Lexical Summary pórósis: Hardening, callousness Original Word: πώρωσις Strong's Exhaustive Concordance callousness, blindness, hardness. From poroo; stupidity or callousness -- blindness, hardness. see GREEK poroo HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 4457 pṓrōsis – hardness (from "pōros, a kind of marble, used later of a callus formed on fractured bones); (figuratively) callousness or hardness in general" (WS, 97); "originally petrifaction, hardness and then the result of this, i.e. metaphorically applied to organs of feeling, meaning insensibility, numbness, obtuseness, dulling of the faculty of perception, deadness" (Souter). See 4456 (pōroō). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom póroó Definition a covering with a callous, fig. blindness NASB Translation hardening (1), hardness (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4457: πώρωσιςπώρωσις, πωρωσεως, ἡ (πωρόω, which see), properly, the covering with a callus; tropically, obtuseness of mental discernment, dulled perception: γέγονε τίνι, the mind of one has been blunted (R. V. a hardening hath befallen), Romans 11:25; τῆς καρδίας (hardening of heart), of stubbornness, obduracy, Mark 3:5; Ephesians 4:18. ((Hippocrates)) Topical Lexicon Term and Concept Strong’s Greek 4457 (pōrōsis) denotes a moral and spiritual callousness––a state in which the inner person becomes insensitive to God’s self-disclosure. The word pictures the calcification of bone or the thickening of skin, applied metaphorically to the heart and mind that no longer respond to truth. Biblical Occurrences 1. Mark 3:5 – the religious elite exhibit “hardness of heart,” provoking Jesus’ grief and righteous anger. Theological Significance Pōrōsis describes not mere intellectual ignorance but a culpable resistance to divine revelation. Scripture presents it as both: Thus, the term safeguards two complementary truths: God remains sovereign in the outworking of redemptive history, and humans remain responsible for rejecting or receiving His Word. Relationship to Old Testament Themes The motif of a hardened heart traces back to Pharaoh (Exodus 4–14) and Israel in the wilderness (Psalm 95:8). Isaiah foretold a nation that would “keep on hearing, but not understand” (Isaiah 6:9-10), a prophecy Jesus applies to His contemporaries (Matthew 13:14-15). Pōrōsis continues this trajectory in the New Testament, showing continuity between the Testaments while highlighting the climactic revelation in Christ. Christological Implications Mark 3:5 contrasts human hardness with the compassion of the Messiah. The same Lord who judges hardness also offers restoration: “Stretch out your hand.” The miracle demonstrates that divine grace can penetrate even the most calloused heart, foreshadowing the gospel’s power to regenerate (Titus 3:5). Redemptive-Historical Perspective Romans 11:25 situates pōrōsis within God’s unfolding plan. Israel’s present “partial hardening” serves a missionary purpose: the salvation of the Gentiles and, ultimately, the provocation of Israel to faith (Romans 11:11-12, 26). The term therefore frames history as purposeful, hopeful, and moving toward the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises. Pastoral and Ministry Applications • Preaching: The doctrine of hardness warns against complacency under the means of grace. Persistent rejection of truth can render one irreceptive to future light. Historical Reception Early church writers saw Israel’s hardness as temporary and instructive. Augustine argued that Israel carries the Scriptures to the nations “as a letter-carrier,” even while many remain unbelieving, until God’s appointed time. The Reformers applied the concept to nominal Christianity, warning that outward privilege without inward renewal leads to hardened ritualism. Practical Summary Strong’s 4457 underscores the peril of resisting God’s light and the mercy that can overcome such resistance. It calls the church to humble gratitude for illumination received, earnest prayer for those still hardened, and steadfast confidence that the gospel remains “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). Forms and Transliterations πωρωσει πωρώσει πωρωσιν πώρωσιν πωρωσις πώρωσις porosei porṓsei pōrōsei pōrṓsei porosin pōrōsin pṓrosin pṓrōsin porosis pōrōsis pṓrosis pṓrōsisLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Mark 3:5 N-DFSGRK: ἐπὶ τῇ πωρώσει τῆς καρδίας NAS: grieved at their hardness of heart, KJV: for the hardness of their INT: at the hardness of the heart Romans 11:25 N-NFS Ephesians 4:18 N-AFS Strong's Greek 4457 |
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