Original Word: σκληρός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: skléros
Pronunciation: sklā-ros'
Phonetic Spelling: (sklay-ros')
Definition: Hard, harsh, difficult, severe
Meaning: hard, violent, harsh, stern.

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek root "sklēroō," meaning "to harden."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - Strong's Hebrew 7185 (qashah): Meaning "to be hard, severe, or difficult."

- Strong's Hebrew 2389 (chazaq): Meaning "strong, firm, or hard."

Usage: The Greek adjective "skléros" is used to describe something that is hard or harsh in nature. It can refer to physical hardness, such as a hard surface, or metaphorically to describe a difficult or severe situation, attitude, or speech. In the New Testament, it often conveys a sense of stubbornness or inflexibility, particularly in spiritual or moral contexts.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the Greco-Roman world, the concept of hardness was often associated with strength and resilience, but also with inflexibility and harshness. In the biblical context, "skléros" is used to describe the hardness of heart that resists God's will or truth. This reflects a common biblical theme where a hardened heart is seen as a barrier to spiritual understanding and repentance.

4642 sklērós – properly, hard (because dried out); (figuratively) stiff, stubborn (unyielding) describing people who "won't budge" (bend, submit), or what is unyieldingly harsh.

Word Origin
from skelló (to dry)
Definition
hard, rough
NASB Translation
difficult (1), hard (2), harsh things (1), strong (1).

STRONGS NT 4642: σκληρός

σκληρός, σκληρά, σκληρόν (σκέλλω, σκληναι, (to dry up, be dry)), from (Hesiod, Theognis), Pindar, Aeschylus down; the Sept. for קָשֶׁה, hard, harsh, rough, stiff (τά σκληρά καί τά μαλακά, Xen) mem. 3, 10, 1); of men, metaphorically, harsh, stern, hard: Matthew 25:24 (1 Samuel 25:3; Isaiah 19:4; Isaiah 48:4; many examples from secular authors are given by Passow, under the word, 2 b.; (Liddell and Scott, under the word, II. 2; especially Trench, § xiv.)); of things: ἄνεμος, violent, rough, James 3:4; ὁ λόγος, offensive and intolerable, John 6:60, equivalent to ὅς σκανδαλίζει, 61; σκληρά λαλεῖν κατά τίνος, to speak hard and bitter things against one, Jude 1:15 (σκληρά λαλεῖν τίνι is also used of one who speaks roughly, Genesis 42:7, 30; ἀποκρίνεσθαι σκληρά, to reply with threats, 1 Kings 12:13); σκληρόν ἐστι followed by an infinitive, it is dangerous, turns out badly (A. V. it is hard), Acts 9:5 Rec.; .

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

fierce, hard.

From the base of skelos; dry, i.e. Hard or tough (figuratively, harsh, severe) -- fierce, hard.

see GREEK skelos

Forms and Transliterations

σκληρά σκληράς σκληροί σκληροίς σκληρον σκληρόν Σκληρος Σκληρός σκληρὸς σκληρότεροί σκληρώ σκληρων σκληρών σκληρῶν skleron sklerón sklerôn sklēron sklērón sklērōn sklērō̂n Skleros Sklerós skleròs Sklēros Sklērós sklēròs

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