This Aramaic form bal (בַּל) means 'heart' or 'mind,' appearing in the book of Daniel. It is the Aramaic equivalent of the Hebrew lev (H3820) and describes the seat of thought, will, and intent. In Daniel 6:14, it describes how Darius 'set his heart' to rescue Daniel — an inner determination or fixed resolve. The Aramaic bal reminds readers that the heart as the center of one's being is a pan-Semitic concept.
Daniel's use of Aramaic sections (chapters 2-7) reflects the bilingual reality of the Diaspora — God's people embedded in an empire that spoke Aramaic. Yet the vocabulary of the heart remains consistent across languages: whether Hebrew lev or Aramaic bal, Scripture is consistent that what a person truly is flows from within. The heart set on God's purposes (like Darius setting his heart to save Daniel) stands in contrast to hearts set on self-preservation and pride (like the conspirators who plotted Daniel's death).