Thoughts of The Mind

THOUGHT, thôt: The most frequent word in the OT (מַחֲשֶׁבֶת, maḥăshebheth, from the vb. חָשַׁב, ḥāshabh, “to think”) refers to a “device,” or a purpose firmly fixed, as in the passage in Isa (55:7–9) where the “thoughts” of God and of man are contrasted (cf Ps 40:5; 92:5; Jer 29:11) In the NT διαλογισμός, dialogismós (Mt 15:19; 1 Cor 3:20), refers to the inner reasoning or deliberation of one with himself. See THINK

to think (reason) — verb. to use or exercise the mind or one’s power of reason in order to make inferences, decisions, or arrive at a solution or judgments.

Dictionary of the Bible Thought

THOUGHT.—In 1 S 9:5, in Mt 6:26 (as well as in the foll. vv. 27, 28, 31, 34), in 10:19, in Mk 13:11, and in Lk 12:11, 22, 25, 26 the Eng. word ‘thought’ Is used in AV in the old sense of ‘grief or anxiety.’ Thus Mk 13:11 ‘Take no thought beforehand’ does not mean do not think or plan. but be not burdened with anxiety beforehand.

Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) 3784 νόημα

784 νόημα DBL Greek 3784, #1–2

LN 26.14 mind, thoughts, schemes, the psychological facility of reasoning (2Co 3:14; 4:4; 11:3; Php 4:7+); 2. LN 30.15 thought, the content of reasoning and thinking (2Co 2:11; 10:5+)

Believer’s Bible Commentary A. In Personal Consecration (12:1, 2)

The world has its own politics, art, music, religion, amusements, thought-patterns, and lifestyles, and it seeks to get everyone to conform to its culture and customs.

.Scripture Reference

Romans 12:2 CCNTP:T

2 Don’t be conformed to the way of our modern age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may be able to determine what God’s good and pleasing and perfect will is.

Philippians 4:8 CCNTP:T

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is serious, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is anything morally excellent, and if there is anything praiseworthy, focus your thinking on these things.

Isaiah 26:3 ASV 1901

3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee.

2 Corinthians 10:3–6 CCNTP:T

3 Of course we do walk in the flesh, but we certainly don’t fight according to the flesh. 4 The weapons that we use to fight aren’t fleshly; rather, they are divinely powerful to tear down strongholds. 5 By them we tear down arguments and every high barrier that is raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive and bring it into obedience to Christ, 6 being prepared also to deal justly with every act of disobedience, after your obedience is complete.

Philippians 4:4–9 CCNTP:T

4 Be glad in the Lord always; I shall say it again, be glad! 5 Let your leniency be known to everybody. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but instead in everything by prayer and by petition with thanksgiving make your requests known to God, 7 and God’s peace that goes beyond all understanding like a sentinel will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is serious, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is anything morally excellent, and if there is anything praiseworthy, focus your thinking on these things. 9 Whatever you have learned and received and heard and seen in me practice, and the God of peace will be with you.

2 Timothy 1:7 CCNTP:T

7 I say this because God didn’t give a spirit of cowardice, but of power and of love and of self-restraint.

Proverbs 4:23 CCNTP:T

23 Above all that you guard, guard your heart because it is the source of your life.

James 1:8 CCNTP:T

8 because a double-minded man is unstable in all of his ways.

Romans 12:1–2 CCNTP:T

Ephesians 4:22–24 CCNTP:T

22 You were taught regarding your previous habit patterns to put off the old person that you were, who is corrupted by deceitful desires, 23 being rejuvenated in the attitude of your mind, 24 and to put on the new person that you are, who is created in God’s likeness with righteousness and holiness that come from the truth,

2 Corinthians 10:5 CCNTP:T

5 By them we tear down arguments and every high barrier that is raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive and bring it into obedience to Christ,

Romans 7:23 CCNTP:T

23 but I see a different law in my bodily members fighting against the law of my mind and holding me captive to sin’s law that is in my members.

Philippians 2:5 CCNTP:T

5 You must think about yourselves what Christ Jesus thought about Himself.

Matthew 21:22 CCNTP:T

22 Everything that you ask for in prayer you will receive if you believe.

Jeremiah 33:3 ASV 1901

3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and will show thee great things, and difficult, which thou knowest not.

Colossians 3:1–2 CCNTP:T

1 So then, if you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at God’s right hand. 2 Keep your mind on things that are above, not on those things that are on the earth;

Proverbs 16:3 CCNTP:T

3 Roll your works on Yahweh and your thoughts will succeed.

Proverbs 3:5 CCNTP:T

5 Trust in Yahweh with all your heart and don’t rely on your own discernment;

Matthew 15:11 CCNTP:T

11 It isn’t what enters the mouth that defiles a person, but rather what comes out of his mouth; this defiles a person.

Colossians 3:2–5 CCNTP:T

2 Keep your mind on things that are above, not on those things that are on the earth; 3 you died, and your life has been hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ (Who is our life) appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5 So then, put to death the habits of the members of your earthly body—sexual immorality, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry).

Jeremiah 29:11 ASV 1901

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith Jehovah, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope in your latter end.

Colossians 3:2 CCNTP:T

2 Keep your mind on things that are above, not on those things that are on the earth;

Matthew 22:37 CCNTP:T

37 And He replied, You must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Romans 7:25 CCNTP:T

25 Thank God, it is Jesus Christ our Lord Who will! So then, on the one hand, I, myself, am serving God’s law as a slave with my mind, but, on the other hand, with my flesh I am serving sin’s law.

Matthew 5:28 CCNTP:T

28 But I tell you that whoever looks at a woman with the intention of desiring her already has committed adultery with her in his heart.

Psalm 19:14 ASV 1901

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in thy sight, O Jehovah, my rock, and my redeemer.

