Question XII. What is the hardening of the heart?

There are, chiefly, three words in the Scriptures of the Old Testament by which the extreme stubbornness and contumacy of certain men in evil is signified — namely “cibbed,” “chizzak,” and “hikschah”; to which correspond, among the 70, βαρῦναι [barynai, “to make heavy”] (Exod. 7:15 and 22), κατισχύειν [katischyein, “to prevail, strengthen”] (Exod. 8:22, and κατισχῦσαι, here [in] Joshua 11:20), and σκληρῦναι [sklērynai, “to harden”] (Exod. 7:22); but in Symmachus, θρασῦναι [thrasynai, “to embolden”]. But the significations of these words in the Hebrew, and the circumstances of the places in which they are set, teach [that] not any aggravation, hardening, and obduration whatever is denoted by them, but a great [one]: by which, namely, first, some thing is borne and strives downward in such a way that, even with the greatest effort applied, it cannot be drawn upward, and its weight and fall cannot be checked — like some great rock which rushes to the nether places. Secondly: by which some thing is so firmed that it cannot, by many and vehement impulses applied, be moved and bent — like the Marpesian rock, as it is wont to be said. Thirdly: by which some thing so hardens, that, however strongly and forcibly it be pressed, yet it yields nothing — like stone, iron, or some other hard thing. For — that I may speak of this last [sense], because [it is] rather more usual — “induration [hardening]” is a change by which some thing becomes hard. And just as those “bodies” are called “hard” which, if one wishes to handle [them], or to impress anything upon them, do not yield but resist — so also the hearts of men, or “hard minds,” are [so] called: [those] which, if anyone wishes to work upon [them], or to impress [anything] on them, do not yield but resist — namely, by calling the mind away from the thoughts which are brought in, or by exciting the will against them, so that it may repudiate them, be unwilling [of them], and turn away. And again, those bodies are reckoned hard which resist not any thing or impression whatever, but a greater and more vehement [one]. For who would call butter hard, if it does not yield to a fly sitting on it? Who [would call] bread hard, if — as soon as thou hast touched [it] with the hand — it does not receive thy fingers? So also “minds” are not held “hard” which do not yield to small or usual persuasions, but [those] which [do not yield] to great, sharp, unusual [ones]. Yet it is to be understood [that] the “hardness of minds” of this kind is twofold: one good, and joined with virtue and praise; the other evil, and connected with vice and infamy. Of the former kind is “good obduration” — when the thing which either a man or a demon wishes to impress on a man’s mind, and labors hard [to impress], is evil and base: for example, lust, the accursed hunger for gold, fear, despair, and the like. For, however strongly these strike the mind, to resist is good. And to hardness of this kind he exhorted, who said (Aeneid 1): “Endure, and keep yourselves for prosperous things.” And again another: “Persist and harden [thyself]: this labor will one day profit thee.” Likewise our [sacred] letters (Deut. 3:1; ch. 12:22; Josh. 1:7; ch. 10:25; Ps. 1; and Ps. 27; Isaiah; Daniel 10) — where our Interpreter usually says “to be strong, to be made robust, to be strengthened,” and the like. And contrary to this hardness of minds is “softness [mollities],” [which] is a fault. Of the latter kind is “evil hardness” — when that which is set before the mind, and [for the sake of] which one acts and labors strongly so that it may be impressed [on it], is good and salutary: for example, the acknowledgment of the divine power, penitence for past sins, the ordering of a better life. For these — when they are set forth not in a light, easy, and ordinary manner, but a vehement, great, and extraordinary [one], and yet are not received — [that] is a vicious and detestable hardness, of which Scripture speaks, and which it attributes to Pharaoh and to the Canaanites, whom so many and so great temptations, admonitions, rebukes, chastisements, terrors, miracles, and portents applied within and without did not move. For not all sinners, whether living or dead, are properly, in the manner now expounded, “hard-hearted” and “obstinate.” But there can similarly be expounded [as this kind of hardness] “blinding [excaecatio],” “the giving-over to a reprobate sense,” and any similar [terms]. See St. Bernard (bk. 1, On Consideration, ch. 2).