δυσκόλως

Pronunciation Guide: doos-kol’-oce (with emphasis on the first syllable)

Basic Definition

Strong’s G1423: Δυσκόλως (dyskolōs) describes something done “with difficulty” or “hardly possible.” It expresses the intense challenge or near impossibility of accomplishing something through human effort alone. In biblical contexts, it often appears in teachings about spiritual impossibilities that only divine intervention can overcome. The word conveys not just difficulty but a profound obstacle that requires supernatural assistance to surmount.

Etymology and Morphology

• Adverb derived from the adjective δύσκολος (dyskolos, “hard to satisfy, difficult”)
• Compound word: δυσ- (dys-, “bad, difficult”) + κόλον (kolon, “food” or “member”)
• Root concept of something “difficult to digest” or “hard to process”
• Primarily found in teaching sections and wisdom literature
• Used in contexts discussing spiritual entrance requirements and divine possibilities

Δυσκόλως Morphology:

• δυσκόλως (adverbial form) – with difficulty, hardly
• δύσκολος (adjective, masculine nominative singular) – difficult, hard to please
• δύσκολον (adjective, neuter nominative/accusative singular) – difficult thing
• δυσκόλου (adjective, genitive singular) – of that which is difficult

Origin & History

The word δυσκόλως derives from classical Greek, where it originally described someone who was “hard to please” regarding food (a “picky eater”). The prefix δυσ- indicates something negative or difficult, while the root κόλον relates to food or nourishment. Over time, its meaning broadened to encompass general difficulty or near impossibility.

In classical Greek literature, Aristotle uses the related adjective form δύσκολος in his “Nicomachean Ethics” to describe difficult people who are hard to please. Plato employs it in “The Republic” when discussing challenging personalities in society. By the time of the Septuagint and New Testament, the word had evolved to express profound difficulty rather than merely personal fastidiousness. The Church Father Origen uses δυσκόλως in his commentaries on Matthew’s Gospel, particularly when discussing the challenges of wealth in relation to spiritual pursuits.

Expanded Definitions & Translation Options

• Something done with extreme difficulty or hardship
• Nearly impossible without divine intervention
• With great strain or effort
• Scarcely achievable through human means alone
• Painfully difficult but not absolutely impossible

Δυσκόλως Translation Options:

• “With great difficulty” – emphasizes the arduous nature of the process
• “Hardly” – captures the element of near impossibility while preserving hope
• “Scarcely” – suggests something barely achievable without divine help
• “Painfully” – communicates the struggle and discomfort involved in the difficult process
• “Only with tremendous effort” – highlights the exceptional exertion required

Biblical Usage

Δυσκόλως appears three times in the New Testament, exclusively in the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) and always in the context of Yeshua’s (Jesus’) teaching about wealth and entering the Kingdom of Heaven. The word plays a crucial role in one of the Messiah’s most striking metaphors—that of a camel passing through a needle’s eye. This passage demonstrates how δυσκόλως represents not just ordinary difficulty but a spiritual impossibility from a human perspective that can only be overcome through divine intervention.

The Septuagint uses the related adjective δύσκολος in Proverbs and Wisdom literature to describe challenging situations and difficult people. The specific adverbial form δυσκόλως is rarer in the Greek Old Testament but reflects similar concepts of profound difficulty. When Yeshua uses this term, He builds upon this established tradition to convey spiritual truths about human inability and divine capability.

• “[Jesus] said to his disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it is hard [δυσκόλως] for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.’” Matthew 19:23
• “Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How difficult [δυσκόλως] it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’” Mark 10:23
• “Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, ‘How difficult [δυσκόλως] it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’” Luke 18:24

Cultural Insights

In first-century Jewish culture, wealth was often viewed as a sign of divine blessing and favor. This perspective stemmed partly from covenant promises in the Torah where material prosperity sometimes accompanied faithfulness to יהוה (Yahweh). The disciples’ astonishment at Yeshua’s teaching about δυσκόλως and wealth reflects this cultural understanding—they were shocked because conventional wisdom suggested the wealthy were specially blessed by God and thus prime candidates for the Kingdom.