1 Corinthians 2:11–16 CCNTP:T

11 Who knows the thoughts of a person except the spirit of the person in him. So too no one knows God’s thoughts except God’s Spirit. 12 Now we haven’t received the world’s spirit but the Spirit Who is from God, so that we may know that which God has freely given to us. 13 It is these things about which we speak, not in words taught by human wisdom but in those that are taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual teaching with spiritual words. 14 But a natural person doesn’t welcome the teachings of God’s Spirit; they are foolishness to him, and he isn’t able to know about them because they must be investigated spiritually. 15 But the spiritual person is able to investigate everything while (on the other hand) nobody has the ability to investigate him. 16 Who has known the Lord’s mind? who will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:4–5 CCNTP:T

4 The weapons that we use to fight aren’t fleshly; rather, they are divinely powerful to tear down strongholds. 5 By them we tear down arguments and every high barrier that is raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive and bring it into obedience to Christ,

James 4:7 CCNTP:T

7 So, submit to God; but resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Psalm 139:17 ASV 1901

17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

Romans 12:1–21 CCNTP:T

1 I urge you then, brothers, because of these mercies from God, to present your bodies as living, holy, pleasing sacrifices to God, which is the reasonable way to serve Him in worship. 2 Don’t be conformed to the way of our modern age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may be able to determine what God’s good and pleasing and perfect will is. 3 Now, by the grace given to me, I tell every one of you: Don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought to, but think soberly according to the measure of faith that God distributed to each of you. 4 Just as we have many members in one body, and the members don’t all have the same function, 5 in the same way, we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. 6 We have differing gifts by the grace given to us: if prophecy, it is to be used in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in serving; if one is gifted as a teacher, in teaching; 8 if he is a counselor, in counseling; if he is a contributor, in liberality; if he is a manager, in diligence; if he is one who is gifted to show mercy, in cheerfulness. 9 Love must be without hypocrisy; loathe what is evil, adhere to what is good. 10 Have warm affection for one another with brotherly affection; prefer one another when showing honor; 11 don’t slacken in diligence, be aglow in spirit, serving the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, endure affliction, persevere in prayer, 13 share in meeting the saints’ needs, pursue hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and don’t curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. 16 Think in harmony with one another, not being haughty but associating with the lowly. Don’t become conceited. 17 Don’t return evil for evil to anybody; plan ahead to do what is fine in the eyes of every one. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with everybody. 19 Don’t avenge yourselves, dear friends, but rather make room for wrath, since it is written: Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord. 20 But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink, since by doing this you will heap burning coals on his head. 21 Don’t be conquered by evil, but conquer evil by means of good.

Romans 1:28 CCNTP:T

28 Now just as they disapproved of retaining God in their knowledge, so God handed them over to a disapproved mind, to do those things that are not proper,

Ephesians 4:23 CCNTP:T

23 being rejuvenated in the attitude of your mind,

Psalm 139:23–24 ASV 1901

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts; 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

Mark 7:21–22 CCNTP:T

21 I say this because from within, from people’s hearts, come out evil thoughts, sexual sins, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance and foolishness.

Isaiah 55:8 ASV 1901

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Jehovah.

Romans 8:6 CCNTP:T

6 Now to have a fleshly mind is death, but to have a spiritual mind is life and peace,

Psalm 1:1–6 ASV 1901

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers: 2 But his delight is in the law of Jehovah; And on his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, That bringeth forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also doth not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The wicked are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For Jehovah knoweth the way of the righteous; But the way of the wicked shall perish.

James 1:14–15 CCNTP:T

14 Instead, each one is tempted by his own desires; like a fish going after bait he is lured away and enticed. 15 Then when desire has conceived it gives birth to sin, and sin, when fully matured, brings forth death.

Genesis 6:5 ASV 1901

5 And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

1 Corinthians 2:16 CCNTP:T

16 Who has known the Lord’s mind? who will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible Heart

In general, the center or middle of things (Deut. 4:11; Matt. 12:40). The ancients did not seem as concerned about the heart (Heb. lēḇ, lēḇāḇ; Gk. kardɩ́a) as an organ as they were about such other organs as the liver and kidneys. References to the heart as a physical organ are extremely rare in the OT (cf. 1 Sam. 25:37). Even in 2 Sam. 18:14; 2 Kgs. 9:24 the meaning seems to be wider than the specific organ of the heart, indicating the internal organs generally. In Ps. 104:15 the “heart” is affected by food and drink, which could be true of the literal heart as an organ, but probably denotes a more general reference to “experience” (cf. REB, NAB).

Heart was commonly used, as today, of the center of something—whether humans or other objects, and from this usage the term was applied to the whole range of internal and central things in humans. The ancients did not use detailed psychological vocabulary to make the fine distinctions used in modern speech. The Hebrews thought of the whole human being and personality with all its physical, intellectual, and psychological attributes when they used “heart.” It was considered the governing center for all of these. It is the heart (the core) which makes and identifies the person (Prov. 4:23). Character, personality, will, and mind are modern terms which all reflect something of the meaning of “heart” in its biblical usage.

Believer’s Bible Commentary A. In Personal Consecration (12:1, 2)

12:2 Secondly, Paul urges us not to be conformed to this world, or as Phillips paraphrases it: “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold.” When we come to the kingdom of God, we should abandon the thought-patterns and lifestyles of the world.

The world (literally age) as used here means the society or system that man has built in order to make himself happy without God. It is a kingdom that is antagonistic to God. The god and prince of this world is Satan (2 Cor. 4:4; John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). All unconverted people are his subjects. He seeks to attract and hold people through the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1 Jn. 2:16). The world has its own politics, art, music, religion, amusements, thought-patterns, and lifestyles, and it seeks to get everyone to conform to its culture and customs. It hates nonconformists—like Christ and His followers.

Christ died to deliver us from this world. The world is crucified to us, and we are crucified to the world. It would be absolute disloyalty to the Lord for believers to love the world. Anyone who loves the world is an enemy of God.

Believers are not of the world any more than Christ is of the world. However, they are sent into the world to testify that its works are evil and that salvation is available to all who put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We should not only be separated from the world; we should be transformed by the renewing of our mind, which means that we should think the way God thinks, as revealed in the Bible. Then we can experience the direct guidance of God in our lives. And we will find that, instead of being distasteful and hard, His will is good and acceptable and perfect.

Here, then, are three keys for knowing God’s will. The first is a yielded body, the second a separated life, and the third a transformed mind.

