840. austéros
Lexical Summary
austéros: Harsh, severe, stern

Original Word: αὐστηρός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: austéros
Pronunciation: ow-stay-ROS
Phonetic Spelling: (ow-stay-ros')
KJV: austere
NASB: exacting
Word Origin: [from a (presumed) derivative of the same as G109 (ἀήρ - air) (meaning blown)]

1. rough (properly as a gale)
2. (figuratively) severe

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
austere, strict

From a (presumed) derivative of the same as aer (meaning blown); rough (properly as a gale), i.e. (figuratively) severe -- austere.

see GREEK aer

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from hauó (to dry)
Definition
harsh, severe
NASB Translation
exacting (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 840: αὐστηρός

αὐστηρός, ἀυστηρα, ἀυστηρον (from αὔω to dry up), harsh (Latinausterus), stringent of taste, ἀυστηρον καί γλυκύ (καί πικρόν), Plato, legg. 10, 897 a.; οἶνος, Diogenes Laërtius 7, 117. of mind and manners, harsh, rough, rigid (cf. Trench, § xiv.): Luke 19:21, 22; (Polybius 4, 20, 7; Diogenes Laërtius 7, 26, etc. 2 Macc. 14:30).

Topical Lexicon
Overview

Strong’s Greek 840, αὐστηρός, describes a manner that is hard, exacting, or stern. While the word occurs only twice in the New Testament—both in Luke 19—its placement inside the Parable of the Minas offers a rich window into the tension between the Lord’s righteous authority and the servant’s flawed perception of that authority.

Usage in Luke 19

Luke 19:21: “For I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.”

Luke 19:22: “His master replied, ‘You wicked servant! I will judge you by your own words. So you knew that I am a harsh man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?’”

In both verses, αὐστηρός is placed on the lips of the third servant and then echoed by the returning nobleman. The servant claims that the master’s character is austere; the master momentarily accepts that claim only to expose the servant’s negligence. The term therefore functions less as a true description of the master and more as a mirror revealing the servant’s distorted view.

Context within the Parable of the Minas

1. Entrustment: Each servant receives a mina, underscoring divine generosity rather than severity (Luke 19:13).
2. Accountability: The master’s return signals judgment, stressing that stewardship inevitably meets evaluation (Luke 19:15).
3. Excuse and Exposure: The third servant’s charge of austerity attempts to shift blame, but the master’s answer turns the servant’s own words into self-condemnation (Luke 19:22).
4. Redistribution: The mina is given to the most productive servant, demonstrating that perceived sternness cannot nullify divine justice or generosity (Luke 19:24-26).

Historical Background of the Metaphor

In first-century culture a landowner or nobleman was expected to collect profits from estates managed by stewards. Describing such a figure as αὐστηρός would evoke contemporary experiences with exacting creditors or tax collectors. Jesus leverages that expectation to contrast earthly assumptions about authority with the true character of God, whose severity and kindness coexist in perfect harmony (Romans 11:22).

Theological Observations

• False Perceptions of God: Scripture repeatedly warns that a distorted view of the Lord leads to unfaithfulness (Genesis 3:1-6; Numbers 13:31-33). The third servant’s fear is rooted not in God’s revealed nature but in his own slothful heart.
• Divine Justice: Although the master momentarily accepts the label “harsh,” the larger parable shows fairness—rewards correspond exactly to diligence (Luke 19:17, 19).
• Fear and Faithfulness: Healthy reverence motivates obedience (Proverbs 1:7; Hebrews 12:28-29). Unhealthy dread, as illustrated by αὐστηρός in Luke 19, paralyzes and excuses sin.
• Eschatological Accountability: The term underscores the seriousness of final judgment. Grace does not cancel accountability; it heightens it (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Implications for Ministry

1. Teaching God’s Character: Preaching must hold together God’s mercy and His righteous standards, guarding against caricatures of divine severity or leniency.
2. Stewardship Emphasis: Believers are trustees of resources, gifts, and opportunities. Misperceiving God as merely exacting tempts Christians either to legalism or to inertia; knowing Him rightly fuels industrious faith.
3. Counseling Fearful Hearts: Pastoral care should discern whether a counselee’s fear stems from conviction by the Spirit or from misconceptions about God’s nature.
4. Leadership Accountability: Church leaders are stewards who will give account (Hebrews 13:17); awareness of true, not imagined, divine austerity encourages faithful oversight.

Related Biblical Themes

• Severity and Kindness: Romans 11:22 balances the two sides of God’s dealings.
• Lazy Servant Motifs: Matthew 25:24-27 parallels Luke’s account, showing that misconstruing the master’s character excuses indolence.
• Consuming Fire: Hebrews 12:29 reminds believers of holy severity, complementing the call to “approach the throne of grace with confidence” (Hebrews 4:16).

Summary

αὐστηρός appears sparingly yet powerfully, embodying how a servant’s distorted view of his master can undermine faithful stewardship. The parable does not present God as unreasonably harsh; rather, it exposes the danger of projecting human fears onto a just and gracious Lord. Rightly understood, the word pushes believers toward diligent service, reverential awe, and unwavering trust in the perfect balance of God’s character.

Forms and Transliterations
αυστηρος αυστηρός αὐστηρός αὐστηρὸς austeros austerós austeròs austēros austērós austēròs
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Englishman's Concordance
Luke 19:21 Adj-NMS
GRK: ὅτι ἄνθρωπος αὐστηρὸς εἶ αἴρεις
NAS: of you, because you are an exacting man;
KJV: thou art an austere man:
INT: because a man harsh you are you takest up

Luke 19:22 Adj-NMS
GRK: ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος αὐστηρός εἰμι αἴρων
NAS: that I am an exacting man,
KJV: I was an austere man, taking up
INT: I a man harsh am taking up

Strong's Greek 840
2 Occurrences


αὐστηρὸς — 2 Occ.

839
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