σκληρότης (sklērotēs)
sklērotēs
hardness
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun sklerotēs describes a state of hardness, specifically referring to stubbornness or perverseness in a moral sense. In the New Testament, it appears only once, in Romans 2:5, where Paul uses it to characterize the attitude of those who store up wrath for themselves through their own stubbornness.
This word derives from skleros, meaning hard or rough, and carries the metaphorical weight of a heart that has become unyielding. The sources note its use in the Septuagint, such as Deuteronomy 9:27, where it translates the Hebrew qeshi, describing the Israelites’ stiff-necked resistance to God. Here, it signifies a deliberate refusal to respond to divine kindness.
Translators typically render sklerotēs as "stubbornness" or "hardness of heart." This captures the theological idea that such hardness is not merely an intellectual disagreement but a willful obstinacy that resists repentance. The term highlights the danger of allowing one’s heart to become calloused against God’s patience.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sklerotēs describes a heart that has become stiff and unyielding, much like dried clay that refuses to be reshaped. In Romans 2:5, Paul uses this term to warn against storing up wrath through stubbornness. It is not just a momentary doubt but a deliberate resistance to God’s kindness. This hardness blocks the path of repentance and keeps us from receiving the grace offered to us.
Recognizing this tendency in ourselves is the first step toward healing. When we feel resistant to correction or slow to forgive, we can acknowledge that our hearts may be growing callous. The good news is that God’s patience is not a license for stubbornness but an invitation to soften. We are called to remain teachable and open to His gentle leading.
Let us pray for a heart that remains pliable in the hands of the Creator. By staying attentive to Scripture and community, we can guard against the slow hardening of spirit. This awareness helps us respond quickly to God’s love rather than resisting it. May we find freedom in yielding to His will.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- hardness1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- σκληρότητά1×
Key Verses
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Romans 2:5
But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God,
This verse explicitly links hardness of heart with the act of treasuring up wrath, showing that stubbornness is a choice with eternal consequences.