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Biblical Perspective on Having a Good Heart

In biblical thought, the "heart" is not merely an organ but the core of human existence, encompassing spiritual activity, intellect, emotions, and will [6, 10]. A "good heart" therefore signifies a person's inner disposition and moral character, reflecting their alignment with God's will and their conduct in the world.

The Old Testament frequently emphasizes the heart as the seat of one's true self. Proverbs highlights the practical implications of a good heart, noting that "a glad heart makes a cheerful face" and "a cheerful heart makes good medicine" [1, 3]. Conversely, an "aching heart breaks the spirit" [1]. The book of Proverbs also connects a good heart with virtues like mercy and faithfulness, advising that these qualities should be "recorded on your heart" [4, 9]. Deuteronomy warns against a heart that becomes proud, which can lead to deviation from God's path [2]. God is depicted as one who "tries," "knows," and "searches" the heart, understanding its thoughts and intentions [7].

The concept of a good heart is not merely about natural inclination but often involves divine intervention. The Psalmist prays, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10) [10]. This reflects an understanding that a truly good heart is a renewed heart, prepared to seek God and fixed on Him [5]. Such a heart is described as perfect with God, upright, clean, pure, tender, and sincere [5, 8]. It is characterized by obedience, filled with God's law, and awed by His word [5]. The prophet Jeremiah speaks of God giving "an heart to know me" (Jeremiah 24:7) [10], indicating that the capacity for spiritual knowledge and devotion originates from God.

Rabbinic tradition, as seen in the Mishnah, also values a "good heart" as the most desirable quality. When Rabban Yohanan asked his disciples to identify the "right way to which a man should cleave," Rabbi Elazar ben Arach responded, "a good heart." Rabban Yohanan affirmed this, stating that "in his words your words are included," suggesting that a good heart encompasses other virtues like a good eye, a good companion, and foresight [12].

The New Testament continues this emphasis. Jesus speaks of a "good man, out of the good treasure of the heart," bringing forth good things (Matthew 12:30) [14]. Luke's Gospel describes those who hear the word of God and "hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience" (Luke 8:15) [5]. The Apostle Paul speaks of the heart being enlightened by God [7]. The patristic writer Augustine, in his anti-Pelagian writings, discusses God's ability to convert "perverse and opposed" wills, removing hardness from the heart [13]. He also acknowledges that while God alone is perfectly good, humans can be called "good" in a derivative sense, even if they are still "evil" in comparison to God's absolute goodness [11].

A good heart, in the biblical view, is not a static state but an active disposition. It is a heart that is prepared for God, given to God, and made perfect with God [7]. It influences one's actions, speech, and walk, leading to uprightness in all aspects of life [8]. The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs encourages showing compassion and mercy "with a good heart" to all people, even when one lacks material means to give [15]. This demonstrates that the goodness of the heart is expressed through benevolent actions and attitudes.