The imagery of the camel and needle’s eye that follows the use of δυσκόλως in these passages has generated much discussion. Some scholars suggest the “needle’s eye” referred to a small gate in Jerusalem where camels could only pass through unloaded and on their knees—though this interpretation lacks historical evidence and diminishes the rhetorical power of Yeshua’s hyperbole. The more likely explanation is that Yeshua deliberately used an impossible image (the largest common animal passing through the smallest common opening) to emphasize the point conveyed by δυσκόλως—that entering the Kingdom requires a divine miracle, not human achievement.

Theological Significance

Δυσκόλως reveals a profound theological truth about the Kingdom of Heaven—entrance is not achieved through human effort, ability, or resources. The word exposes our complete dependence on God for salvation. When Yeshua’s disciples ask, “Who then can be saved?” His response points to divine grace: “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:25-26). This juxtaposition of human impossibility (δυσκόλως) with divine possibility creates one of the most powerful theological statements in Scripture.

The use of δυσκόλως particularly in relation to wealth challenges our understanding of blessing and barriers to spiritual growth. It suggests that what we often consider advantages (material resources) can become spiritual hindrances without proper perspective. This reveals God’s upside-down economy where the first become last, the humble are exalted, and human impossibilities become the stage for divine intervention. The word reminds us that יהוה’s standard is not human achievement but childlike dependence and surrender, highlighting His desire for relationship over religious performance.

Personal Application

When we encounter δυσκόλως in Scripture, we’re invited to identify our own “camels”—those aspects of life where we rely on human resources rather than divine provision. For some, like the rich young ruler, it might be financial security; for others, it could be intellectual pride, social status, or self-sufficiency in any form. The word challenges us to release what we clutch tightly and embrace the childlike faith Yeshua commends.

This truth offers both challenge and comfort. The challenge is clear—we must surrender what seems most secure. The comfort is profound—what is impossible with human strength becomes possible through God’s power. When facing situations that seem δυσκόλως in our lives, we can remember that these are precisely the moments where God’s transformative work often appears most dramatically. Where human possibility ends, divine possibility begins.

Related Words

• χαλεπῶς (chalepōs, khal-ep-oce’) – grievously, fiercely; emphasizes the painful or dangerous nature of difficulty rather than its impossibility. While δυσκόλως focuses on the nearly impossible nature of something, χαλεπῶς emphasizes its troublesome or harmful quality. See G5467
• ἀδύνατος (adynatos, ad-oo’-nat-os) – impossible, impotent; expresses absolute impossibility rather than extreme difficulty. This is a stronger term than δυσκόλως, removing even the slim possibility that δυσκόλως preserves. See G102
• μόγις (mogis, mog’-is) – hardly, with difficulty; similar to δυσκόλως but often with emphasis on the struggle or effort involved rather than the near impossibility. See G3425
• στενός (stenos, sten-os’) – narrow, strait; used to describe the narrow gate leading to life, conveying difficulty of passage in a spatial metaphor rather than a general impossibility. See G4728
• βασανίζω (basanizō, bas-an-id’-zo) – to torture, torment, distress; while not directly synonymous, shares the concept of painful difficulty that δυσκόλως can imply. See G928

Did you Know?

• Did you know that the concept behind δυσκόλως appears in rabbinic literature of Yeshua’s time? The Talmud contains a similar metaphor about an elephant passing through a needle’s eye (Babylonian Talmud, Berakoth 55b), suggesting this was possibly a common Middle Eastern hyperbole for impossibility. Yeshua’s use of δυσκόλως with the camel metaphor would have resonated deeply with His Jewish audience as a familiar yet provocative teaching device.
• Did you know that studies in behavioral economics have verified the spiritual principle behind δυσκόλως? Research shows that increased wealth often correlates with decreased empathy and compassion—traits essential for Kingdom living. When Yeshua used δυσκόλως to describe the challenge for the wealthy, He was identifying a spiritual-psychological reality that modern science has only recently begun to document: abundance can create a false sense of self-sufficiency that hinders spiritual dependence.
• Did you know that δυσκόλως appears at a pivotal moment in all three synoptic Gospels, immediately following the rich young ruler’s departure? This strategic placement highlights a crucial transition in Yeshua’s teaching ministry. After demonstrating the limitations of law-keeping through the young man’s inability to surrender his wealth, He introduces δυσκόλως to shift focus from human achievement to divine grace—a cornerstone concept of New Covenant theology that Paul would later develop extensively.

Remember This

Δυσκόλως reminds us that the greatest spiritual breakthroughs often come precisely at the point where human possibility ends and divine intervention begins.