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# לֵבָב

Biblical Hebrew · Strong's H3824

**inner man** — used 252 times in the Hebrew Bible. Below: its meanings with their sources, MACULA's glosses, and 2 verses word for word and in JPS 1917.

## Meaning

### OpenScriptures lexical index

inner man [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1500/3824/#m1)

### Brown–Driver–Briggs 1906

לֵבָב: n.m. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1500/3824/#m2)

**The whole BDB entry:** † לֵבָב251 n.m. ψ 104:15 inner man, mind, will, heart;—abs. ל׳ Dt 28:28 + 31 times; cstr. לְבַב Dt 20:8 + 22 times; sf. לְבָבִי Is 21:4 + 24 times; לְבָֽבְךָ Dt 4:29 + 35 times; לְבָבֶ֑ךָ Dt 4:39 + 21 times; לְבָבֵךְ 1 S 1:8 + 3 times; לְבָבוֹ Dt 2:30 + 37 times; לְבָבָהּ Zp 2:15 + 3 times; לְבָבֵנוּ Dt 1:28 + 3 times; לְּבַבְכֶם Dt 10:16 + 37 times; לְּבָבָם Lv 26:41 + 22 times; pl. c.sf. לִבְבֵהֶן Na 2:8 (Sta§ 353 a לְבַבְהֶן, but see Kö ii. 78); pl. לְבָבוֹת 1 Ch 28:9.—The inner, middle, or central part: seldom of things בִּלְבַב יַמִּים in the midst of the seas, Jon 2:3 (poetry); עד לבב השׁמים unto the midst of heaven Dt 4:11 (so Sam but MT לב). usually of men: the inner man in contrast with the outer, כלה שׁארי ולבבי my flesh and my heart (soul) doth fail ψ 73:26; antithesis with garments Jo 2:13; hands ψ 73:13 La 3:41 (?); eyes Nu 15:39 (H) 1 S 16:7; ears Ez 3:10; mouth Dt 30:14; speech ψ 28:3; 78:18; מְתֹפֲפֹת עַל־לִבְבֵהֶן tabering upon their breasts Na 2:7 (inner for outer). the inner man, indef. the soul, comprehending mind, affections and will, or, in connexion with certain verbs, having more specific reference to some one of them. בכל־לבב ובכל־נפשׁ with all the heart and with all the soul Dt 4:29; 6:5; 10:12; 11:13; 13:4; 26:16; 30:2, 6, 10 Jos 22:5; 23:14; 1 K 2:4; 8:48 (= 2 Ch 6:38 לב?) 2 K 23:25; 2 Ch 15:12; 34:31 (= 2 K 23:3 לב?) Je 32:41; abbr. בכל־לבב 1 S 7:3; 12:20, 24 1 K 14:8; 2 K 10:31; 2 Ch 15:15; 22:9; 31:21 ψ 86:12; 111:1; Je 29:13; Jo 2:12; אשׁר בלבב what is in the heart (mind) Dt 8:2 1 S 9:19; 14:7; 2 S 7:3 (= 1 Ch 17:2) 2 K 10:30; 2 Ch 32:31; cf. Jb 10:13, ψ 84:6 (?); עם לבב with the heart (mind), c. ידע Dt 8:5, שִׂיחַ ψ 77:7, usually c. (היה), of a thought or purpose, Dt 15:9; Jos 14:7; 1 K 8:17, 18(×2) (= 2 Ch 6:7, 8(×2)) 10:2 (= 2 Ch 9:1) 1 Ch 22:7; 28:2; 2 Ch 1:11; 29:10 (cf. 24:4 לב); כלבב according to the heart 1 S 13:14; 14:7 ψ 20:5. We may add Dt 5:26; 11:16, 18; 17:17; 1 S 2:35; 2 S 19:15; 1 K 8:39(×2) (= 2 Ch 6:30(×2)) 11:2, 3 (לב an error) v 4, 9; 1 Ch 12:17; 22:19; 28:9 ψ 62:9; 86:11; 139:23; Is 7:2; Dn 11:27, 28. specific ref. to mind (characteristic of לבב): אַנְשֵׁי לֵבָב men of mind Jb 34:10, 34; גם לי לבב I also have a mind Jb 12:3; הוֹלֵלוֹת בִּל׳ madness is in (their) mind Ec 9:3 (?); וַתִּגְנֹב לְבָבִי and thou didst steal my mind Gn 31:26 (E, the לֵב of v 20 should be corrected to לבב cf. ‘steal me’ v 27). knowledge, c. ידע Dt 8:5; Jos 23:14; 1 K 2:44; הבין Is 6:10; 32:4; חֲכַם לֵבָב wise of mind Jb 9:4; לְבַב חָכְמָה mind of wisdom ψ 90:12. thinking, reflection, c. חשׁב Is 10:7; Zc 7:10; 8:17; (שׂיח ψ 77:7 supr.); יצר מחשׁבות ל׳ conception of thoughts of mind 1 Ch 29:18; מַשְׂכִּיּוֹת