This secondary or p.sychical meaning it holds unchanged and undisputed through the whole of
318
IIKAKT
HEAKTU
the biblical writings. Its prominence as a psycho- logical term in the Scriptures and in other ancient books is no doubt due partly to the fact tliat tlie physical heart bulked so much more largely in the view of those times than the head or brain. How rarely are any functions of thought attributed to the latter in the OT (see only Dn 2^ 4'- '• '» 7'- "> as e.\cei>tions). Tliis fact introduces the only difl'erence in the Bible use of ' heart ' metaphorically from that of everyday modern speech. As from the llohly heart goes forth the blood in which ia the animal life, so from the heart of tlie human soul goes forth the entire mental and moral activity. To it also all the actions of the human soul return. ' In corde actiones animd hurtuince ad ipsvm redciint ' (Roos). There tlie soul is at liome with itself, becomes conscious of doing and sulToring as its own. ' The heart knoweth the bitterness of the soul,' or ' of itself ' (Pr 14>»).
Heart is therefore the organ of conscience, of self- knowledge, and indeed of all knowledge. For though tlie reflective function is prominent, we must note that all inner human movements are denoted by tliis word in Scripture ; the rational and intellectual as well as other. This is the main distinction between the biblical and the modern usage of the word. In the OT it by no means signilies mainly or only the emotional or volitional elements in human nature, but pre-eminently the intellectual (hence 3'? ]'X= 'without understanding'). It is only in the later Scriptures that the Greek habit of distinguishing the rational from the emotional finds place.
The following anal.vsis of the OT uses of 3^7 and 37 is abridged from that of Ox/, tlfb. Lexicon : —
1. Of the innt-r man in contrast vnth the outer; opposed to f psh Ps 73M, garments Jl 2>», hands Ps 7313, La all (?), eves Nu ISSa, 1 S 167, ears Ezk 31", mouDi Dt 30H, speech Ps 28^ 7Sl».
2. The inner man, comprehending mind, a^ectiong, unit ; not« e.g. the frequent 'with all the heart and with all tho soul' (B'JJ-'?;^! ajS-*?:?) Dt 4» &> and oft.; ct. 'what is in the heart' (njVj •&■») Dt K', 'with the heart' (25^ DV) Dt 85.
3. With specific reference to mind, e.g. 2^h 'y'^N 'men of mind' Job 34i»- M, knoiplcdtje Dt 85, 1 K 2«, thinking, reflection. Is 10", memory 1 S 2112.
4. With specific reference to inclinations, resolutions, deter- minations 0/ the will, e.<). 'set the mind to' (■'?N) 1 S 73, 1 Ch 29I8, * Pharaoh's mind was changed' ('d '^ ^?'7") Ex 145.
6. With specific reference to continence, 'my heart lye, con- science) shall not reproach me ' Job 276.
6. With specific reference to moral character : God tries the heart 1 Ch 2917; 'uprightness of heart' Dt 05, heart perfect with (ny) 1 K 861 ; heart as seat of naughtiness 1 S 17'-iS(?), pride Ps 1015 ; heart circumcised or uncircumcised Dt 1018, Lv 26*^, hardened Dt 230.
7. Heart = (/ie man himself, Dt 7" 8" 9«, U 141S.
8. As seat of the appetites, Ps 10415.
9. As seat of emoliontt and passions, e.g. joy Is 3029, trouble 1 K 838, anger Dt 19«, hate Lv 19".
10. As seat of courage (for which usually l^n) Dn 1125,
Because it is the focus of the personal life, the workplace for the appropriation and assimilation of every influence, in ' lieart,' according to Scrip- ture, lies the moral and religious condition of the man. Only what enters the heart forms a possession of moral worth, only what comes from the heart is a moral production. The Bible places human depravity in the ' heart ' because sin is a principle Mliich has its seat in the centre of man's inward life, and thence 'defiles' the whole circuit of liis action (Mt IS'*- »>). On the other hand, it regards the ' heart ' as the sphere of divine influence, the starting-point of all moral reno- vation: 'The work or the law written in their hearts' (Ro 2"); 'A new heart will I give you' (Ezk36=«); 'Purifying their hearts by faith '^(Ac 15'). Once more, the ' heart ' as lying deep within contains ' the hidden man '(IP 3^), the real man. It represents the true character, but conceals it ; hence it is contrasted with the ' outward appear-
ance,' and is declared to be the index of character only for Him who 'searches the heart and tries the reins of the children of men ' (1 S IG' ; Jer 17" 20'^).
This scriptural usa'^e — making the heart the source of the moral life — lends tirmncss and sim- plicity to its teachings about sin ami grace. That man's moral corruption is seated in his heart means that not the substance of liuman nature or the personality of man is perverted, but hi.s principles of action. That the saving process begins with ' a new heart ' means that not another self or person- ality is substituted, but that new principles of action are introduced. Hence the whole doctrine of sin and grace is biblically grounded in a way to free it from mistake or exaggeration.