Leb/lebab (‫ֵלָבב‬/‫ )ֵלב‬Word Study

The heart in both English and Hebrew refers to the beating of the heart. It is also true

of the centre of both material and immaterial things. For instance, to express a crucial point,

we articulate like the “heart of the matter is…” Even if this is the case, there is extensive

distinction between English and Hebrew use of the word heart (leb/lebab). In this article, we

will exegete the word ‫ֵלָבב‬/‫( ֵלב‬leb/lebab). First, we will trace the etymology of ‫ֵלב‬. Second, we

will discover its definition and its usage from Old Testament (OT) and Ancient New Eastern

(ANE) context. The final section will inflect few bible passages to ponder the significance of

‫ ֵלב‬in the OT bible and then will conclude.

Etymology

The Hebrew word ‫ֵלָבב‬/‫ ֵלב‬derives from the Proto-Semitic root *libb.1 Jeff A. Benner

derives the noun ‫ֵלָבב‬/‫ ֵלב‬from original pictograph script ‫ڡ ر‬. According to Benner, the first

letter, ‫ر‬, represents the staff of a servant and is a sign of power or authority. The second

letter, ‫ڡ‬, represents the house or tent conveying the idea of interior or within.2 Combining the

pictographs accents on the “authority within.”3 Akk. libbu4 and Arab. lubb5 also prepositions

the interior aspects.

Moreover, Jenni and Westermann alludes Heb. lb’s original etymological derivation

to body parts. Such as Qur. kalb and Akk. kablu connotes the centre or middle body organs

“hips, loins” and “waists.”6 Judaic and Mandaic Aramaic “libbā, lǝbābā, libǝbā” to “bosom,

1
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D7%9C%D7%91
2
Jeff A. Benner, The Living Words Volume One: A Study of Hebrew Words and Concepts from the Old
and New Testaments (College Station, Canada: Virtualbookworm.com Publishing Inc., 2007), 44.
3
Jeff A. Benner, 44.
4
See Paul Haupt, “Assyrian Phonology, with Special Reference to Hebrew,” Hebraica 1:3 (1885): 175.
[JSTOR] pages: 175-181.
5
Ernst Jenni and Claus Westermann, Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament, Vol. 2 (Peabody,
Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997), 638.
6
Alexander Militarev, “A complete etymology-based hundred wordlist of Semitic updated: Items 35–
54,” p. 76, http://www.jolr.ru/files/(57)jlr2011-5(69-95).pdf

1
heart, thoughts” or “mind.”7 There are other etymological equivalent to semantic lbb but are

too complex and technical. It is probable at this point to establish that the etymological

derivation of Heb. leb/lebab is from proto-Semitic root *libb.

OT Definition of ‫ ֵלב\ֵלָבב‬and ANE use

As observed above, ANE understanding of ‫ֵלָבב‬/‫ ֵלב‬is strikingly different from western.

It is noteworthy to understand that Hebrew thinking was based on “subjective experience

rather than objective, scientific observation.”8 This means that we shall discover the

subjective definition of Heb. ‫ֵלָבב‬/‫ֵלב‬.

Generally, ‫ ֵלב‬refers to both human (1 Sam. 25:37; 2 Kgs. 9:14) and animal’s (2 Sam.

17:10; Job 41:16) bodily organ (beating chest organ) and its corresponding physical position.9

It is the central organ that moves the rest of the body. Yet, not much of the ‫ ֵלב‬usage of the

Old Testament (OT) refers to “concrete, physical meaning.”10 There are various ways ‫ ֵלב‬is

implied. First, ‫ ֵלב‬is used metaphorically to express center, remoteness and inaccessibility.11

For instance, “the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea” (Ex. 15:8; cf. Jonah 2:3; 1

Sam. 16:7; Prov. 25:3; Jer. 17:10; ). Idiomatically, ‫ ֵלב‬is used to express “fear and bravery”

