Prolonged from a primary kar (Latin cor, "heart"); the heart, i.e. (figuratively) the thoughts or feelings (mind); also (by analogy) the middle -- (+ broken-)heart(-ed).

1. properly, that organ in the animal body which is the center of the circulation of the blood, and hence, was regarded as the seat of physical life: 2 Samuel 18:14; 2 Kings 9:24; Tobit 6:5 (4), 7f (6f), 17 (16). Hence,

2. universally, καρδία denotes the seat and center of all physical and spiritual life; and a. the vigor and sense of physical life (Psalm 101:5 (); στήρισον τήν καρδίαν σου ψωμῷ ἄρτου, Judges 19:5; to which add Psalm 103:15 ()): τρέφειν τάς καρδίας, James 5:5; ἐμπιπλῶν τάς καρδίας τροφῆς, Acts 14:17; βάρειν τῆς καρδίας κραιπάλῃ καί μέθη, Luke 21:34; (but see b. δ. below);

b. the center and seat of spiritual life, "the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors" (so in English heart, inner man, etc.); α. universally: Matthew 5:8; Matthew 6:21; Mark 7:19; Luke 1:51; Luke 2:51; Luke 8:12, 15; Acts 5:3; Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 14:25; 2 Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 6:5; Colossians 3:22; 1 Peter 3:4, etc.; plural: Matthew 9:4; Mark 2:6, 8; Mark 4:16 (R L text Tr marginal reading); Luke 1:17; Luke 2:35; Luke 5:22; (Luke 24:38 R G L marginal reading; Acts 7:51 L T Tr WH text); Romans 2:15; Romans 16:18; 2 Corinthians 3:2; Galatians 4:6; Philippians 4:7; Ephesians 5:19 Lachmann; Hebrews 8:10 (T WH marginal reading singular); Hebrews 10:16, etc. ἡ καρδία is distinguished from τό στόμα or from τά χειλεα: Matthew 15:8, 18; Mark 7:6; 2 Corinthians 6:11; Romans 10:8f; from τό πρόσωπον: 2 Corinthians 5:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:17; περιτομή καρδίας, Romans 2:29; ἀπερίτμητοι τῇ καρδία, Acts 7:51 (L T Tr WH text καρδίαις, WH marginal reading genitive καρδίας, cf. Buttmann, 170 (148)). of things done from the heart i. e. cordially or sincerely, truly (without simulation or pretence) the following phrases are used: ἐκ καρδίας (Aristophanes nub. 86), Romans 6:17; and L T Tr WH in 1 Peter 1:22, where R G ἐκ καθαρᾶς καρδίας, as in 1 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:22; ἀπό τῶν καρδιῶν, Matthew 18:35 (ἀπό καρδίας εὐχάριστος τοῖς θεοῖς, Antoninus 2, 3); ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ καρδία and ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας, Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30, 33; Luke 10:27, and Rec. in Acts 8:37 (Deuteronomy 6:5; Deuteronomy 26:16; Psalm 118:34 ()); μετ' ἀληθινῆς καρδίας, Hebrews 10:22. ἐρευναν τάς καρδίας, Romans 8:27; Revelation 2:23; δοκιμάζειν, 1 Thessalonians 2:4; γινώσκειν, Luke 16:15 (ἐτάζειν, Jeremiah 17:10; Psalm 7:10); διανοίγειν τήν καρδίαν (see διανοίγω, 2), Acts 16:14; ἦν ἡ καρδία καί ἡ ψυχή μία, there was perfect unanimity, agreement of heart and soul, Acts 4:32; τιθέναι τί ἐν τῇ καρδία (בְּלֵב and לֵב עַל שׂוּם, 1 Samuel 21:12; Malachi 2:2; Daniel 1:8; τιθέναι ἐν στηθεσσιν, ἐν φρεσίν, etc., in Homer), to lay a thing up in the heart to be considered more carefully and pondered, Luke 1:66; to fix in the heart i. e. to purpose, plan, to do something, Acts 5:4 (A. V. conceived in thy heart); also εἰς τήν καρδίαν (L T Tr WH ἐν τήν καρδίαν) followed by the infinitive, Luke 21:14; βάλλειν εἰς τήν καρδίαν τίνος, followed by ἵνα, to put into one's mind the design of doing a thing, John 13:2; also διδόναι followed by an infinitive, Revelation 17:17; ἀναβαίνει ἐπί τήν καρδίαν τίνος, followed by an infinitive, the purpose to do a thing comes into the mind, Acts 7:23; ἐν τῇ καρδία joined to verbs of thinking, reflecting upon, doubting, etc.: ἐνθυμεῖσθαι, διαλογίζεσθαι, Matthew 9:4; Mark 2:6, 8; Luke 3:15; Luke 5:22; λέγειν, εἰπεῖν (בְּלִבּו אָמַר), to think, consider with oneself, Matthew 24:48; Luke 12:45; Romans 10:6; Revelation 18:7 (Deuteronomy 8:17; Deuteronomy 9:4); συμβάλλειν, to revolve in mind, Luke 2:19; διακρίνεσθαι, to doubt, Mark 11:23; διαλογισμοί ἀναβαινουσι, of