The Heart Conceals and Reveals--XIII

According to the Bible, the heart has the capacity to conceal or reveal the thoughts and feelings of the individual.

1. The heart CONCEALS.
     a. The Hebrew expression kasah beleb means "to hide within the heart."
          The psalmist of Psalm 40 says in verse 10, speaking to Yahweh:
           I HAVE NOT HIDDEN YOUR SAVING HELP WITHIN MY HEART,
           I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation;
           I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness
           from the great congregation.
Here, to hide within the heart means to keep conceal what Yahweh has done for his people.
      b. The Hebrew expression netar beleb means "to keep in the heart."
           After describing the visions of the four beasts in Daniel 7:1-27, in verse 28 the text says:
           Here the account ends. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me,
           and my face turned pale; BUT I KEPT THE MATTER IN MY HEART [NRSV mind].
For Daniel to keep this matter under consideration in his heart means he hid it and did not share it with other people.

2. The heart reveals.
     Four Hebrew verbs are connected with the heart meaning to reveal.
     a. The Hebrew verb qara' means "to call, proclaim."
         Proverbs 12:23 means:
         One who is clever conceals knowledge,
               BUT THE HEART [NRSV mind] OF A FOOL BROADCASTS FOLLY.
For the heart to broadcast folly means to openly proclaim or reveal the thoughts of a fool.
     b. The Hebrew verb galah means "to uncover."
          Proverbs 18:2 says:
          A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
               BUT ONLY THAT HIS HEART MAY REVEAL ITSELF [NRSV only in expressing
                                                personal opinion].
In this context, for the heart to reveal itself is to lay open the unfounded views of the fool.
      c. The Hebrew verb dabar means "to speak."
           Describing the condition of a drunkard in Proverbs 23:29-35, the poet says in verse 33:
           Your eyes will see strange things,
                  AND YOUR HEART [NRSV mind] UTTER PERVERSE THINGS.
When a person is drunk, he/she may say almost anything, because his thoughts and speech are not coherent.
       d. The Hebrew verb yasa' means "to go out."
            The composer of Ecclesiastes says in Ecclesiastes 5:2:
            Never be rash with your mouth, NOR LET YOUR HEART BE QUICK
                            TO UTTER A WORD BEFORE GOD,
            for God is in heaven, and you upon earth;
            therefore let your words be few.
One cannot utter a single word unless it comes from the heart. The heart is the center of everything spiritually.

Share YOUR concerns and problems and anxieties and anticipations and remorses with others. Let me hear from YOU.

John Willis