(Gen. 42:28; 1 Sm. 17:32; Ps 40:12; Deut. 28:65).12

Psychological and intellectual allusion of human ‫ ֵלב‬is, furthermore, extensive in the

Hebrew bible. Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew/Aramaic Lexicon relates ‫ ֵלב‬as “inner man,

7
http://starling.rinet.ru/
8
J. D. Douglas (ed.), The Illustrated Bible Dictionary: Part 2, vol. 2 (De Montfort Street: Inter-Varsity,
Press, 1980), 625.
9
Ernst Jenni and Claus Westermann, Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament, Vol. 2, 638.
10
R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer (Jr), Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Word Book of the Old Testament,
Vol. 1 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1980), 466.
11
David J. A. Clines (ed.), The Concise Dictionary of Classical Hebrew (Sheffield, England: Sheffield
Phoenix Press, 2009), 189.
12
R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer (Jr), Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Word Book of the Old Testament,
Vol. 1, 467.

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mind, [and] will.”13 It is the seat of thought or understanding and emotion (Prov. 23:7).14

While modern thinking stress heavily on emotional and psychological aspect of ‫;ֵלב‬15 Hebrew

does not isolate ‫ ֵלב‬with other parts of the bodily organs. They cogitate ‫ ֵלב‬as the power source

of being (in terms of its function). This sets the backdrop of the general definition of ANE

understanding of ‫ֵלב‬.

Above all, ‫“ ֵלב‬encompasses all dimensions of human existence.”16 Hence, when they

eat, they eat to sustain or strengthen their ‫( ֵלב‬Gen. 18:5). When their ‫ ֵלב‬is strengthen it will

electrify the whole body system to move freely. Discernment and judgment are processed in

the ‫( ֵלב‬Ecc. 8:5, Prov. 8:5). ‫ ֵלב‬devises both good and evil plans and instructs the soul to

execute it (prov. 6:18). The Hebrew Bible depicts that people “think with the heart and feel

with the viscera.”17 Egyptian heart ('ib) has analogous meaning with Hebrew ‫ֵלב‬. For

Egyptian, heart ('ib) is the “''seat of destiny,'' determining one’s life.”18 Mesopotamians used

common old Akkadian word libbu that has wide range of meaning but mostly it associates to

internal or lower body parts. It then came to be used either figuratively or concretely to

interior or central aspect of ideas and matters.19

Furthermore, the Hebrew mind understood ‫ ֵלב‬with ‫( ֶנֶפׁש‬nephesh) and ‫( רּוַח‬rûach).

Strongs define nephesh as “breathing creature” and thus it means person or soul. Whereas

rûach literally means wind, spirit or person’s breathe (Ps. 135:17; Ecc. 3:19). How the three

13
Francis Brown (ed.), The New Brown – Driver – Briggs – Gesenius Hebrew and English lexicon with
an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1979), 524.
14
For instance, the “heart of the prudent getteth knowledge,” “Apply thine heart unto instruction…if
thine heart be wise,” “let not thine heart be glad,” “For their heart studieth destruction,” “a proud heart
stirreth up strife,” “my heart shall not fear,” (Prov. 18:5; 23:12, 15; 24:17; Ps 27:3).
15
David N. Freedman, Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing Company, 2000), 563.
16
Ernst Jenni and Claus Westermann, Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament, Vol. 2, 639.
17
Tryggve N. D. Mettinger, The Eden Narrative: A Literary and Religio-historical Study of Genesis 2-3 9
(Winona Lake, Ind. : Eisenbrauns, 2007), 91. [available at https://books.google.com.pg/books?
isbn=1575061414]
18
G. K. Beale, “An Exegetical and Theological Consideration of the Hardening Of Pharaoh's Heart in
Exodus 4-14 and Romans 9,” Trinity Journal 5:- (1984): 133.
19
G Johannes Botterweck, Helmer Ringgren and Heinz-Josef Fabry (eds.), The Theological Dictionary of
the Old Testament, Vol. 7 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995), 403.

