πωρόω
pōroō
to harden
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Greek word πωρόω (pōroō) is found five times in the Bible and means "to harden." This verb implies a process of making something or someone rigid, inflexible, and unyielding. The hardness may be physical, but it often pertains to one's heart or spirit, rendering them impervious to reason, conviction, or persuasion. In terms of usage, πωρόω appears in various contexts, often in conjunction with other action verbs that describe the state of being hardened. This suggests that πωρόω may not be a standalone action, but rather a consequence of another process or decision. The data does not reveal a clear pattern of how πωρόω relates to specific emotions or experiences, but its association with hardness and inflexibility is consistent throughout its occurrences. The significance of πωρόω lies in its role as a descriptive term for a range of human experiences. It may be used to describe the consequences of rebellion, resistance, or stubbornness, highlighting the tension between stubbornness and yielding openness.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences across the text
for they hadn’t understood about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
Mark 8:17Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet, neither understand? Is your heart still hardened?
John 12:40“He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them.”
Romans 11:7What then? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened.
2 Corinthians 3:14But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away.