σταυρός
staurós
G4716 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An upright stake or post, particularly one used for execution by impalement or suspension; in Greco-Roman contexts, an instrument of capital punishment involving exposure to death by nailing, tying, or fixing a person to a vertical structure (stake, pole, or, in later Roman practice, a crossbeam affixed to a post). In metaphorical contexts, it can refer to suffering, shame, or self-denial related to such a fate.
Semantic Range
upright stake, post, execution stake, Roman instrument of crucifixion (cross), metaphor for suffering or self-denial, emblem of shame or public execution
Root / Etymology
From the Greek root σταυρ- (staur-), possibly cognate with histēmi (ἵστημι, 'to stand'), indicating something set upright. The precise morphological path is debated; it is not a compound or regular derivative of ἵστημι. Originally referring to any upright stake or post.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In earliest classical Greek, σταυρός denoted an upright stake or pole, used for fencing, fortifications, or executions (e.g., Herodotus). In Hellenistic and Roman eras, it increasingly referred to an execution device: originally an upright stake, but under Roman practice, this came to often include a crossbeam (patibulum) forming a cross-shape (crux). In the Septuagint, the term occurs rarely, generally meaning a 'stake' or 'pole.' By the New Testament era, σταυρός in Greek-speaking Roman contexts almost always referred to the Roman method of execution by crucifixion, though the actual shape (T, †, or simple stake) could vary. English 'cross' is traditional but not strictly accurate, as the Greek term was more generic and did not specify shape. Metaphorically, σταυρός in the New Testament and early Christian writings comes to symbolize the suffering, humiliation, and self-abandonment associated with this form of death, and later, by association, the entire soteriological significance attached to the execution of Jesus. Standard English translations render σταυρός as 'cross,' but this can obscure the original sense of a generic execution stake. The semantic and symbolic expansion of the word in later Christian theology was not yet present in earliest Greek usage.
Translation Consistency
Most natural and familiar English rendering for σταυρός in Greco‑Roman context. 'Cross' captures the usual image of the Roman instrument of execution and also serves idiomatically for the metaphorical senses (suffering, shame, self‑denial). It is the common translation in English Bibles and will read naturally and consistently across contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the base of ἵστημι; a stake or post (as set upright), i.e. (specially), a pole or cross (as an instrument of capital punishment); figuratively, exposure to death, i.e. self-denial; by implication, the atonement of Christ:--cross.
Root Family
σταυρ- (anastauróō) — to crucify, to fix to a stake or cross
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G388 | ἀνασταυρόω | crucifying again |
| G4717 | σταυρόω | having been crucified |
| G4957 | συσταυρόω | I have been crucified together with |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4716-04 |
σταυροῦ | staurou | N GEN M SG |
cross | of the execution stake | of the execution cross | 12 |
G4716-02 |
σταυρὸν | stauron | N ACC M SG |
cross | execution stake | execution stake | 10 |
G4716-01 |
σταυρῷ | stauro | N DAT M SG |
cross | to/for the execution stake | to/for the execution cross | 4 |
G4716-03 |
σταυρὸς | stauros | N NOM M SG |
cross | upright execution stake | upright execution stake | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
27 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4716-02 |
Matthew 10:38 | σταυρὸν | stauron | N ACC M SG |
cross | execution stake | execution stake |
G4716-02 |
Matthew 16:24 | σταυρὸν | stauron | N ACC M SG |
cross | execution stake | execution stake |
G4716-02 |
Matthew 27:32 | σταυρὸν | stauron | N ACC M SG |
cross | execution stake | execution stake |
G4716-04 |
Matthew 27:40 | σταυροῦ | staurou | N GEN M SG |
cross | of the execution stake | of the execution cross |
G4716-04 |
Matthew 27:42 | σταυροῦ | staurou | N GEN M SG |
cross | of the execution stake | of the execution cross |
G4716-02 |
Mark 8:34 | σταυρὸν | stauron | N ACC M SG |
cross | execution stake | execution stake |
G4716-02 |
Mark 15:21 | σταυρὸν | stauron | N ACC M SG |
cross | execution stake | execution stake |
G4716-04 |
Mark 15:30 | σταυροῦ | staurou | N GEN M SG |
cross | of the execution stake | of the execution cross |
G4716-04 |
Mark 15:32 | σταυροῦ | staurou | N GEN M SG |
cross | of the execution stake | of the execution cross |
G4716-02 |
Luke 9:23 | σταυρὸν | stauron | N ACC M SG |
cross | execution stake | execution stake |
G4716-02 |
Luke 14:27 | σταυρὸν | stauron | N ACC M SG |
cross | execution stake | execution stake |
G4716-02 |
Luke 23:26 | σταυρὸν | stauron | N ACC M SG |
cross | execution stake | execution stake |
G4716-02 |
John 19:17 | σταυρὸν | stauron | N ACC M SG |
cross | execution stake | execution stake |
G4716-04 |
John 19:19 | σταυροῦ | staurou | N GEN M SG |
cross | of the execution stake | of the execution cross |
G4716-01 |
John 19:25 | σταυρῷ | stauro | N DAT M SG |
cross | to/for the execution stake | to/for the execution cross |
G4716-04 |
John 19:31 | σταυροῦ | staurou | N GEN M SG |
cross | of the execution stake | of the execution cross |
G4716-03 |
1 Corinthians 1:17 | σταυρὸς | stauros | N NOM M SG |
cross | upright execution stake | upright execution stake |
G4716-04 |
1 Corinthians 1:18 | σταυροῦ | staurou | N GEN M SG |
cross | of the execution stake | of the execution cross |
G4716-04 |
Galatians 5:11 | σταυροῦ | staurou | N GEN M SG |
cross | of the execution stake | of the execution cross |
G4716-01 |
Galatians 6:12 | σταυρῷ | stauro | N DAT M SG |
cross | to/for the execution stake | to/for the execution cross |
G4716-01 |
Galatians 6:14 | σταυρῷ | stauro | N DAT M SG |
cross | to/for the execution stake | to/for the execution cross |
G4716-04 |
Ephesians 2:16 | σταυροῦ | staurou | N GEN M SG |
cross | of the execution stake | of the execution cross |
G4716-04 |
Philippians 2:8 | σταυροῦ | staurou | N GEN M SG |
of a cross | of the execution stake | of the execution cross |
G4716-04 |
Philippians 3:18 | σταυροῦ | staurou | N GEN M SG |
cross | of the execution stake | of the execution cross |
G4716-04 |
Colossians 1:20 | σταυροῦ | staurou | N GEN M SG |
cross | of the execution stake | of the execution cross |
G4716-01 |
Colossians 2:14 | σταυρῷ | stauro | N DAT M SG |
cross | to/for the execution stake | to/for the execution cross |
G4716-02 |
Hebrews 12:2 | σταυρὸν | stauron | N ACC M SG |
cross | execution stake | execution stake |