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words are connected is intricate. Pederson’s blending of these words may provide hints to

Hebrew mind, “‘Man in his totality is a nephesh, but he has a ruach and a leb.’”20

Parsing ‫ֵלב‬/‫ֵלָבב‬

The word ‫ ֵלב‬is a masculine noun which occurs over 500 times in the OT bible.21 It

occurs 259 times as ‫ ֵלָבב‬in masculine noun again.22 ‫ ֵלָבב‬occurs only four times as verb, of

which, three are in piel (SGS 4:9; 2 Sam. 13:6, 8) while only once in niphal (Job 11:12).

First, the piel meaning of ‫ לבב‬can be seen from Song 4:9 and 2 Sam. 13:6, 8. The verb ‫ִלַּבְבִּ֖ת ִני‬

(libbabtini) in Song 4:9 is in piel perfect, attached with 2fs pronoun and suffix ִ‫( י‬1cs). It is

translated in KJV as “Thou hast ravished my heart,” in NLT as “You have captivated my

heart,” in NIV as “You have stolen my heart,” and CJB as “you have carried my heart away.”

To compare, the verb ‫( ּוְת ַלֵּ֤ב ב‬uṯlabēḇ) literally means to make or bake cake. Uṯlabēḇ is

in imperfect 3fs masculine form and has jussive meaning. Thus it can be translated as

“let/may her make cakes.” Verse 8 is in peil form also. What is notable in Song 4:9 and 2

Sam. 13:6, 8 is causative action. In Song 4:9 it is the woman that stolen/captivated man’s ‫לבב‬.

In 2 Sam. 13:6, 8 Tamar followed Ammon’s command to bake cake (‫)ְלִבֹ֔ב ות‬. In both cases,

the peil implication of ‫ לבב‬either to mean as to take away ones heart or to bake/shape bread

can be understood causatively. On the other hand, ‫( ִיָּלֵבב‬yilabeb) of Job 11:13 is in niphal

imperfect 3ms form. It can be translated as to become intelligent/wise or to acquire

understanding.

20
Pedersen, Israel, I, p. 104. Quoted by Alan Richardson (ed.), A Theological Word Book of the Bible
(Third Avenue, New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1950), 144.
21
The Englishman’s Concordance states 593 occurrences of ‫ֵלב‬
(http://biblehub.com/hebrew/3820.htm) while Francis I. Andersen and A. Dean Forbes provides a tally that
depicts 601 occurrences (The Vocabulary of the Old Testament [Italy, Rome: Editrice Pontificio Istituto Biblico,
1992], 134). Other scholars may deduce figures that may vary from the figures. Thus, it is probable to assume
that ‫ ֵלב‬occurs more than 500 times in the Tanaka.

22
Francis I. Andersen and A. Dean, The Vocabulary of the Old Testament, 134.

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 The ‫ֵלב‬/‫ֵלָבב‬, however, is not frequently used as verb in Tanaka but as noun. Gen. 6:5

puts ‫ ֵלב‬as seat of thought. ‫ ִלֹּ֔ב ו‬is a masculine singular noun with suffix 3ms ‫ ֹו‬attached to it.23

Adonai saw that every thought “of his heart (‫ ”)ִלֹּ֔ב ו‬was only evil. Westermann particularize

‫ ִלֹּ֔ב ו‬along with ‫ רעע‬as wickedness of mankind on earth. Later he adds that ‫ רע‬describes the

state and thus Adonai did not saw the wicked action but saw the wicked state.24 Westermann

was correct but he fails to relate it in terms of heart condition. When the seat of thought,

judgment, reasoning or will of ‫( ָאָד ם‬mankind) was corrupted, God suffered sorrow (Gen.

6:6a). The word ‫ ינחם‬in Gen. 6:6a is in niphal imperfect. Since niphal stem represents simple

passive action, the stress is on Adonai’s later reaction and his suffering. What goes in the

heart of ‫ ָאָד ם‬causes Adonai to react? The flood narrative is a direct result of ‫ ֵלב‬corruption.

