Lexical Summary duskolos: Difficult, hard, troublesome Original Word: δυσκόλος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance difficultFrom dus- and kolon (food); properly, fastidious about eating (peevish), i.e. (genitive case) impracticable -- hard. see GREEK dus- HELPS Word-studies 1422 dýskolos (an adjective, derived from 1418 /dys-, "difficult" and kolon, "food") – properly, difficult (problematic) to digest; (figuratively) disagreeable, like when food "doesn't go down well." It is used only in Mk 10:24. Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1422: δύσκολοςδύσκολος, δύσκολόν (κόλον, food); 1. properly, hard to find agreeable food for, fastidious about food. 2. difficult to please, always finding fault; (Euripides, Aristophanes, Xenophon, Plato, others). 3. universally, difficult (Xenophon, oec. 15, 10 ἡ γεωργία δύσκολος ἐστι μαθεῖν): πῶς δύσκολόν ἐστι, followed by an accusative with an infinitive, Mark 10:24. Strong’s Greek 1422 signifies that which is “hard, difficult, troublesome.” While the term occurs only once in the Greek New Testament, its single appearance carries rich theological and pastoral weight by underscoring the impossibility of self-attained salvation and the absolute necessity of divine grace. Biblical Occurrence: Mark 10:24 Mark 10 narrates the encounter between Jesus and the wealthy ruler. After the young man departs, disheartened by Jesus’ call to relinquish his possessions, the Lord turns to His disciples: “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:24). Here the word translated “hard” is the lone New Testament use of 1422. In the next verse Jesus reinforces the statement with the eye-of-a-needle metaphor (Mark 10:25), intensifying the sense of impossibility apart from God’s intervention. Context within Mark 10 1. The immediate setting contrasts childlike dependence (Mark 10:13-16) with the self-reliance of the wealthy ruler (Mark 10:17-22). Connections with Old Testament Thought Old Testament wisdom literature often links wealth to temptation and misplaced confidence (Proverbs 11:28; Psalm 52:7). The prophetic tradition echoes the same caution (Jeremiah 9:23-24). Mark 10:24 stands in continuity with these texts, exposing the spiritual hindrance posed by self-sufficiency. Theological Emphasis on Human Inability and Divine Grace 1. Human inability: The word 1422 expresses an obstacle so great that natural resources cannot overcome it (cf. Romans 3:10-12). Historical and Cultural Background In first-century Judaism, wealth was frequently viewed as evidence of divine favor. Jesus upends that assumption, asserting that riches can create a unique spiritual encumbrance. The Greek term was also used in wider Hellenistic literature for people who were “hard to please” or “intractable,” suggesting a heart condition resistant to external aid—a fitting picture of the unregenerate soul. Ministry and Discipleship Implications 1. Call to surrender: Discipleship demands open-handed stewardship, not clinging to possessions or status. Related Passages on Difficulty and Salvation • Matthew 19:23-26 parallels Mark’s account, emphasizing the same tension between human difficulty and divine possibility. Homiletical Suggestions • Illustrate with testimonies of individuals who exchanged worldly security for kingdom treasure. Summary Strong’s 1422, though rare in Scripture, serves as a strategic spotlight on the human incapacity to attain salvation. Mark 10:24 uses the term to dismantle the illusion of merit, expose the insufficiency of wealth, and direct every seeker to the grace that alone opens the gates of God’s kingdom. |
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