Lists of Words and Concepts Heart

Heart as Mind

• Heart as True Self

• Heart as Thoughts and Desires

• Heart as Decision Making

• Heart as Intellect

• Heart as Understanding

• Heart as Thinking

• Heart as Whole Person

• Heart as Person

• Heart as Emotion

• Heart as Conscience

• Heart as Motivation

• Heart as Convictions

• Heart as Body

• Heart as Devotion

• Heart as Desires

• Darkening of Heart as Foolishness

• To Have Enlightened Heart as To Understand

• Hardened Heart as Inability to Comprehend

• To Put in Heart as To Convince

• To Put in Heart as To Decide to Do

• To Turn Heart as To Cause Compassion

• To Place Laws on Heart as To Form Conscience Using Laws

• To Have Hard Heart as To Be Unwilling to Learn

• Burning Heart as Spiritual Passion

• To Write Laws on Heart as To Form Conscience Using Laws

• To Harden Heart as To Be Stubborn

• To Be One Heart as To Be United for Common Cause

• To Be Stabbed to Heart as To Feel Guilty

• To Know Heart as To Understand Person

• Uncircumcised in Heart as Unable to Believe

• To Have Something Come Into One's Heart as To Decide

• To Have Written on One's Heart as To Have in One's Conscience

• To Cleanse the Heart by Faith as To Forgive Sin

• To Open Heart as To Cause to Be Receptive

• To Break a Person's Heart as To Make a Person Sad

• To Have a Dull Heart as To Become Stubborn

• To Be in Heart as To Be Emotionally Felt

• To Be in Heart as To Be Cared For

• To Say in Heart as To Convince Oneself

• To Be Established in Heart as To Have One's Mind Made Up

• To Broaden Heart as To Seek to Comfort

• To Have Evil Heart as To Not Trust God

• To Have Jesus Dwell in Heart as To Be Member of Community of Jesus

• To Write on Heart as To Teach

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Religious Heart

Religious Heart. The heart is especially important in biblical religion. The mystery of the hidden self is fully known to God and to Christ (Jer 17:10; Lk 9:47; Rom 8:27; and throughout), and the heart is the seat of our knowledge of God (2 Cor 4:6). The state of heart governs the vision of God (Mt 5:8); from the heart one speaks to God (Ps 27:8); the heart is the locus of divine indwelling (2 Cor 1:22; Gal 4:6; Eph 3:17).

On the other hand, moral evil in the heart is seen in biblical perspective as sin against God. Senseless hearts are darkened, often secretly idolatrous, far from God, “not right” before God (Dt 29:18, 19; Mt 15:8; Acts 8:21; Rom 1:21). Yet the Lord will not despise a broken, contrite heart (Ps 51:17); if when one’s heart is turned toward God, he promises to make it sensitive to divine things, renewed and purified (Dt 4:29; 2 Kgs 23:25; Ps 51:10; Jl 2:13; Ez 36:25–27). God’s law shall then be written on the heart, as the inward guide and incentive (Jer 31:33; Heb 8:10; cf. 2 Cor 3:2, 3).

In Christian terms, such transformation involves believing the gospel from the “honest and good heart” that provides fruitful soil for the Word of God (Lk 8:15; Rom 10:9). The true heart draws near to God, loves him with all its intellect, feeling, and will (Lk 10:27; Heb 10:22). Then God becomes to the heart strength, reward, renewal, grace, peace, and joy (Ps 73:26; Is 57:15; Acts 2:46; Phil 4:7; Heb 13:9). So the ancient ideal becomes possible again, that of being “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Sm 13:14; Acts 13:22).

The high value which Scripture places upon such heart-religion does not discourage corporate worship and prayer, nor the uniting of individual hearts in spiritual fellowship (Jer 32:39; Ez 11:19; Acts 4:32). But it is directed against the external legalism, which judges according to visible outward acts rather than inward dispositions (Mt 5:21–48); against the heartless “hardness” of prevailing regulations concerning the sabbath, marriage, religious obligations (Mk 3:5; Mt 19:8; 23:4); against hypocrisy and self-display that belie the true state of heart (Is 29:13; Jer 3:10; Mt 6:1–18).

One fundamental assumption of Scripture is that the human heart is constantly open to influences from above and from below. God would “lay hold of [human] hearts” (Ez 14:5), “incline hearts” to his truth and ways (Ps 119:36), “put into … hearts to carry out his purposes,” both for judgment and for salvation (Rv 17:17). The alternative to divine “possession” is the demonic influence that can drag the heart down to utmost evil (Jn 13:2; Acts 5:3). The same heart that can be “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jer 17:9) can also become the shrine of divine love and the Spirit (Rom 5:5).

In that openness to infinite good or evil, the scriptural dimensions of the human heart are revealed.

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Physical Heart

Physical Heart. That the beating heart indicates life seems implied in 1 Samuel 25:37, 38 despite the delay in Nabal’s death; perhaps “heart” means “midriff” (cf. 2 Sm 18:14; 2 Kgs 9:24). Physical food and wine affect the heart (Jgs 19:5; Ps 104:15; Acts 14:17), and the heart can “faint,” and “tremble.” The heart’s position yields an obvious metaphor for “the center” (Dt 4:11; Mt 12:40).

Psychological Heart. The heart attends intellectually (e.g., Jer 12:11); it also perceives (Jn 12:40), understands (1 Kgs 3:9), debates (Mk 2:6), reflects (Lk 2:19), remembers (Lk 2:51), thinks (Dt 8:17), imagines (Lk 1:51), is wise (Eccl 1:17 KJV) or mad (Eccl 9:3), has technical skill (Ex 28:3 KJV), and much more.

Emotionally, the heart experiences intoxicated merriment (1 Sm 25:36), gladness (Is 30:29), joy (Jn 16:22), sorrow (Neh 2:2), anguish (Rom 9:2), bitterness (Prv 14:10), anxiety (1 Sm 4:13), despair (Eccl 2:20), love (2 Sm 14:1), trust (Ps 112:7), affection (2 Cor 7:3), lust (Mt 5:28), callousness (Mk 3:5), hatred (Lv 19:17), fear (Gn 42:28), jealousy (Jas 3:14), desire (Rom 10:1), discouragement (Nm 32:9), sympathy (Ex 23:9), anger (Dt 19:6 KJV), irresolution (2 Chr 13:7 KJV), and much besides.

Volitionally, the heart can purpose (1 Cor 4:5), incline to (1 Sm 14:7), prompt (2 Kgs 12:4; cf. Prv 4:23), be steadfast (Acts 11:23), willing (Ex 35:22), or willful (Ez 13:2 KJV), contrive evil (Acts 5:4), or follow its “treasure” (Mt 6:21).

