### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew term *libbâh* (`{{H3826}}`) is the feminine form of *lev* (`{{H3824}}`), the most common Hebrew word for "heart." While grammatically distinct, *libbâh* largely shares the extensive semantic range of *lev*, functioning as a near synonym. It refers to:
1. **The Physical Organ:** Though less common for *libbâh* than for *lev*, it can denote the literal heart, particularly in contexts emphasizing its vital function or physical sensation.
2. **Seat of Emotions:** The core of human feelings, encompassing joy, sorrow, fear, love, hatred, and compassion. It is where emotional experiences are deeply felt.
3. **Seat of Intellect and Thought:** The center of reasoning, understanding, wisdom, knowledge, and planning. It is the faculty by which one comprehends and deliberates.
4. **Seat of Will and Intention:** The source of one's desires, purposes, decisions, and moral choices. It represents the inner disposition and the driving force behind actions.
5. **The Innermost Being:** The totality of a person's inner self, their character, conscience, and the very essence of their personality. It represents the true self, hidden from outward view.
The use of the feminine form *libbâh* often appears in poetic or more emphatic constructions, though its meaning is generally interchangeable with *lev*.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
*Libbâh* (`{{H3826}}`) appears fewer times than its masculine counterpart, *lev* (`{{H3824}}`), but its occurrences consistently reflect the broad semantic range of the "heart" in Hebrew thought.
* **Emotional Depth:** In [[Deuteronomy 28:67]], the phrase "faintness of heart" (*mishsha'ar libbâ*) describes extreme fear and dread, indicating the heart as the seat of deep emotional distress. Similarly, [[Proverbs 15:30]] speaks of "joy of the heart" (*simchat libbâh*) bringing good news, illustrating the heart as the fount of happiness.
* **Intellectual and Moral Center:** [[Ecclesiastes 1:16]] uses *libbâh* to refer to the "heart" that has gained great wisdom and knowledge, emphasizing its role as the seat of intellect. In [[Ecclesiastes 2:10]], Solomon states he did not withhold his *libbâh* from any pleasure, indicating the heart as the center of desire and personal will.
* **Source of Inner Life:** [[Psalm 73:7]] speaks of the "imaginations of their heart" (*mas'kîyôt ləḇāḇām* - though here *libbâ* is used in a slightly different form, the root concept is identical), implying the heart as the origin of one's thoughts and schemes. [[Ezekiel 16:30]] uses *libbâh* to describe a "faint heart" (*libbāh dāwāh*), indicative of moral sickness and spiritual prostitution.
In these contexts, *libbâh* consistently points to the internal, authentic self, the core from which all thought, emotion, and action originate.
### Related Words & Concepts
The understanding of *libbâh* (`{{H3826}}`) is enriched by its relationship to other key Hebrew terms and concepts:
* **`{{H3824}}` (לֵב, lev):** The masculine form of "heart," which is overwhelmingly more common and functions as the primary term for the comprehensive inner being. *Libbâh* is essentially a stylistic or poetic variant.
* **`{{H5315}}` (נֶפֶשׁ, nephesh):** Often translated "soul," "life," or "person." While *nephesh* refers more broadly to the living being or life principle, it frequently overlaps with "heart" in denoting the inner person, their desires, and their very self.
* **`{{H3629}}` (כְּלָיוֹת, klayot):** "Kidneys" or "reins." In biblical anthropology, the kidneys are often paired with the heart as the deepest seat of emotions, intentions, and conscience, particularly in contexts where God is said to search or test these inner parts.
* **`{{H4578}}` (מֵעִים, me'im):** "Bowels" or "inner parts." This term can also signify deep emotions, particularly compassion, pity, or intense distress, similar to how "guts" or "bowels of compassion" are used in English.
* **Concepts:** Wisdom (*chokmah*), understanding (*binah*), knowledge (*da'at*), intention (*machashabah*), desire (*ta'avah*), and conscience are all intimately connected to the function of the *libbâh* as the central processing unit of human experience and morality.
### Theological Significance
The *libbâh* (`{{H3826}}`), like *lev*, holds profound theological significance, serving as the central locus of a person's relationship with God and the wellspring of their moral and spiritual life.
* **Divine Scrutiny:** God is consistently portrayed as one who "knows the heart" and "searches the inner parts." This emphasizes that God's judgment is not superficial but penetrates to the deepest motivations and intentions of the *libbâh*. [[1 Samuel 16:7]] famously states that "man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
* **Source of True Worship and Obedience:** Genuine faith, love for God, and obedience are understood to originate from the *libbâh*. The command to "love the Lord your God with all your heart" ([[Deuteronomy 6:5]]) underscores the heart as the primary seat of devotion and commitment. True worship is not merely ritualistic but flows from an inner disposition.
* **The Need for Transformation:** The biblical narrative frequently highlights the fallenness and stubbornness of the human *libbâh*, which can be "hardened" or "deceitful." This necessitates divine intervention for spiritual renewal. The prophetic promise of God giving a "new heart" and replacing a "heart of stone" with a "heart of flesh" ([[Ezekiel 36:26]]) directly addresses the need for the *libbâh* to be divinely transformed to enable true obedience and relationship with God.
* **Ethical Foundation:** The *libbâh* is seen as the source from which all actions, good or evil, ultimately spring. Therefore, cultivating a pure and righteous heart is paramount for ethical living in covenant with God.
### Summary
*Libbâh* (`{{H3826}}`) is the feminine form of the Hebrew word for "heart," largely synonymous with *lev* (`{{H3824}}`). It represents the comprehensive inner being of a person, encompassing their emotions, intellect, will, and moral character. Biblically, the *libbâh* is understood as the very core of one's existence, the wellspring from which all thoughts, desires, and actions originate. Theologically, it is a concept of immense importance: God searches and knows the *libbâh*, true worship and obedience flow from it, and its fallen state necessitates divine transformation. Thus, *libbâh* points to the profound spiritual reality that one's deepest relationship with God and one's true character reside in the innermost self.
TRV