Jeremiah 17:10

17:10 I, the Lord, probe into people’s minds.

I examine people’s hearts. ¹ 

I deal with each person according to how he has behaved.

I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.

Psalms 7:9

7:9 May the evil deeds of the wicked ²  come to an end! ³ 

But make the innocent ⁴  secure, ⁵ 

O righteous God,

you who examine ⁶  inner thoughts and motives! ⁷ 

Psalms 11:5

11:5 The Lord approves of ⁸  the godly, ⁹ 

but he ¹⁰  hates ¹¹  the wicked and those who love to do violence. ¹² 

Psalms 17:3

17:3 You have scrutinized my inner motives; ¹³ 

you have examined me during the night. ¹⁴ 

You have carefully evaluated me, but you find no sin.

I am determined I will say nothing sinful. ¹⁵ 

Psalms 26:2-3

26:2 Examine me, O Lord, and test me!

Evaluate my inner thoughts and motives! ¹⁶ 

26:3 For I am ever aware of your faithfulness, ¹⁷ 

and your loyalty continually motivates me. ¹⁸ 

Psalms 139:23

139:23 Examine me, and probe my thoughts! ¹⁹ 

Test me, and know my concerns! ²⁰ 

Revelation 2:23

2:23 Furthermore, I will strike her followers ²¹  with a deadly disease, ²²  and then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts. I will repay ²³  each one of you ²⁴  what your deeds deserve. ²⁵ 

[17:10]  ¹ tn The term rendered “mind” here and in the previous verse is actually the Hebrew word for “heart.” However, in combination with the word rendered “heart” in the next line, which is the Hebrew for “kidneys,” it is best rendered “mind” because the “heart” was considered the center of intellect, conscience, and will and the “kidneys” the center of emotions.

[7:9]  ² tn In the psalms the Hebrew term רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked”) describes people who are proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and his people.

[7:9]  ³ tn The prefixed verbal form is a jussive, expressing an imprecation here.

[7:9]  ⁴ tn Or “the godly” (see Ps 5:12). The singular form is collective (see the plural “upright in heart” in v. 10), though it may reflect the personal focus of the psalmist in this context.

[7:9]  ⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form expresses the psalmist’s prayer or wish.

[7:9]  ⁶ tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 11:4; 26:2; 139:23.

[7:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “and [the one who] tests hearts and kidneys, just God.” The translation inverts the word order to improve the English style. The heart and kidneys were viewed as the seat of one’s volition, conscience, and moral character.

[11:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “examines,” the same verb used in v. 4b. But here it is used in a metonymic sense of “examine and approve” (see Jer 20:12).

[11:5]  ⁹ tn The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense. Note the plural form “pure (of heart)” in v. 2.

[11:5]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “his [very] being.” A נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being, soul”) is also attributed to the Lord in Isa 1:14, where a suffixed form of the noun appears as the subject of the verb “hate.” Both there and here the term is used of the seat of one’s emotions and passions.

[11:5]  ¹¹ sn He hates the wicked. The Lord “hates” the wicked in the sense that he despises their wicked character and deeds, and actively opposes and judges them for their wickedness. See Ps 5:5.

[11:5]  ¹² tn Heb “the wicked [one] and the lover of violence.” The singular form is used here in a collective or representative sense. Note the plural form רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked [ones]”) in vv. 2 and 6.

[17:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “you tested my heart.”

[17:3]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “you visited [at] night.”

[17:3]  ¹⁵ tc Heb “you tested me, you do not find, I plan, my mouth will not cross over.” The Hebrew verbal form זַמֹּתִי (zammotiy) is a Qal perfect, first person singular from the root זָמַם (zamam, “plan, plan evil”). Some emend the form to a suffixed form of the noun, זִמָּתִי (zimmatiy, “my plan/evil plan”), and take it as the object of the preceding verb “find.” However, the suffix seems odd, since the psalmist is denying that he has any wrong thoughts. If one takes the form with what precedes, it might make better sense to read זִמּוֹת (zimmot, “evil plans”). However, this emendation leaves an unclear connection with the next line. The present translation maintains the verbal form found in the MT and understands it in a neutral sense, “I have decided” (see Jer 4:28). The words “my mouth will not cross over” (i.e., “transgress, sin”) can then be taken as a noun clause functioning as the object of the verb.

[26:2]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “evaluate my kidneys and my heart.” The kidneys and heart were viewed as the seat of one’s volition, conscience, and moral character.

[26:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “for your faithfulness [is] before my eyes.”

[26:3]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and I walk about in your loyalty.”

[139:23]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and know my heart.”

[139:23]  ²⁰ tn The Hebrew noun שַׂרְעַפַּי (sar’apay, “concerns”) is used of “worries” in Ps 94:19.

[2:23]  ²¹ tn Grk “her children,” but in this context a reference to this woman’s followers or disciples is more likely meant.

[2:23]  ²² tn Grk “I will kill with death.” θάνατος (qanatos) can in particular contexts refer to a manner of death, specifically a contagious disease (see BDAG 443 s.v. 3; L&N 23.158).

[2:23]  ²³ tn Grk “I will give.” The sense of δίδωμι (didwmi) in this context is more “repay” than “give.”

[2:23]  ²⁴ sn This pronoun and the following one are plural in the Greek text.

[2:23]  ²⁵ tn Grk “each one of you according to your works.”