"dry, hard to the touch; met. harsh, severe, stern, Mt. 25:24; vehement, violent, fierce, Jas. 3:4; grievous, painful, Acts 26:14; grating to the mind, repulsive, offensive, Jn. 6:60; stubborn, resistance to authority, Jude 15*"
Definition and meaning
dry, hard to the touch; met. harsh, severe, stern, Mt. 25:24; vehement, violent, fierce, Jas. 3:4; grievous, painful, Acts 26:14; grating to the mind, repulsive, offensive, Jn. 6:60; stubborn, resistance to authority, Jude 15*
In the original Greek the word is written: σκληρός
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of skleros (G4642) across the King James Bible.
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
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Common questions
Strong's G4642 (skleros) is a Greek word that means: dry, hard to the touch; met. harsh, severe, stern, Mt. 25:24; vehement, violent, fierce, Jas. 3:4; grievous, painful, Acts 26:14; grating to the mind, repulsive, offensive, Jn. 6:60; stubborn, resista... It appears 6 times in the King James Bible.
The word skleros (G4642) appears 6 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G4642 is skleros, a Greek word defined as: dry, hard to the touch; met. harsh, severe, stern, Mt. 25:24; vehement, violent, fierce, Jas. 3:4; grievous, painful, Acts 26:14; grating to the mind,. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
skleros is a Greek word found in the New Testament.