Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (a.) Simple; unadorned; sour; astringent; rough to the state; having acerbity; as, an austere crab apple; an austere instructor. 2. (a.) Severe in modes of judging, or living, or acting; rigid; rigorous; stern; as, an austere man, look, life. 3. (a.) Unadorned; unembellished; severely simple. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia AUSTERE os-ter' austeros, "harsh," ("rough"): Twice used by Christ in the parable of the Pounds (Luke 19:21, 22), and of special significance as illustrating the false conception of God cherished by the sinful and disobedient. The fear resident in a guilty conscience sees only sternness and severity in God's perfect righteousness. The word may be made an eminent study in the psychology of an evil heart. Wrongdoing eclipses the soul's vision of God's love and pictures His righteousness as harsh, unfeeling, partial, unjust, forbidding. The awfulness of sin may thus be seen in its power so to pervert the soul as to make goodness seem evil, justice unjust, and even love unlovely. Compare "hard" skleros, "dried up," "harsh" in the parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:24). Dwight M. Pratt

Multi-Version Concordance Austere (2 Occurrences) Luke 19:21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. (KJV ASV WBS YLT) Luke 19:22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: (KJV ASV WBS YLT)