persons in doubt, Luke 24:38 (R G L marginal reading plural); ἀναβαίνει τί ἐπί καρδίαν, the thought of a thing enters the mind, 1 Corinthians 2:9. β. specifically, of the understanding, the faculty and seat of intelligence (often so in Homer also (cf. Nägelsbach, Homer. Theol., p. 319f; Zezschwitz, Profangräcität as above with, pp. 25f, 50); cor domicilium sapientiae, Lactantius, de opif. dei c. 10, cf. Cicero, Tusc. 1, 9; לֵב, 1 Kings 10:2; Job 12:3; Job 17:4, etc.; (cf. Meyer on Ephesians 1:18 and references)): Romans 1:21; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Ephesians 1:18 (Rec. διανοίας); 2 Peter 1:19; συνιέναι τῇ καρδία, Matthew 13:15; Acts 28:27; νόειν τῇ καρδία, John 12:40. of the dullness of a mind incapable of perceiving and understanding divine things the following expressions occur: ἐπαχύνθη ἡ καρδία, Matthew 13:15; Acts 28:27, (from Isaiah 6:10); πωρουν τήν καρδίαν, John 12:40; πεπωρωμένη καρδία, Mark 6:52; Mark 8:17; ἡ πώρωσις τῆς καρδίας, Mark 3:5; Ephesians 4:18; βραδύς τῇ καρδία, slow of heart, Luke 24:25; κάλυμμα ἐπί τήν καρδίαν κεῖται, 2 Corinthians 3:15. γ. of the will and character: ἁγνίζειν καρδίας, James 4:8; καθαρίζειν τάς καρδίας, Acts 15:9 ῥερραντίσμενοι τάς καρδίας, Hebrews 10:22; καρδία εὐθεῖα (cf. Winer's Grammar, 32), Acts 8:21; πονηρά, Hebrews 3:12 (cf. 11. § 132, 24; Winer's Grammar, 194 (183)); ἀμετανόητος, Romans 2:5; γεγυμνασμενη πλεονεξίας, 2 Peter 2:14; στηρίζειν τάς καρδίας, 1 Thessalonians 3:13; βεβαιουν, in passive, Hebrews 13:9; σκληρύνειν, Hebrews 3:8; ἡ ἐπίνοια τῆς καρδίας, Acts 8:22; αἱ βουλαί τῶν καρδιῶν 1 Corinthians 4:5; προαιρεῖσθαι τῇ καρδία, 2 Corinthians 9:7; κρίνειν (to determine) and ἑδραῖος ἐν τῇ καρδία, 1 Corinthians 7:37. δ. "of the soul so far forth as it is affected and stirred in a bad way or good, or of the soul as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions": ἡ καρδία καιομένη ἦν, of the soul as greatly and peculiarly moved, Luke 24:32; αἱ ἐπιθυμίαι τῶν καρδιῶν, Romans 1:24; στηρίζειν τάς καρδίας, of the cultivation of constancy and endurance, James 5:8. in reference to good-will and love: ἐήξειν τινα ἐν τῇ καρδία, to have one in one's heart, of constant remembrance and steadfast affection, Philippians 1:7 (`te tamen in toto pectore semper habet' Ovid. trist. 5, 4, 24); εἶναι ἐν τῇ καρδία τίνος, to be cherished in one's heart, to be loved by one perpetually and unalterably, 2 Corinthians 7:3; εὐδοκία τῆς καρδίας, Romans 10:1. in reference to joy and pleasure: ηὐφράνθη ἡ καρδία, Acts 2:26 (from Psalm 15:9 ()); χαρήσεται ἡ καρδία, John 16:22; ἀνήρ κατά τήν καρδίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, i. e. in whom God delights, Acts 13:22; of the pleasure given by food, Acts 14:17 ((Winer's Grammar, 156 (148) note) see 2 a. above). in reference to grief, pain, anguish, etc.: ἡ λύπη πεπλήρωκε τήν καρδίαν, John 16:6; ὀδύνη τῇ καρδία μου, Romans 9:2; ἡ καρδία ταράσσεται, John 14:1, 27; συνοχή καρδίας, 2 Corinthians 2:4; βάρειν τῆς καρδίας μερίμναις βιωτικαῖς, Luke 21:34 (cf. 2 a. above); διαπρίομαι τῇ καρδία, Acts 7:54; συντετριμμένος τήν καρδίαν, Luke 4:18 R L brackets; κατενύγησαν τῇ καρδία, Acts 2:37 (L T Tr WH τήν καρδίαν); συνθρύπτειν τήν καρδίαν, Acts 21:13. ε. of a soul conscious of good or bad deeds (our conscience): 1 John 3:20f (Ecclesiastes 7:22; so לֵבָב, Job 27:6; ἡ καρδία πατασσει τινα, 1 Samuel 24:6; 2 Samuel 24:10).

3. used of the middle or central or inmost part of anything, even though inanimate: τῆς γῆς (which some understand of Hades, others of the sepulchre), Matthew 12:40 (τῆς θαλάσσης, Jonah 2:4 for לֵב; and for the same ἐν μέσῳ θαλάσσης, Exodus 15:8, 19; add Baruch 6: (Epistle Jer.) ; τῆς κλεψυδρας, Aristotle, probl. 16, 8 (others, κώδια)). Cf. Beck, Biblical Seelenlehre, chapter iii. § 20ff, p. 64ff; Delitzsch, Biblical Psychologie (Leipz. 1861) iv. § 12, p. 248ff (also in Herzog 2, vi. 57ff); Oehler in Herzog vi., p. 15ff (also in his O. T. Theol. (edited by Day) § 71); Wittichen in Schenkel iii. 71f.