Lexical Summary lebab: mind, heart Original Word: לְבַב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance heart (Aramaic) corresponding to lebab -- heart. see HEBREW lebab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to lebab Definition heart NASB Translation heart (3), mind (4). Topical Lexicon Overview The term לְבַב (Strong’s Hebrew 3825) appears only in the Aramaic sections of Daniel (Daniel 2–7). Though linguistically related to the common Hebrew words for “heart,” its distribution highlights God’s dealings with Gentile kings and empires, underscoring the universal accountability of every human heart before the Most High. Occurrences and Contexts 1. Daniel 2:30 – Daniel confesses that God revealed Nebuchadnezzar’s dream “so that Your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.” The verse links divine revelation to an awakened heart, urging humility before God’s mysteries. Themes Drawn from the Usage God’s Sovereignty over the Inner Person • The narrative repeatedly shows God giving, taking, hardening, softening, or transforming the heart. Nebuchadnezzar’s sanity is removed and restored; Belshazzar’s is tested and found wanting; a beast-like empire receives a human heart only by divine decree (Daniel 7:4). Revelation and Humility • Daniel 2:30 ties revelation to humility in the recipient: “not because I have greater wisdom than any other living person.” The heart must bow before God to receive insight. Judgment through Mental Transformation • The beast-like heart given to Nebuchadnezzar illustrates Romans 1:21 in narrative form: refusing to honor God darkens the heart, eventually dehumanizing it. Prophetic Foreshadowing of Kingdoms • The lion with a “human mind” (Daniel 7:4) previews the sequence of empires in Daniel 7, hinting that even the fiercest political powers operate only by understanding granted from heaven. History’s flow is therefore not random but governed by Him who searches hearts. Pastoral and Ministry Implications 1. Call to Humility – Believers and leaders alike must guard against pride, remembering Belshazzar’s downfall (Daniel 5:22). Historical Reflections In the Babylonian and early Persian eras, royal ideology viewed kings as semi-divine. Daniel subverts this by showing God overriding royal hearts, dethroning human pride, and demonstrating that true majesty belongs to Him alone. Key Lessons • Divine revelation demands a receptive heart (Daniel 2:30). In sum, לְבַב in Daniel encapsulates the Bible’s consistent testimony: the heart is the seat of thought and will, and the Lord reigns supreme over it. Forms and Transliterations וְלִבְבֵ֣הּ ׀ וּלְבַ֥ב ולבב ולבבה לִבְבֵ֔הּ לִבְבֵהּ֙ לִבְבָ֑ךְ לִבְבָ֖ךְ לבבה לבבך liḇ·ḇāḵ liḇ·ḇêh liḇḇāḵ liḇḇêh livVach livVeh ū·lə·ḇaḇ ūləḇaḇ uleVav velivVeh wə·liḇ·ḇêh wəliḇḇêhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Daniel 2:30 HEB: יְהוֹדְע֔וּן וְרַעְיוֹנֵ֥י לִבְבָ֖ךְ תִּנְדַּֽע׃ NAS: the thoughts of your mind. KJV: the thoughts of thy heart. INT: of making the thoughts of your mind known Daniel 4:16 Daniel 4:16 Daniel 5:20 Daniel 5:21 Daniel 5:22 Daniel 7:4 7 Occurrences |