The Greek word baréōs, represented by G917, is an adverb derived from a word meaning heavy. It is used figuratively to mean dull. It appears 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible, where it describes a specific kind of spiritual unresponsiveness.
In its biblical usage, G917 is consistently paired with the sense of hearing to describe a willful spiritual deafness. In both Matthew 13:15 and Acts 28:27, the word is used in the identical phrase, "their ears are dull of hearing." This condition is presented as part of a larger spiritual state where the people's "heart is waxed gross" and they have closed their own eyes. This deliberate dullness prevents them from hearing and understanding, and consequently from being converted and healed.
Several related Greek words appear alongside G917 to provide a fuller picture of this spiritual state:
- G191 akoúō: a primary verb; to hear (in various senses). This is the action that is rendered dull or heavy by the condition described by G917.
- G2576 kammýō: to shut down, i.e. close the eyes. This is the parallel action to having dull ears, as seen in the statement "their eyes they have closed" (Matthew 13:15, Acts 28:27).
- G3975 pachýnō: to thicken, i.e. (by implication) to fatten (figuratively, stupefy or render callous). This describes the condition of the heart that leads to dull hearing (Matthew 13:15, Acts 28:27).
- G4920 syníēmi: to put together, i.e. (mentally) to comprehend; by implication, to act piously. This is the understanding that is ultimately blocked by having dull ears.
The theological weight of G917 is centered on the concept of spiritual perception and human responsibility.
- Spiritual Insensibility: The word describes a state of spiritual heaviness or dullness, where an individual is unreceptive to divine communication. Their hearing is impaired not physically, but spiritually Matthew 13:15.
- A Triad of Rejection: G917 does not appear in isolation. It is part of a triad that includes a callous heart G3975 and closed eyes G2576, illustrating a comprehensive rejection of God's message.
- Barrier to Healing: The dullness of hearing is presented as a direct cause for a lack of understanding G4920, which in turn prevents conversion and spiritual healing Acts 28:27.
In summary, G917 is a specific and potent term used to describe a key aspect of spiritual hardness. While it literally means "heavily," its figurative use as dull is applied exclusively to the faculty of hearing in a spiritual context. It functions as part of a diagnosis for why people fail to understand God's word, highlighting a self-imposed condition of a calloused heart, dull ears, and closed eyes that blocks divine truth and healing.
TRV