Morally, the heart can be gentle, lowly (Mt 11:29), holy (1 Thes 3:13), faithful (Neh 9:8), upright (Ps 97:11), pure, singleminded (Jas 4:8), clean (Acts 15:9), loving toward God (Mk 12:30) and others (1 Pt 1:22), or hardened or sensitive (Ez 11:19). Scripture’s emphasis falls upon the heart’s evil (Gn 6:5 and throughout), as self-deceiving (Jas 1:26), deceitful (Jer 17:9), avaricious (Mt 6:19–21), lustful (Mt 5:28), arrogant (Is 9:9), impious (Acts 7:51), perverse (Ps 101:4), and impenitent (Rom 2:5). Nothing defiles a man but his own heart (Mk 7:18, 19).

Yet, as conscience the heart can smite (1 Sm 24:5; cf. Acts 2:37). Moreover, out of the heart can come good (Lk 6:45; 8:15). Even when frustrated by circumstances or by fear, the heart’s good intention remains good, its evil intent, bad (1 Kgs 8:18; Mt 5:28).

Being so complex, man’s heart is sadly divided, and Scripture often extols a perfect, whole, true (i.e., united) heart (Gn 20:5; Acts 8:37 mg; Ps 86:11). For “heart” signifies the total inner self, a person’s hidden core of being (1 Pt 3:4), with which one communes, which one “pours out” in prayer, words, and deeds (Gn 17:17; Ps 62:8; Mt 15:18, 19). It is the genuine self, distinguished from appearance, public position, and physical presence (1 Sm 16:7; 2 Cor 5:12; 1 Thes 2:17). And this “heart-self” has its own nature, character, disposition, “of man” or “of beast” (Dn 7:4 KJV; 4:16; cf. Mt 12:33–37).

Noun Usage

1. heart (internal feature) — the locus of a person’s thoughts (mind), volition, emotions, and knowledge of right from wrong (conscience) understood as the heart. Related Topic: Heart. Related Entity: Heart.

Used in a Multi-Term Verb

1. to think ⇔ dialog in one’s heart† — to think critically about a topic; conceived of as having a dialog with oneself in one’s heart or self. See also ἑαυτοῦ, ἐν.

Mk 2:6|| ἦσαν δέ τινες τῶν γραμματέων ἐκεῖ καθήμενοι καὶ διαλογιζόμενοι ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις

Mk 2:8|| Τί ταῦτα διαλογίζεσθε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν;

Lk 3:15 διαλογιζομένων πάντων ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν περὶ τοῦ Ἰωάννου, μήποτε αὐτὸς

Lk 5:22|| Τί διαλογίζεσθε ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν;

2. to tempt ⇔ put in the heart† — to tempt, conceived of as putting desires, thoughts, or plans into someone’s heart. See also εἰς, ἐν, τίθημι. Related Topic: Tempt.

Jn 13:2 τοῦ διαβόλου ἤδη βεβληκότος εἰς τὴν καρδίαν ἵνα παραδοῖ αὐτὸν Ἰούδας

Ac 5:4 τί ὅτι ἔθου ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο;

3. to be warm (emotionally) ⇔ be wide in heart† — to be or become friendly and caring towards; conceived of as a heart being large or broad. See also πλατύνω.

2 Co 6:11 ἡ καρδία ἡμῶν

4. to think ⇔ say in one’s heart† — to think a statement in one’s mind; conceived of as speaking inside of one’s heart. See also ἐν, λέγω.

Lk 12:45|| ἐὰν δὲ εἴπῃ ὁ δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· Χρονίζει

Re 18:7 ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῆς

5. to memorize ⇔ put in the heart† — to commit to memory (as particularly significant); conceived of as placing the event in one’s heart. See also ἐν, τίθημι.

Lk 1:66 καὶ ἔθεντο πάντες οἱ ἀκούσαντες ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν, λέγοντες· Τί

6. to tempt ⇔ fill the heart† — to tempt, conceived of as filling someone’s heart (with desires, thoughts, or plans). See also πληρόω. Related Topic: Tempt.

Ac 5:3 Ἁνανία, διὰ τί ἐπλήρωσεν ὁ Σατανᾶς τὴν καρδίαν σου, ψεύσασθαί σε

7. to begin to think ⇔ come upon one’s heart† — to have the first motions of a thought or thought process; conceived of as the thought coming onto one’s heart. See also ἐπί.

Ac 7:23 Ὡς δὲ ἐπληροῦτο αὐτῷ τεσσερακονταετὴς χρόνος, ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ

8. to be resolved ⇔ stand in one’s heart† — to be or become resolved, conceived of as maintaining a position or being steadfast in one’s heart. See also ἐν.

1 Co 7:37 ὃς δὲ ἕστηκεν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἑδραῖος μὴ ἔχων ἀνάγκην,

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Mind

Mind. Man’s intellectual processes in a narrow sense or, more broadly, the sum total of a man’s mental and moral state of being. To the Hebrew way of thinking there is no distinctive terminology for the conception of mind. To the Greek world mind plays a very important role in the understanding of man.

In the OT there was no separate word that could be used for a man’s mind. Translators of the English versions have supplied other words (soul, spirit, or heart) as the context dictates. Thus precise distinctions between these terms are hard to define. Generally, one might say that a man in his totality is a soul but he has a spirit and a heart. All of these terms may represent his mind. This means that the widely held distinction between the mind as the seat of thinking and the heart as the seat of feeling is alien to the meaning these terms carry in the OT.

The concept of the soul relates to “person” or “personality.” When it refers to the mind the term indicates that the mind is distinct from matter and nearly always dictates more than the reasoning faculty, but includes feelings, interest, and the will (Gn 23:8; Dt 18:6; 28:65; 2 Sm 17:8). In relation to spirit, mind gains much more emotional connotation (Gn 26:35; Prv 29:11). Other times it relates to the thoughts that come from a man’s mind (1 Sm 2:35; Ez 11:5; 20:32). Most often in the OT, the underlying conception of mind is that of the heart. The heart is often intended to include the entire inner man and thus often relates especially to the mind (Nm 16:28; 24:13). In these instances it relates primarily to the functions of will and memory (Is 46:8; 65:17; Jer 3:16).

