4642. skléros
Lexicon
skléros: Hard, harsh, difficult, severe

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.

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

HELPS Word-studies

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

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

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
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; 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.; .

Topical Lexicon
Word Origin: Derived from the Greek root σκληρ- (sklēr-), meaning "hard" or "harsh."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The Greek word σκληρός does not have a direct one-to-one equivalent in Hebrew, but it can be conceptually related to several Hebrew words that convey hardness or stubbornness, such as:
קָשֶׁה (qashah)Strong's Hebrew 7185, meaning "hard" or "stiff," often used to describe a stubborn or obstinate attitude.
קָשֶׁה (qasheh)Strong's Hebrew 7186, meaning "hard" or "difficult," used in various contexts to describe physical or metaphorical hardness.

These Hebrew terms reflect similar themes of resistance, difficulty, and harshness found in the Greek usage of σκληρός.

Usage: The word σκληρός appears in various contexts in the New Testament, often describing the hardness of heart or the harshness of certain teachings or sayings. It is used to convey the idea of something being tough to accept or endure.

Context: Physical Hardness: In its literal sense, σκληρός can describe something that is physically hard or unyielding. This usage is less common in the New Testament but provides the foundational meaning of the word.

Metaphorical Hardness: More frequently, σκληρός is used metaphorically to describe attitudes or responses. For example, in John 6:60, the disciples refer to Jesus' teaching as a "hard saying" (σκληρός), indicating that it is difficult to understand or accept: "On hearing it, many of His disciples said, 'This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?'" (BSB).

Hardness of Heart: The term is also used to describe a spiritual or moral hardness, often in the context of a hardened heart that resists God's message or commands. In Acts 26:14, Paul recounts his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, where Jesus says, "It is hard for you to kick against the goads." Here, σκληρός conveys the futility and difficulty of resisting divine will.

Harshness in Speech or Action: σκληρός can also describe harshness in speech or behavior, as seen in Matthew 25:24, where the servant describes his master as a "hard man": "Then the servant who had received one talent came and said, 'Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.'" (BSB).

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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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 25:24 Adj-NMS
GRK: σε ὅτι σκληρὸς εἶ ἄνθρωπος
NAS: I knew you to be a hard man,
KJV: that thou art an hard man, reaping
INT: you that hard you are a man

John 6:60 Adj-NMS
GRK: αὐτοῦ εἶπαν Σκληρός ἐστιν ὁ
NAS: This is a difficult statement;
KJV: This is an hard saying; who
INT: of him said Hard is the

Acts 9:5 Adj-NNS
GRK: σὺ διώκεις σκληρόν σοι πρὸς
KJV: persecutest: [it is] hard for thee
INT: you persecute [It is] hard for you against

Acts 26:14 Adj-NNS
GRK: με διώκεις σκληρόν σοι πρὸς
NAS: are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick
KJV: me? [it is] hard for thee
INT: me persecute you [it is] hard for you against

James 3:4 Adj-GMP
GRK: ὑπὸ ἀνέμων σκληρῶν ἐλαυνόμενα μετάγεται
NAS: and are driven by strong winds,
KJV: of fierce winds,
INT: by winds strong being driven are turned about

Jude 1:15 Adj-GNP
GRK: πάντων τῶν σκληρῶν ὧν ἐλάλησαν
NAS: and of all the harsh things which
KJV: all their hard [speeches] which
INT: all the hard [things] which spoke

Strong's Greek 4642
6 Occurrences


σκληρῶν — 2 Occ.
σκληρόν — 2 Occ.
σκληρὸς — 2 Occ.















4641
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