καρδία
| Strong's # | G2588 |
|---|---|
| Greek Spelling | καρδία |
| Pronunciation | kar-DEE-ah |
| Transliteration | Kardia |
| Definition | heart, source of inner life, place of decision |
Notable Occurences
Matt 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Luke 6:45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Rom 10:9 ...if you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Insights
While kardia can refer to the literal, physical heart, its use in Scripture is typically much broader. It closely parallels the Old Testament Hebrew word for heart (lev), which describes the very center of a person from which life-altering decisions are made. The New Testament writers employ kardia in this same sense—as the core of a person's being, where one's deepest desires, values, and beliefs reside. For instance, the Apostle Paul emphasizes that genuine Christian faith is a belief held in the heart, specifically the conviction that God raised Jesus from the dead.