Sources

  1. Proverbs “A glad heart makes a cheerful face; but an aching heart breaks the spirit. -- Proverbs 15:13”
  2. Deuteronomy “Nec elevetur cor ejus in superbiam super fratres suos, neque declinet in partem dexteram vel sinistram, ut longo tempore regnet ipse et filii ejus super Israël. -- Deuteronomy 17:20”
  3. Proverbs “A cheerful heart makes good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. -- Proverbs 17:22”
  4. Proverbs “Proverbs 3:3 (BBE) — Let not mercy and good faith go from you; let them be hanging round your neck, recorded on your heart;”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Heart, Character of the Renewed — Prepared to seek God -- 2Ch 19:3; Ezr 7:10; Ps 10:17. Fixed on God -- Ps 57:7; 112:7. Joyful in God -- 1Sa 2:1; Zec 10:7. Perfect with God -- 1Ki 8:61; Ps 101:2. Upright -- Ps 97:11; 125:4. Clean -- Ps 73:1. Pure -- Ps 24:4; Mt 5:8. Tender -- 1Sa 24:5; 2Ki 22:19. Single and sincere -- Ac 2:46; Heb 10:22. Honest and good -- Lu 8:15. Broken, contrite -- Ps 34:18; 51:17. Obedient -- Ps 119:112; Ro 6:17. Filled with the law of God -- Ps 40:8; 119:11. Awed by the word of God -- Ps 119:161. Filled with the fear of God -- Jer 32:40. Meditat”
  6. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Heart — According to the Bible, the heart is the centre not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life. "Heart" and "soul" are often used interchangeably (Deut. 6:5; 26:16; comp. Matt. 22:37; Mark 12:30, 33), but this is not generally the case. The heart is the "home of the personal life," and hence a man is designated, according to his heart, wise (1 Kings 3:12, etc.), pure (Ps. 24:4; Matt. 5:8, etc.), upright and righteous (Gen. 20:5, 6; Ps. 11:2; 78:72), pious and good (Luke 8:15), etc. In these and such passages the word "soul" could not ”
  7. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Heart, The — Issues of life are out of -- Pr 4:23. God Tries. -- 1Ch 29:17; Jer 12:3. Knows. -- Ps 44:21; Jer 20:12. Searched. -- 1Ch 28:9; Jer 17:10. Understands the thoughts of. -- 1Ch 28:9; Ps 139:2. Ponders. -- Pr 21:2; 24:12. Influences. -- 1Sa 10:26; Ezr 6:22; 7:27; Pr 21:1; Jer 20:9. Creates a new. -- Ps 51:10; Eze 36:26. Prepares. -- 1Ch 29:18; Pr 16:1. Opens. -- Ac 16:14. Enlightens. -- 2Co 4:6; Eph 1:18. Strengthens. -- Ps 27:14. Establishes. -- Ps 112:8; 1Th 3:13. Should be Prepared to God. -- 1Sa 7:3. Given to God. -- Pr 23:26. Perfect with God. -- 1Ki 8:”
  8. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Uprightness — God is perfect in -- Isa 26:7. God has pleasure in -- 1Ch 29:17. God created man in -- Ec 7:29. Man has deviated from -- Ec 7:29. Should be in Heart. -- 2Ch 29:34; Ps 125:4. Speech. -- Isa 33:15. Walk. -- Pr 14:2. Judging. -- Ps 58:1; 75:2. Ruling. -- Ps 78:72. The being kept from presumptuous sins is necessary to -- Ps 19:13. With poverty, is better than sin with riches -- Pr 28:6. With poverty, is better than folly -- Pr 19:1. They who walk in Fear God. -- Pr 14:2. Love Christ. -- Song 1:4. Countenanced by God. -- Ps 11:7. Delighted in by God. -- Pr 1”
  9. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Mercy — After the example of God -- Lu 6:36. Enjoined -- 2Ki 6:21-23; Ho 12:6; Ro 12:20,21; Col 3:12. To be engraved on the heart -- Pr 3:3. Characteristic of saints -- Ps 37:26; Isa 57:1. Should be shown With cheerfulness. -- Ro 12:8. To our brethren. -- Zec 7:9. to those that are in distress. -- Lu 10:37. To the poor. -- Pr 14:31; Da 4:27. To backsliders. -- Lu 15:18-20; 2Co 2:6-8. To animals. -- Pr 12:10. Upholds the throne of kings -- Pr 20:28. Beneficial to those who exercise -- Pr 11:17. Blessedness of showing -- Pr 14:21; Mt 5:7. Hypocrites devoid of -- Mt 23:”
  10. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 140: do them.” Jeremiah xxiv. 7 , “I will give them an heart to know me. The Psalmist prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” ( Ps. li. 10 .) It is admitted that the word heart, like all other familiar terms, is used in different senses in the Scriptures. It often means the whole soul; as when mention is made of the eyes, the thoughts, and the intentions of the heart. It very frequently means the feelings or affections, or is used collectively for them all, or for the seat of the feelings. A cold, hard”
  11. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. XIV. (32.) THE FOURTH PASSAGE. IN WHAT SENSE GOD ONLY IS GOOD. WITH GOD TO BE GOOD AND TO BE HIMSELF ARE THE SAME THING. (part 2): heaven give good things to them that ask Him ?"[6] Of course, by applying to them the words, "your Father," He proved that they were already sons of God; and yet at the same time He did not hesitate to say that they were "evil." Your author, however, does not explain to us how they are good, whilst yet "there is none good save one, that is, God." Accordingly the man who asked "what good thing he was to do,"[7] was admo”
  12. Mishnah (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Mishnah, Mishnah Avot 2:9: He [Rabban Yohanan] said unto them: go forth and observe which is the right way to which a man should cleave? Rabbi Eliezer said, a good eye; Rabbi Joshua said, a good companion; Rabbi Yose said, a good neighbor; Rabbi Shimon said, foresight. Rabbi Elazar said, a good heart. He [Rabban Yohanan] said to them: I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach, for in his words your words are included. He [Rabban Yohanan] said unto them: go forth and observe which is the evil way which a man should shun? Rabbi Eliezer said, an evil eye; Rabbi Joshua said, an evil companion; Rabbi ”
  13. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. 29. -- GOD IS ABLE TO CONVERT OPPOSING WILLS, AND TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE HEART ITS HARDNESS.: Now if faith is simply of free will, and is not given by God, why do we pray for those who will not believe, that they may believe ? This it would be absolutely useless to do, unless we believe, with perfect propriety, that Almighty God is able to turn to belief wills that are perverse and opposed to faith. Man's free will is addressed when it is said, "Today, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts."[9] But if God were not able to remove from th”
  14. Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 12:30: A good man, out of the good treasure of the heart,.... "A good man", is a regenerated man, one that is renewed by the Spirit of God, a believer in Christ, a sincere lover of him, and one that follows him, wheresoever he goes, and who has the grace of God implanted in him: for "the good treasure the heart", is not what he is naturally possessed of, but what is put into him: and is no other than the superabundant grace of God, or that grace for grace, which he has received out of Christ's fulness, and the rich experience of it he is blessed with: and may well be calle”
  15. Introduction “Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, Introduction, section 37: winter I kept sheep with my brethren. 7 1 [Now I will declare unto you what I did. I saw a man in distress through nakedness in winter time, and had compassion upon him, and stole away a garment secretly from my father's house, and 2 gave it to him who was in distress. Do you, therefore, my children, from that which God bestoweth upon you, show compassion and mercy without hesitation to all men, and give to every man with 3 a good heart. And if ye have not the wherewithal to give to him that needeth, have compassion for 4 him in bow”
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