The basic patterns of Hebrew reasoning continue in the Gospel accounts. The conception of mind appears quite rarely. When used, it is mostly in connection with the heart; for example, the imaginations of the heart (Lk 1:51). The only other occurrences of the word “mind” come in the statement of the great commandment: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind (cf. Mt 22:37; Mk 12:30; Lk 10:27). The Gospel writers are unanimous in their agreement that Jesus added “with all your mind” to Deuteronomy 6:5. In Mark, however, the questioner repeats the command of Jesus but with a word for understanding in place of the word for mind (Mk 12:33). In other places Jesus connects the processes of thinking with the heart (Mt 9:4). He makes the heart the source of the acts of a man (12:34).

With the writings of Paul one moves into the Greek world. Paul understood the mind as distinct from the spirit of man. It possesses the ability to understand and to reason (1 Cor 14:14–19); it is the seat of intelligence. In other places mind is used in a broader sense that includes the entire mental and moral process or state of being of a man (Rom 12:2; Eph 4:23). A man’s actions flow from the inclinations of his mind. Whether a man is good or evil depends on the state of his mind.

The state of a man depends upon what or who controls his mind. Romans 8:6, 7 speaks of a man’s mind being controlled either by the flesh or by the Spirit. The man whose mind is controlled by the flesh is evil. The mind controlled by the Spirit leads to good. Other passages refer to the inclination of a man’s mind being controlled by the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4). The temptation of Eve is pictured as a common experience of man, whereby the thoughts of a man are perverted (11:3). This in turn leads to the darkening or ignorance of the entire being and thus actions being controlled by the powers of evil within the world (Eph 4:17–19). A man’s ability to learn is connected to the condition of his mind. The man whose mind is controlled by the “god of this world” will have his mind darkened and will not be able to understand the world as it really is (2 Cor 3:14). It is as a veil over one’s understanding. On the other hand, Jesus opened the minds of the men who walked the Emmaus road with him so that they might understand the Scriptures (Lk 24:45).

The action of conversion is considered to be a “renewing of the mind” (Rom 12:2; Eph 4:23). In both cases the process is one whereby God takes control of the mind of a man through the Holy Spirit and leads the thoughts of that man into proper channels. Thus the new man is given power to make proper value judgments. He has a new mind with which to make spiritual discernments. He has the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:15, 16). Thus Paul can say that the new man serves God with his mind (Rom 7:25).

scripture Reference

Psalm 139:23–24 ASV 1901

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts; 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

Matthew 7:20–23 CCNTP:T

20 So it is from their fruit that you will know them. 21 Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter into the kingdom from the heavens, but only the one who does the will of My Father Who is in the heavens. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your Name, and didn’t we cast out demons in Your Name, and didn’t we do many miracles in Your Name?” 23 But I will declare publicly, “I never knew you; get out of here, you workers of lawlessness!”

Proverbs 16:3 CCNTP:T

3 Roll your works on Yahweh and your thoughts will succeed.

Isaiah 55:8 ASV 1901

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Jehovah.

Proverbs 4:23 CCNTP:T

23 Above all that you guard, guard your heart because it is the source of your life.

Romans 12:2 CCNTP:T

2 Don’t be conformed to the way of our modern age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may be able to determine what God’s good and pleasing and perfect will is.

Philippians 4:8 CCNTP:T

Psalm 139:1–2 ASV 1901

1 O Jehovah, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; Thou understandest my thought afar off.

Proverbs 21:2 CCNTP:T

2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but Yahweh weighs hearts.

Hebrews 4:12 CCNTP:T

12 God’s Word is alive and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating deeply enough to cut open soul and spirit and joints and marrow; it can judge the desires and thoughts of the heart.

1 Corinthians 1:10 CCNTP:T

10 Now I urge all of you brothers, by the Name of our Lord Jesus, to agree about what you say, so that there won’t be any divisions among you, but that you will be bound together by the same attitudes and opinions.

Proverbs 4:26 CCNTP:T

26 Consider the tracks of your feet and your ways will be established.

1 Corinthians 2:11 CCNTP:T

11 Who knows the thoughts of a person except the spirit of the person in him. So too no one knows God’s thoughts except God’s Spirit.

1 Corinthians 3:18 CCNTP:T

18 Stop kidding yourselves; whoever among you thinks that he is wise by modern standards, let him become a fool so that he may become wise.

1 Peter 1:13 CCNTP:T

13 Therefore, buckling the belts of your minds for action, keeping level-headed, set your hope entirely on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 6:25 CCNTP:T

25 Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t your life more than food and your body more than clothing?

Isaiah 55:7 ASV 1901

7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto Jehovah, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Romans 12:3 CCNTP:T

3 Now, by the grace given to me, I tell every one of you: Don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought to, but think soberly according to the measure of faith that God distributed to each of you.

Luke 12:22–23 CCNTP:T

22 Then He said to His disciples, I tell you, therefore, don’t worry about your life—what you are going to eat; nor about the body—what you are going to put on. 23 Life is more than food and the body is more than clothing.

Ephesians 3:20–21 CCNTP:T

20 Now to Him Who is able to do infinitely more than all that we ask or think, in keeping with the power that is working in us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Matthew 6:25 CCNTP:T

2 Corinthians 10:5 CCNTP:T

5 By them we tear down arguments and every high barrier that is raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive and bring it into obedience to Christ,

Hebrews 4:12 CCNTP:T

12 God’s Word is alive and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating deeply enough to cut open soul and spirit and joints and marrow; it can judge the desires and thoughts of the heart.

5 ways to Guard your Mind

1- TV Programs with Negative Content

2- Negative People

3- Don’t criticize others

4- Don’t Have Dwell Time with Negative People

5- Do something Creative

Understanding that sometime we do have to Vent, But Do not just dwell on it and keep talking about it with no

solution to the problem.

Law

In biblical contexts, law generally refers to the legal regulations connected to the Mosaic covenant and recorded in Genesis—Deuteronomy.

