αὐστηρός G0840
harsh, severe, stern, austere
An adjective meaning harsh, severe, or austere. Jesus quotes a servant who feared his master as 'a harsh man' who reaps where he didn't sow (Luke 19:21-22). The term derives from a root meaning 'to dry up,' and classical usage included harsh wine (opposed to sweet), rough terrain, or severe personalities. It describes someone exacting and demanding, showing no leniency. Jesus uses it to expose the servant's false perception that led to paralysis rather than productivity.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Both occurrences in Luke 19 appear in the same parable dialogue - the servant's accusation (v.21) and the master's response using the servant's own words (v.22). The servant claims fear of the harsh master excuses his inaction, but the master shows this very logic should have motivated banking the money. The term characterizes perceived rather than actual harshness. All four language witnesses use harsh/severe terminology, with German preserving the Greek forms. 2×
AR["صارِمٌ"]·ben["কঠোর"]·DE["αὐστηρός", "αὐστηρὸς"]·EN["harsh"]·FR["dur"]·heb["קַשֶׁה"]·HI["कठोर"]·ID["keras"]·IT["austeros"]·jav["ingkang-keras", "keras"]·KO["엄격한"]·PT["severo"]·RU["суровый"]·ES["severo"]·SW["mkali"]·TR["sert"]·urd["سخت"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
αὐστηρός, ά, όν, (αὕω) harsh, rough, bitter, ὕδωρRefs 5th c.BC+; οἶνος αὐ., opposed to γλυκύς, Refs 5th c.BC+; of country, rugged, τόποιRefs 1st c.BC+: metaphorically, harsh, crabbed, ποιητήςRefs 5th c.BC+; severe, unadorned, ἡ πραγματεία ἔχει αὐ. τιRefs 2nd c.BC+severe, Refs. adverb -ρῶς, κατεσκευάσθαιRefs 1st c.BC+ __b in moral sense, rigorous, austere, Refs 4th c.BC+; αὐ. καὶ αὐθάδηςRefs 1st…