of covenant discernment corrupted. Proverbs 7:6-23
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
Old Testament Witnesses
Showing 8 of 596 occurrences in the biblical text.
Appears In
Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.