Concept Summary

The main Hebrew word for law is תּוֹרָה (tôrâ; e.g., Josh 22:5). Its common meaning in the OT is the Mosaic legislation as a whole, given by God to be obeyed by Israel, though at times tôrâ refers to individual commands or teachings. It includes what today are often called ceremonial, civil, and moral laws, but there is little indication in the Bible that these categories were recognized. Other words are employed for individual commands, especially מִצְוָה (miṣwâ, “commandment”; e.g., Lev 4:2) and חֹק (ḥōq, “enactment”; e.g., Deut 5:1), and these terms are used largely interchangeably (e.g., Deut 6:1–2; 2 Kgs 17:37; 1 Chr 16:14–18; Neh 9:13–14). In the Old Testament, both מִשְׁפָט (mišpāṭ, “judgment”; e.g., Exod 21:1) and דָּבָר (dābār, “word”; e.g., 1 Sam 15:1) can also mean “commandment” at times, but in these cases the terms do not differ much from miṣwâ. In Greek, the primary word for “law” is νόμος (nomos; e.g., Luke 2:22), which has numerous derivatives that are used in the NT. The word nomos is similar to ἔθος (ethos, “custom”; e.g., Acts 15:1), but ethos is typically a descriptive word while nomos is prescriptive. For individual commandments, ἐντολή (entolē; e.g., Matt 22:36) is used. The various legal words can also denote human orders or God’s control over creation and time. They are all exceedingly frequent: tôrâ, miṣwâ, ḥōq, and nomos all occur hundreds of times in the Bible.

Theological Overview

The law (תּוֹרָה, tôrâ), or torah, is arguably the centerpiece of Judaism. The delineation of the law dominates the Pentateuch (apart from Genesis), and for much of the Historical and Prophetic writings conformity to the law is the mark of righteousness, though different authors stress different commands. As is evident in the Ten Commandments (Exod 20:2; Deut 5:6), Israel’s orders to obey the law are grounded in God’s prior covenantal action on their behalf, bringing them out of Egypt. By and large, it is assumed that the law can be kept (Lev 18:5; Deut 30:11–14), with sacrifices provided as means of atonement; Jeremiah (Jer 31:31–34) and Ezekiel (Ezek 36:25–29) envision God’s Spirit as necessary for this task. In Psalm 1, the one who delights in the law (תּוֹרָה, tôrâ) is like a tree planted by water, and in Psa 19, God revealed in creation (Psa 19:1–6) is complemented by God revealed in the commandments (Psa 19:7–13). In Psalm 119, God’s law is praised under various names (for 176 verses) as the most excellent law. In fact, Mosaic law is thought to be so wise as to make Israel the envy of the peoples of the world (Deut 4:5–8). A distinguishable meaning comes in Proverbs, where tôrâ and its synonyms usually mean “teaching” in the sense of wise maxims evident from daily life. In general, then, Israelites and Jews have accepted the law as both gift and obligation.

The law’s place in Christianity is more complex. Even in the Gospels, Jesus did not come merely to “keep” the law but to “fulfill” it (Matt 5:17), though this adamantly does not mean “dispense with” (Matt 5:18–19). Especially in relation to the Sabbath, Jesus blatantly disregards many of the standards of his fellow Jews, focusing instead on the essential intent of the law (Mark 3:1–6)—the weightier matters of justice and mercy (Matt 23:23), with love of God and neighbor as the central commandments (ἐντολή, entolē; Mark 12:28–34). The debate about the law in early Christianity is most acute in Paul’s writings. This much is clear: The law (νόμος, nomos) is, per se, “holy, righteous, and good” (Rom 7:12) and retains some measure of revelatory and moral authority for Christians, but it is also weakened by flesh and thereby entangled with sin and death. Christ’s coming opens a new way of righteousness that is available to all, Jew and Gentile alike. Romans 10:4 serves as a case in point. Christ is the “end” (τέλος, telos) of the law for righteousness to all who believe, and telos can have the meaning of “goal,” “fulfillment,” or “termination.” The Christian’s relationship with the law has changed and is refocused on Christ (Rom 10:5–8) without the law wholly being scuttled (see Badenas, Christ the End). This leaves several points up for dispute, such as whether “works of the law (nomos)” are failed efforts to earn salvation or practices that divide Jews from other nations (Sabbath, kosher laws, circumcision), and whether Second-Temple Judaism can be called “legalistic” (and, if so, in what sense). The main two camps are traditional Protestants (e.g., Stephen Westerholm, Simon Gathercole) and the New Perspective on Paul (e.g., E. P. Sanders, James Dunn), but within these camps there is significant diversity. Similar questions about the law’s role can be seen elsewhere in the NT, as in Jas 2:14–26, but the words of Paul and Jesus provide the most fuel for the debate.

Lexical Information

Old Testament

תּוֹרָה (tôrâ). n. fem. law, statute, teaching; custom. In most of the OT, indicates the Mosaic law as a whole, but at other times means an individual commandment or teaching.

In Genesis through Numbers, tôrâ generally refers to specific statutes, mostly ritual (Lev 13:59; Num 6:13). In Exod 24:12, God refers to the tablets of the Ten Commandments as “the tablets of stone and the law (tôrâ) and the commandment (מִצְוָה, miṣwâ),” thus associating tôrâ and miṣwâ. In Leviticus 26:46, the whole Mosaic legislation is summed up as rules (חֹק, ḥōq) and regulations (מִשְׁפָט, mišpāṭ). In Deuteronomy, tôrâ begins to take precedence over other terms (e.g., Deut 1:5; 4:44–45) and refers to the written law (Deut 28:61; 31:26). This sense predominates the rest of the OT, with tôrâ becoming the default name for the Sinaitic covenant (Josh 1:7–8; 2 Kgs 22:8; Neh 8:1–18), including its elements of narrative and wisdom. The prophets are keenly aware of transgressions against God’s law (tôrâ; Jer 44:10; Dan 9:11; Amos 2:4). Sometimes tôrâ still designates an individual rule (2 Chr 19:10; Job 22:22) or ruling (Hag 2:11); on occasion tôrâ can mean “custom” (2 Sam 7:19). In Wisdom literature, tôrâ is usually a moral teaching (Psa 78:1; Prov 1:8; 3:1; 13:14). The Israelite tôrâ is celebrated as the greatest law (Deut 4:8), desired by the nations (Isa 42:4; Mic 4:2) and perfect (Psa 19:7), repaying study and devotion (Pss 1:2; 119:1, 18, 29, etc.). Thus, the loss of the law (tôrâ) spells utter desolation (Lam 2:9; Ezek 7:26).

צָוָה (ṣāwâ). vb. to command, charge; to ordain. The general word for commanding, typically used of divine orders but also used to indicate any form of “ordering” or “arranging.”