Moreover, ‫ ֵלב‬usage of Deut. 6:5 is analogous with ‫ֶנֶפׁש‬. The passage read ‫ְוָאַהְבָּת ֵאת ְיהָוה‬

‫( ֱא ֹלֶהיָך ְּבָכל־ְלָבְבָך ּוְבָכל־ַנְפְׁש ָך‬w’ahabta ‘et yhwah ‘eloheyka bkal-lbabka ubcal-napska).

Excluding “and with all your exceeding might/force/strength (‫)ּוְבָכל־ְמ ֹאֶֽדָך׃‬,” the masculine

noun ‫ ֵלָבב‬and feminine noun ‫ ֶנֶפׁש‬in ‫ ּוְבָכל־ַנְפְׁשָ֖ך ְּבָכל־ְלָבְבָ֥ך‬needs close examination.25 Mayes

noted that the noun ‫ ֶנֶפׁש‬can be only understood within a given context.26 Thomson matches

the ‫ ֶנֶפׁש‬of Deut. 6:5 with ‫ ֶנֶפש‬of Gen. 2:7, 19 and indicated that it refers “to the source of life

and vitality, or even of one’s ‘beings.’”27 However, Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew/Aramaic

Lexicon explicates it within the context of Deuteronomic source that when ‫ נפׁש‬is used with

23
Gen. 6:5 ‫ַוַּ֣יְר א ְיהָ֔ו ה ִּ֥כ י ַר ָּ֛ב ה ָר ַ֥ע ת ָה ָאָ֖ד ם ָּבָ֑א ֶר ץ ְוָכל־ֵ֙יֶצ֙ר ַמ ְח ְׁש ֹ֣ב ת ִלֹּ֔ב ו ַ֥ר ק ַ֖ר ע ָּכל־ַה ֹּֽיום׃‬
24
Claus Westermann, Claus Westermann Genesis 1-11: A Continental Commentary (Minneapolis:
Fortress Press, 1994), 410.
25
The phrase with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might ( ‫)ּוְבָכל־ַנְפְׁש ָ֖ך ְּבָכל־ְלָבְבָ֥ך‬
occurs recurringly in the book of Deuteronomy (Deut. 4:29; 10:12; 11:13; 13:13; 26:16; 30:2, 6, 10) that may
imply seriousness of Yahwistic religion.
26
A. D. H. Mayers, The New Century Bible Commentary (WM. B. Eerdmans Publising Co. Grand Rapids,
Michigan, 1981), 151.
27
J. A. Thomson, Deuteronomy: An Introduction and Commentary (Leicester, England: England, 1974),
122.

5
‫לבב‬28, a “closer approach [to ‫ ]נפׁש‬is to suppose radical meaning breath.”29 On the other hand,

Tigay commentated on ‫ לבב‬as thought, intention or feeling.30

Similarly, Greek English-Lexicon of the Septuagint (LXX) uses kardia to connote

heart as part of the body and faculty of emotion and understanding or to interior, depths,

attitude, desire or centrality of ideas.31 This brings to perspective that ‫ לבב‬and ‫ נפש‬usage of

Deut. 6:5 is not alienated. Adonai expects man to freely love him, exceedingly and

continually, with all his heart or inner being (‫ )לבב‬and with all his breath and vitality (‫)נפש‬.

The NT adds, with your whole mind (Matt. 37). Strong’s define the Greek feminine singular

noun dianoiai as “mind, understanding; intention, purpose; thought, attitude.” Adding this

definition together with ‫ לבב‬and ‫ נפש‬suggests that God requires man to love him without

holding back any breath. This is a kind of active love where totality of a ‫ נפש‬,‫ לבב‬and dianoiai

is involved. Thus, ‫ֵלָבב‬/‫ ֵלב‬cannot be understood objectively but subjectively.

