stauroō · crucify

What it means

stauroō (σταυρόω) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “crucify”.

Nail or tie to a cross.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. To nail someone to a cross to kill them.
2. To put to death the evil in oneself.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

To crucify: to kill someone by nailing or tying him to a cross. It comes from σταυρός, ‘cross’. Paul also uses the verb figuratively: crucifying the flesh, the world crucified to him.

• “Crucify him”: the cry before Pilate John 19:6Luke 23:21Matthew 27:22
• Jesus announces that he will be crucified Matthew 20:19Matthew 26:2
• “This Jesus whom you crucified” Acts 2:36Acts 4:10
• “The Messiah crucified” 1 Corinthians 1:231 Corinthians 2:22 Corinthians 13:4
• Crucifying the flesh; the world crucified Galatians 5:24Galatians 6:14

Historical and cultural background

The Gospels tell the crucifixion with this verb: the cry “Let him be crucified!” before Pilate (Matthew 27:22), the soldiers who “led him away to crucify {him}” (27:31), and “it was the third hour when they crucified him” (Mark 15:25). Paul says that if the rulers of this age had known God’s wisdom, “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:8).

How we translate it

The verb ‘crucify’ in all its forms: “crucified” 30 times, “crucify” 16. The passive participle is kept as a title in the letters: “the Messiah crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23), “and him crucified” (2:2).

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• crucified ×30
• crucify ×16

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×10
• Mark×8
• Luke×6
• John×11
• Acts×2
• 1 Corinthians×4
• 2 Corinthians×1
• Galatians×3
• Revelation×1

• Matthew 20:19

  and will hand him over to the nations to mock and flog and crucify him, and on the third day he will be raised.”

• Matthew 23:34

  Because of this, look, I am sending to you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,

• Matthew 26:2

  “You know that after two days the Passover comes, and the Son of Man is handed over to be crucified.”

• Matthew 27:22

  Pilate says to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Messiah?” They all say, “Let him be crucified!”

• Matthew 27:23

  And he said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they kept shouting all the more, saying, “Let him be crucified!”

• Matthew 27:26

  Then he released Barabbas for them; but after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

• Matthew 27:31

  And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the cloak and put his own clothes on him, and they led him away to crucify him.

• Matthew 27:35

  And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots,

• Matthew 27:38

  Then two robbers are crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.

• Matthew 28:5

  But the angel answered the women, “Do not be afraid, you, for I know that you are seeking Jesus, who has been crucified.

• Mark 15:13

  And they cried out again, “Crucify him!”

• Mark 15:14

  But Pilate was saying to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they cried out all the more, “Crucify him!”

• Mark 15:15

  And Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them, and having flogged Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

• Mark 15:20

  And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple and put his own clothes on him. And they lead him out to crucify him.

• Mark 15:24

  And they crucify him and divide his garments, casting lots for them, to see who would take what.

• Mark 15:25

  Now it was the third hour when they crucified him.

• Mark 15:27

  And with him they crucify two robbers, one on the right and one on his left.

• Mark 16:6

  But he says to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are seeking Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.

• Luke 23:21

  but they kept shouting, saying, “Crucify, crucify him!”

• Luke 23:23

  But they were insistent with loud voices, asking for him to be crucified; and their voices were prevailing.

• Luke 23:33

  And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.

• Luke 24:7

  saying that the Son of Man must be handed over into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.”

• Luke 24:20

  and how our high priests and rulers handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him.

• John 19:6

  So when the high priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate says to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no ground for a charge in him.”

• John 19:10

  So Pilate says to him, “You do not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and I have authority to crucify you?”

• John 19:15

  So they cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate says to them, “Shall I crucify your king?” The high priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”

• John 19:16

  So then he handed him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus;

• John 19:18

  where they crucified him, and with him two others, one on each side, and Jesus in the middle.

• John 19:20

  So many of the Jews read this inscription, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, in Greek.

• John 19:23

  So the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, a part for each soldier, and the tunic. Now the tunic was seamless, woven from the top throughout.

• John 19:41

  Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.

• Acts 2:36

  So let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

• Acts 4:10

  let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus the Messiah the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man stands before you well.

• 1 Corinthians 1:13

  Has the Messiah been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you immersed into the name of Paul?

• 1 Corinthians 1:23

  but we proclaim the Messiah crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to the nations foolishness,

• 1 Corinthians 2:2

  For I decided not to know anything among you except Jesus the Messiah, and him crucified.

• 1 Corinthians 2:8

  which none of the rulers of this age has known; for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

• 2 Corinthians 13:4

  For indeed he was crucified out of weakness, but he lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we will live with him by the power of God toward you.

• Galatians 3:1

  O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus the Messiah was publicly portrayed as crucified?

• Galatians 5:24

  And those of the Messiah have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

And 6 more times.