The verb ṣāwâ is extremely common in legal and narrative material to describe issuing specific commands. People can give commands (ṣāwâ), such as David’s final charge to Solomon (1 Kgs 2:1). More frequently, the ordering is God’s: He commands (ṣāwâ) Adam not to eat of the tree (Gen 2:16), Noah to build an ark (Gen 6:22), and Abraham to circumcise Isaac (Gen 21:4). God is described as commanding (ṣāwâ) many particular laws in Exodus through Deuteronomy; most of the time the act of commanding simply presumes God’s absolute authority, but sometimes a rationale is given (Deut 15:15; 28:1). At times the whole body of Mosaic law (1 Kgs 8:58; 2 Kgs 17:13; Pss 78:5) or covenants (1 Chr 16:15–18; Jer 7:23) are described as what God commanded (ṣāwâ). Orders are given not only to individuals, such as prophets (1 Kgs 13:9; Jer 1:7; Ezek 37:7), but also to nations (Isa 10:6), angels (Psa 91:11; Ezek 9:11), animals (1 Kgs 17:4; 2 Chr 7:13), inanimate matter (Job 38:12; Psa 78:23; Isa 45:12), and historical events (2 Sam 17:14; Lam 3:37; Amos 9:3–4). Here the meaning of ṣāwâ shades into “to ordain” and can also signify “to appoint” (1 Sam 25:30) or “to set in order” (2 Sam 17:23; 2 Kgs 20:1).

מִצְוָה (miṣwâ). n. fem. commandment, stipulation; teaching. Refers to something that has been commanded.

The noun miṣwâ is related to the verb צָוָה (ṣāwâ, “to command”). In many places, miṣwâ is almost a synonym of תּוֹרָה (tôrâ, “law”): together “the law (tôrâ) and the commandment (miṣwâ)” can refer to the whole law (Exod 24:12; 2 Chr 14:4). Like the law (tôrâ), the commandment (miṣwâ) garners praise (Psa 119:6, 10, 19, etc.), can indicate a moral guideline (Prov 2:1; 7:1–2; Eccl 8:5), and is used of human commands (2 Chr 8:15; Isa 29:13) or stipulations (Jer 32:11; Neh 10:32); Israel often violates God’s commands (miṣwâ; Isa 48:18; Dan 9:5) as they do his law (tôrâ). But whereas tôrâ comes to mean the whole law, miṣwâ is generally reserved for individual injunctions; hence the typical phrasing of “law (tôrâ)” in the singular and “commandments (miṣwâ)” in the plural (1 Kgs 2:3; 2 Kgs 17:13; Neh 9:14; but compare Neh 9:13, where both are plural). Later, this is more pronounced: “Torah” becomes the collective title for the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy, and there are traditionally said to be 613 מִצְוֹת (miṣwōt, “commandments”) recorded therein. After tôrâ, miṣwâ is the most important word for God’s legislation; hence the later Jewish coming-of-age celebration is called bar or bat mitzvah, “son or daughter of the commandment (miṣwâ).” The Old Testament assumes that the commandments (miṣwâ) can and should be kept (Lev 22:31; Deut 27:1; 30:11; Eccl 12:13), meriting God’s “abounding favor” (חֵסֵד, ḥēsēd) for those who do (Exod 20:6; Deut 5:10).

חֹק (ḥōq). n. masc. enactment, statute, decision; allotment, boundary. In its underlying meaning, indicates something prescribed, whether a rule or otherwise.

The word ḥōq overlaps most with other legal terminology when it indicates a divine enactment (Exod 12:24; Num 30:16; Psa 99:7), occasionally as a stand-in for the whole law (Lev 10:11) or covenant (Psa 50:16) or when it indicates a human mandate (Gen 47:26; Psa 94:20) or human provisions (Jer 32:11). God’s rules (ḥōq) are celebrated (e.g., Deut 4:6, 8; Pss 119:5, 8, 12), and when Israel breaks them, it is subject to judgment (Isa 24:5; Ezek 11:12; Amos 2:4). Often ḥōq more broadly signifies something prescribed, not necessarily a rule. So it can mean “allotment” (Prov 30:8), whether given by humans (Gen 47:22) or by God (Lev 10:13–15), or “boundary,” be it of time (Job 14:5, 13), number (Job 28:26), or extension (Job 38:10; Prov 8:29; Mic 7:11). In several instances, it is a prescribed custom (Judg 11:39; 2 Chr 35:25) or norm (1 Sam 30:25). It can mean God’s decisive work within history (Psa 2:4), the cosmos (Psa 148:6), or redemption (Jer 31:26). The related feminine noun חֻקָּה (ḥuqqâ, “statute”) is also common; there is no substantive difference in meaning.

פֶּה (pe). n. masc. mouth, edge; pronouncement. When פֶּה (pe) indicates that which is spoken by the mouth, it often takes on the nuance of “command.”

In general, pe means “mouth” or “edge.” It can also refer by extension to what is spoken by mouth; this can be more specifically “testimony” (Deut 17:6), “vow” (Jdg 11:35–36), or “speech” broadly (Psa 55:21; Eccl 5:2), but very often it is “command.” It can refer to both human (Gen 41:10; 45:21; Eccl 8:2) and divine (Lev 24:12; Num 3:39) commands; often the commandment comes from Yahweh through Moses (Num 9:23; Josh 22:9). For the most part, these injunctions apply to specific situations, but sometimes “the commandment (pe) of Yahweh” indicates the whole law (1 Sam 12:14–15). Even when pe refers to a specific and limited commandment of God, transgressing it can be harmful (Num 14:41; 20:24). In a few instances, pe has the sense of “control,” such as God’s control over history (2 Kgs 24:3) and nature (Prov 8:29) or soldiers being under another’s command (1 Chr 12:32).

פִקּוּד (piqqûd). n. masc. precept. Derives from the action of overseeing but is used in line with other legal words.

This word, also spelled פִקֻּד (piqqud), is found exclusively in the Psalter, mostly in Psa 119 (e.g., Psa 119:4). In every case it means “precept” (Pss 19:8; 103:18; 111:7). It is rare enough that it is difficult to distinguish its nuances from those of other legal words.

דָּת (dāt); Aram. דָּת (dāt). n. fem. decree, law. Usually describes political rather than religious laws, and generally for newly issued royal edicts rather than long-standing laws.