ל׳ imaginations of (their) mind ψ 73:7; מוֹרָשֵׁי ל׳ possessions (thoughts) of (my) mind Jb 17:11; שׂם לבב set the mind, consider Hg 2:15, 18(×2), c. לְ Dt 32:46, על Hg 1:5, 7. of memory שׂם בלבב lay up in the mind 1 S 21:13 Jb 22:22; השׁיב אל ל׳ lay to heart, call to mind Dt 4:39; 30:1; 2 Ch 6:37 (= 1 K 8:47 לב?); עלה על ל׳ come upon the mind Je 51:50; Ez 38:10 (cf. לֵב 3 d); סוּר מל׳ depart from the mind Dt 4:9; שׁמר בתוך ל׳ keep in the midst of (thy) mind Pr 4:21; על ל׳ upon the mind Dt 6:6. spec. ref. to inclinations, resolutions, determinations of the will (characteristic of ל׳): הכין ל׳ set the mind, c. אֶל 1 S 7:3; 1 Ch 29:18, לְ 2 Ch 20:33 לדרשׁ 2 Ch 19:3; 30:19; Ezr 7:10; הטה ל׳ אֶל Jos 24:23 (E) 1 K 8:58; נתן ל׳ לדרשׁ 1 Ch 22:19, cf. 2 Ch 11:16; ל׳ פנה מעם mind turn away from Dt 29:17; 30:17; יֵהָפֵךְ ל׳ פ׳ Pharaoh’s mind was changed Ex 14:5 (E). spec. ref. to conscience לא יחרף לבבי my heart (conscience) shall not reproach me Jb 27:6. spec. ref. to moral character (characteristic of ל׳): God tries the ל׳ 1 Ch 29:17: יֹשֶׁר ל׳ uprightness of heart Dt 9:5 1 Ch 29:17, ψ 119:7 (?); יִשְׁרֵי ל׳ 2 Ch 29:34; יִשְׁרַת ל׳ 1 K 3:6; ל׳ יָשָׁר 2 K 10:15(×3); תָּם־ל׳ integrity of heart Gn 20:5, 6 (E) 1 K 9:4 ψ 78:72; 101:2; (עִם) ל׳ שָׁלֵם heart perfect (with) 1 K 8:61; 11:4; 15:3, 14 (= 2 Ch 15:17) 2 K 20:3 (= Is 38:3 לֵב?) 1 Ch 12:39; 29:19; 2 Ch 16:9; 19:9; 25:2; בַּר־ל׳ pure in heart ψ 24:4; בָּרֵי ל׳ ψ 73:1. We may add 2 K 22:19 = 2 Ch 34:27, Ne 9:8; Je 32:40. it is the seat of naughtiness 1 S 17:28 (?), erring ψ 95:10; is froward ψ 101:4. seat of pride, ψ 101:5; Is 9:8; 10:12, 60:5 (?) Ez 28:5, 6(?) Dn 8:25; רָם ל׳ heart is lifted up Dt 8:14; 17:20; Ez 31:10; Dn 11:12. is circumcised Dt 10:16; 30:6; Je 4:4, or uncircumcised Lv 26:41 (H); is hardened אמּץ ל׳ Dt 2:30; 15:7; 2 Ch 36:13; כבּד ל׳ 1 S 6:6 (?); הקשׁה ל׳ ψ 95:8. = the man himself (meaning characteristic of נֶפֶשׁ) אמר בל׳ say in the heart (to oneself) Dt 7:17; 8:17; 9:4; 18:21 ψ 4:5 Is 14:3; 47:8; 49:21; Je 5:24; 13:22; Zp 1:12; 2:15; ללבב Ho 7:2 (?); דבר בל׳ ψ 15:2; ברכו בל׳ Jb 1:5; התברך בל׳ Dt 29:18 יְחִי לְבַבְכֶם let your heart (you yourselves) live ψ 22:27; 69:33 (cf. 119:175). spec. as the seat of the appetites (for which usually נֶפֶשׁ) סעד ל׳ stay the heart (with food) ψ 104:15 Ju 19:8 (?); יִיטַב לְבָבֶ֑ךָ that thine heart may be merry (with wine) Ju 19:9 (?); יַיִן יְשַׂמַּח ל׳ wine gladdens the heart ψ 104:15. spec. of seat of the emotions and passions (for which usually נפשׁ): of joy Is 30:29; Je 15:16; Ez 36:5, gladness Dt 28:47, desire Pr 6:25 (?); דבּר על ל׳ speak into the heart (comfortably) 2 Ch 32:6 (elsewhere לֵב) of trouble 1 K 8:38 ψ 25:17; 73:21; weakness, faintness Lv 26:36 (H) Dt 20:3, 8(×2) 2 Ch 13:7 Is 1:5; 7:4 Je 51:46, grief Dt 15:10; 1 S 1:8, sorrow ψ 13:3, fear Dt 28:67, dismay Is 21:4, astonishment Dt 28:28, anger 19:6, hate Lv 19:17 (H); ימּס ל׳ the heart melteth Dt 20:8 Jos 2:11; 5:1; 7:5 (all D) Is 13:7; 19:1; המס ל׳ Dt 1:28 (so read prob. also Jos 14:8, where לֵב error). seat of courage (for which usually רוּחַ), יָעֵר כֹּחוֹ וּלְבָבוֹ stir up his power and his courage Dn 11:25; יַאֲמֵץ לְבַבְכֶם let your heart take courage ψ 31:25.

Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 224 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (6 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (3 candidates)

## Glosses

MACULA's English glosses of the word in the text, with how often each is used: heart (180); of heart (18); the heart (15).

## In the verses

[Psalms 73:7](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.73.7/) · [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.73.7/#tree)

יָ֭צָא מֵחֵ֣לֶב עֵינֵ֑מוֹ עָ֝בְר֗וּ מַשְׂכִּיּ֥וֹת לֵבָֽב׃

*Word for word:* it.comes.out from fat eye their they.pass.over \[the\].imaginations of.heart

*JPS 1917:* Their eyes stand forth from fatness; they are gone beyond the imaginations of their heart.

[Psalms 73:21](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.73.21/) · [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.73.21/#tree)

כִּ֭י יִתְחַמֵּ֣ץ לְבָבִ֑י וְ֝כִלְיוֹתַ֗י אֶשְׁתּוֹנָֽן׃

*Word for word:* (dm) it.was.embittered heart my and kidneys my I.was.pierced

*JPS 1917:* For my heart was in a ferment, and I was pricked in my reins.

## On Mova

- [This word in the Tanakh dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/3824.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of its meanings](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1500/3824/): every English meaning parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.

Sources. The words, their counts, glosses and the word-for-word renderings: MACULA Hebrew (the Westminster Leningrad Codex; Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0). Meanings: the OpenScriptures lexical index (CC BY 4.0), Brown–Driver–Briggs 1906 and Jastrow 1903 (public domain, via Sefaria); Targum Onkelos from Sefaria (public domain). Translation: JPS 1917 (public domain, from eBible.org).