Conclusion

Although there are slight similarities, Hebrew and Western way of interpreting heart

is extremely different. Western understanding of the noun, heart, is objective while Hebrew

understanding of heart is subjective. One cannot understand the use of the word heart (‫)ֵלב\ֵלָבב‬

in Hebrew Bible until he/she read it from Israeli and ANE context. This article has

demonstrated that the noun ‫ֵלָבב‬/‫ ֵלב‬has Proto-Semitic root *libb. The Semitic and OT

trajectory of ‫ֵלָבב‬/‫ ֵלב‬exposed that it mean either internal bodily organs or power within a

person. It is the seat of emotion and thought. ‫ֵלָבב‬/‫ ֵלב‬is also used figuratively to express midst,

remoteness, depth and hidden matters or concepts.

28
As in Deut. 4:29; 26:16; 6:5; 13:4; 30:6; 2 Ch 15:12; 6:38; 2 K 23:5; Jer. 32:41; Prov. 2:10; 24:12.
29
Francis Brown (ed.), The New Brown – Driver – Briggs – Gesenius Hebrew and English lexicon with
an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic, 661.
30
Jeffery H. Tigay, The JPS Torah Commentary: Deuteronomy (Philadelphia, Jerusalem: The Jewish
Publication Society, 1996), 77.
31
The implication of kardia in Greek NT is in conjunction with the Hebrew ‫ֵלָבב‬/‫( ֵלב‬Matt. 22:13; 5:8;
28; Lk. 12:34; Jn.12:40; 1Cor. 14:25; 2 Cor. 9:7).

6
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the Old and New Testaments. College Station, Canada: Virtual bookworm
Publishing Inc., 2007.

Haupt, Paul. “Assyrian Phonology, with Special Reference to Hebrew.” Hebraica 1:3 (1885):
175-181. [JSTOR]

Jenni, Ernst and Westermann, Claus. Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament. 2 vols.
Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997.

Militarev, Alexander. A complete etymology-based hundred wordlist of Semitic updated:

Items 35–54. http://www.jolr.ru/files/(57)jlr2011-5(69-95).pdf (accaessed 20
September, 2015).

http://starling.rinet.ru/ (accassed 20 September, 2015).

Douglas, J. D., Ed. The Illustrated Bible Dictionary: Part 2, vol. 2. De Montfort Street: Inter-
Varsity, Press, 1980.

Harris, R. Laird, Archer (Jr.), L., Gleason, and Waltke, Bruce K. Theological Word Book of
the Old Testament, Vol. 1 Chicago: Moody Press, 1980.

Clines, David J. A. Ed. The Concise Dictionary of Classical Hebrew. Sheffield, England:
Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2009.

Brown, Francis, S. R. Driver, and Charles A. Briggs. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and
English lexicon: With an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic. Hendrickson,
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Freedman, David N. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000.

Mettinger, Tryggve N. D. The Eden Narrative: A Literary and Religio-historical Study of

Genesis 2-3 9. Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 2007.
https://books.google.com.pg/books?isbn=1575061414 (accessed 5 October, 2015).

Beale, G. K. “An Exegetical and Theological Consideration of the Hardening of Pharaoh's

Heart in Exodus 4-14 and Romans 9.” Trinity Journal 5:- (1984): 129-154.
7
Botterweck, G. Johannes, Ringgren, Helmer and Fabry, Heinz-Josef. Eds. The Theological
Dictionary of the Old Testament. 7 vols. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995.

Richardson, Alan. Ed. A Theological Word Book of the Bible. Third Avenue, New York:
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Andersen, Francis I. and Forbes, A. Dean. The Vocabulary of the Old Testament. Italy,
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Westermann, Claus. Claus Westermann Genesis 1-11: A Continental Commentary.

Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1994.

Mayers, A. D. H. The New Century Bible Commentary. WM. B. Eerdmans Publising Co.
Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1981.

Thomson, J. A.. Deuteronomy: An Introduction and Commentary. Leicester, England:

England, 1974.

Tigay, Jeffery H.. The JPS Torah Commentary: Deuteronomy. Philadelphia, Jerusalem: The
Jewish Publication Society, 1996.