This is a loanword from Old Persian (dāta, “law”) and thus naturally occurs only in texts from the Persian period. It appears with the same form in both Hebrew and Aramaic. In Hebrew, it is used once in Ezra and elsewhere only in Esther, where it drives the plot. Most of the time, it indicates a royal decree (Ezra 8:36), such as finding a wife to replace Vashti (Esth 2:8), the order to kill the Jews (Esth 3:14–15), the rule of death for one approaching the king unbidden (Esth 4:11), and the order that saves the Jews (Esth 8:13–14). It can also mean law in the abstract (Esth 1:13) or the Jewish laws (as seen from the point of view of the Persians; Esth 3:8). In Aramaic, it often refers to the Jewish law from the point of view of the Persians (e.g., Ezra 7:12; Dan 6:4), as well as to royal laws (e.g., Ezra 7:26; Dan 6:15) and decrees (e.g., Dan 2:13).

New Testament

νόμος (nomos). n. masc. law, principle, custom. Can refer to the law of Moses as a text or as a system.

The word nomos is the usual Septuagint translation of תּוֹרָה (tôrâ, “law”) as well as of the much less frequent דָּת (dāt; both Hebrew and Aramaic). In the NT, it sometimes clearly refers to a set of writings (typically consisting of the books attributed to Moses) that stands alongside “the Prophets” (Matt 11:13; John 1:45; Acts 13:15; Rom 3:21) or “the Prophets and Psalms” (Luke 24:44); occasionally, the law (nomos) appears to refer to the whole OT, as in John 15:25, where a quotation from a psalm is attributed to the law (nomos). More often, the sense seems to be the legal system set up by the Mosaic covenant. In the Gospels, Mary and Joseph raise Jesus according to the law (nomo; Luke 2:22–24, 27, 39), and Jesus presents himself as fulfilling the law (nomos), not negating it (Matt 5:17–18). In the NT, nomos rarely, if ever, refers to a specific regulation.

ἐντολή (entolē). n. fem. commandment. Unlike nomos, entolē indicates a specific commandment, whether in the law or outside of it.

In the Septuagint, entolē is the usual translation of מִצְוָה (miṣwâ, “commandment”), as well as of the much less frequent פִקּוּד (piqqûd, “precept”). In the NT, nomos and entolē are sometimes roughly synonymous (Rom 7:12), but while nomos, like the Hebrew תּוֹרָה (tôrâ), is typically the “law” as a whole, entolē, like the Hebrew miṣwâ, indicates a specific commandment (Matt 5:18–19; Heb 9:19). In some cases the Ten Commandments are in view (Mark 10:19; Rom 13:9; Eph 6:2). Jesus declares loving God and loving neighbor to be the greatest commandments (entolē; Mark 12:28–31), and the writings attributed to the Apostle John frequently identify Jesus’ commandment (entolē) to his followers as the command to love one another (John 13:34; 15:10–13; 1 John 3:22–24; 2 John 4–6). Outside the Synoptic Gospels, entolē is not necessarily tied to Mosaic law but can indicate injunctions of all types (John 11:57; Acts 17:15; Col 4:10).

ἐντέλλομαι (entellomai). vb. to command, enjoin. This verb refers to commanding someone to do something and is used in the NT mostly to indicate the issuing of divine commands.

This verb is related to the noun ἐντολή (entolē, “commandment”) and means “to command.” It is the usual Septuagint translation of Hebrew צָוָה (ṣāwâ, “to command”). In the NT, it is sometimes used in reference to the issuing of OT commandments: God (Heb 9:20) and Moses (Matt 19:7; Mark 10:3; John 8:5) commanded (entellomai) specific things in the law of Moses, while Acts describes Isaiah’s prophecy that Jews be a light to Gentiles as something “the Lord has commanded (entellomai) us” (Acts 13:47). The verb is often used to indicate Jesus commanding (entellomai) his disciples (Matt 17:9; 28:20; Acts 1:2), and in the temptation narrative Satan quotes Psa 91:11 [Psa 90:11 LXX], where God commands (entellomai) his angels (Matt 4:6; Luke 4:10). In John’s Gospel, God commands (entellomai) Jesus (John 14:31), and Jesus in turn commands (entellomai) his disciples to love (John 15:14, 17). Only twice in the NT does entellomai take a subject other than God, Jesus, or Moses. It is used of a master commanding (entellomai) a doorkeeper (Mark 13:34) and of Joseph giving direction (entellomai) about his bones (Heb 11:22).

δικαίωμα (dikaiōma). n. neut. regulation, requirement, righteous deed. This word can refer either to legal requirements or to righteous deeds.

In the Septuagint, dikaiōma is sometimes used to translate several Hebrew words for commandments or regulations, including חֹק (ḥōq, “statute”) and both מִשְׁפָט (mišpāṭ, “judgment”). In the NT, it sometimes refers to the regulations of the law of Moses (e.g., Luke 1:6; Rom 2:26; Heb 9:1), while at other times it refers to righteous deeds (e.g., Rom 5:8; Rev 19:8).

νομικός (nomikos). adj. relating to or learned in the law. Although an adjective in form, the term mostly is used as a substantive meaning “lawyer,” particularly an expert in the Jewish law.

This word is related to nomos. In general nomikos is a term Luke uses to refer to the Jewish party specializing in the law (Luke 7:30; 10:25; 14:3); Matthew also uses it once in this sense (Matt 22:35). This group was also called “teachers of the law” (νομοδιδάσκαλος, nomodidaskalos; Luke 5:17; Acts 5:34), similar to Pharisees and scribes but not identical with them (Luke 11:37–54). The adjectival sense occurs in Titus 3:9, which directs Titus to avoid legal (nomikos) disputes, and a few verses later Zenas is called a lawyer (nomikos; Titus 3:13) with apparently no negative connotation.

νομιμῶς (nomimōs). adv. according to the law, lawfully. Describes an action as being done in proper accord with the law.

This word is related to (nomos. It is used with positive connotations to indicate “lawfully” or “in the proper way” (1 Tim 1:8; 2 Tim 2:5).

ἔννομος (ennomos). adj. legal, customary; within the law. In the NT, the sense is of a “regular” or “lawful” assembly and the jurisdiction of Mosaic Torah.

This word is related to nomos. It is used only twice in the NT. In Acts 19:39, it probably describes a “regular” or “customary” assembly, in contrast to one that is specially called. It is possible that ennomos means “lawful,” though, as opposed to a mob-like gathering. In 1 Corinthians 9:21 it has the sense of being “under the jurisdiction” (ennomos) of Christ, which is contrasted with being under the Mosaic law and with being lawless.

TIMOTHY A. GABRIELSON