κρανίον
kraníon
G2898 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A skull; specifically, the bony structure of the human head. In literary and documentary contexts, refers to the physical cranium or head, and as a toponym, designates a place with the name 'Skull' or 'Place of a Skull.'
Semantic Range
skull, cranium, bony head; anatomical term; place name (toponym referring to 'Skull' or 'Place of a Skull')
Root / Etymology
From the diminutive form of a derivative of κέρας ('horn'), with the root referring to something projecting; in this development, the word comes to indicate the cranium. Probably via κρᾱ́νος ('helmet'), then to κρανίον as 'little helmet' or 'skull.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
Attested in medical and anatomical texts from the Hellenistic period, κρανίον is used in the LXX (e.g., 2 Kings 9:35) to refer to a skull. In the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 27:33; Mark 15:22; Luke 23:33; John 19:17), it serves as the Greek equivalent for the Aramaic 'Golgotha,' denoting the place of execution outside Jerusalem called 'Place of a Skull.' Traditional English Bible translations render this as 'Calvary' via the Latin calvaria ('skull'), but this translation obscures the literal Greek sense. Unlike the more general κεφαλή ('head'), κρανίον is specific to the bony skull. There is no direct reference to religious or ethnic identity in the term itself; the significance in the NT relates only to the site of execution.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
diminutive of a derivative of the base of κέρας; a skull ("cranium"):--Calvary, skull.
Root Family
κραν- (kraníon) — skull, cranium, bony head
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2898-02 |
Κρανίου | kraniou | N GEN N SG |
of a skull | of a skull | of a skull | 3 |
G2898-01 |
Κρανίον | kranion | N ACC N SG |
Skull | skull | Skull | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2898-02 |
Matthew 27:33 | Κρανίου | kraniou | N GEN N SG |
of a skull | of a skull | of a skull |
G2898-02 |
Mark 15:22 | Κρανίου | kraniou | N GEN N SG |
of a skull | of a skull | of a skull |
G2898-01 |
Luke 23:33 | Κρανίον | kranion | N ACC N SG |
Skull | skull | Skull |
G2898-02 |
John 19:17 | Κρανίου | kraniou | N GEN N SG |
of a Skull | of a skull | of a skull |