To crucify
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σταυρόω (stauróō) means to crucify, to put someone to death by a cross. In the Gospels it names the historical Roman execution of Jesus and, in some texts, the threatened or actual crucifixion of others.
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Full entry for σταυρόω (G4717) · Open the biblical lexicon
σταυρόω (stauróō) means to crucify, to put someone to death by a cross. In the Gospels it names the historical Roman execution of Jesus and, in some texts, the threatened or actual crucifixion of others.
The BSB source-word alignment has 46 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include crucified (6), crucify (6), they crucified (6), crucify [Him] (5), be crucified (4).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 20:19. Its strongest book concentrations include John (11), Matthew (10), Mark (8), Luke (6).
This entry includes 1 verse guide that explain exact original-language forms in context.
σταυρόω (stauróō) means to crucify, to put someone to death by a cross. In the Gospels it names the historical Roman execution of Jesus and, in some texts, the threatened or actual crucifixion of others. The apostles then proclaim Christ crucified as the center of the gospel, speak of His crucifixion in weakness and resurrection power, and use related crucifixion language to describe believers' changed relation to the world and flesh.
These uses must not be collapsed. The verb first names a real, shameful, violent execution, not a vague religious symbol. When Paul speaks of the world being crucified to him, he is not asking Christians to harm their bodies or accept abuse; he is describing a decisive break in allegiance through the cross of Christ. Nor may the crucifixion narratives become an accusation against Jewish people or any living ethnic group.
Scripture names Roman authority, particular leaders, crowd action, human sin, and God's saving purpose within the story. A faithful study of σταυρόω keeps Christ's once-for-all death, the gospel's public proclamation, and the church's cross-shaped discipleship connected without confusing them. The word also keeps proclamation close to the people and actions described in each text.
Matthew presents Jesus as handed over to be crucified; Mark and Luke narrate soldiers and public execution; Acts confronts a specific audience with its rejection of Jesus while announcing resurrection; Paul addresses the scandal and wisdom of the cross before Jews and Gentiles. These passages cannot be made to carry a simplistic theory of collective blame. They do show that the cross reveals the gravity of human rebellion and the costly mercy of God.
That is why crucifixion language should bring the church to worship, repentance, reconciliation, and humble witness, never to cruelty, antisemitism, or romantic praise of suffering.
σταυρόω appears most densely in the passion narratives and later in apostolic proclamation. It names Jesus' predicted and actual execution, the public message of Christ crucified, His weakness and God's power, and a cross-shaped break with the world. The selected texts distinguish historical event, gospel announcement, and metaphorical application.
“You know that the Passover is two days away, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.”
Jesus announces His coming crucifixion in the Passover setting. The passive infinitive emphasizes that He will be handed over, while Matthew's larger narrative moves toward His willing obedience and the resurrection, not an accident outside God's purpose.
And they crucified Him. They also divided His garments by casting lots to decide what each of them would take.
Mark narrates crucifixion with stark economy and immediately notes the soldiers dividing Jesus' garments. The restraint keeps the cross from becoming sentimental decoration: this is a public execution in which the righteous King is mocked and killed.
When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left.
Luke places Jesus among criminals at the crucifixion site, highlighting humiliation and identification within the narrative. The verse names what happened; it should not be used to romanticize violence or treat suffering people as spiritually inferior.
Therefore let all Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ!”
Peter's Pentecost sermon confronts hearers with their participation in rejecting Jesus and immediately proclaims God's exaltation of Him as Lord and Christ. The address is a call to repentance in its historical setting, never a perpetual charge against Jewish people.
But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
Paul makes Christ crucified the content of apostolic proclamation and acknowledges how the message offends prevailing expectations across both Jews and Gentiles. The cross is proclaimed as God's wisdom and power in the following argument, not as a tribal accusation.
For He was indeed crucified in weakness, yet He lives by God’s power. For we are also weak in Him, yet by God’s power we will live with Him concerning you.
Paul holds Christ's crucifixion in weakness together with His life by God's power, then applies that pattern to apostolic ministry. The text does not glorify weakness for its own sake or excuse abusive power; it locates life and ministry in the power of the risen Christ.
But as for me, may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Paul uses crucifixion language metaphorically to describe a decisive new relation to the world's boasting and status system through Christ's cross. This is not self-harm, passive acceptance of mistreatment, or withdrawal from loving service; it is allegiance reordered by the crucified Lord.
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How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
Greek word. To crucify; metaphorically, to put to death or renounce (one's flesh, desires, self).
To crucify; metaphorically, to put to death or renounce (one's flesh, desires, self).
(σταυρός), [in LXX: Est.7:9 (תָּלָה), Est.8:13 * ;]
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 46 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
I crucify
Read verseI crucify
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Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
How this verb appears across 45 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 5 selected witnesses from 46 lexical occurrence verses.
σταυρόω is built from this root:
Defines the form of execution reserved for rebels. Luke 23:13–25
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
The verb σταυρόω will not allow the church to speak of the cross as a tasteful religious image. It names the execution of Jesus, carried out in public shame and violence, and it remains central because God made the crucified Jesus Lord and Christ. The apostles do not remove the offense of that message. Paul preaches Christ crucified to Jews and Gentiles alike, and he joins crucifixion in weakness to the risen Christ's power.
That means Christian discipleship cannot be reduced either to triumphal strength or to a demand that wounded people remain under harmful power. The cross exposes the world's boasting, reveals God's saving wisdom, and creates a new allegiance to Christ. When Galatians speaks of the world being crucified, the image rests on Christ's cross and summons a break from status, self-justification, and fleshly desire.
It never commands bodily harm or excuses abuse. The gospel announces what Christ has done for sinners and calls the church to live under the power of His resurrection. That pattern has pastoral consequences. The church can acknowledge weakness without baptizing defeat, and it can call for costly obedience without demanding that sufferers silently endure evil.
The crucified Lord is also the risen Lord, and His cross forms a people who tell the truth, seek justice, and love their neighbors.
1Cor.1.23
σταυρόω is a verb that marks an action done to a person. In the passion accounts, active and passive forms keep the execution in view; in 1 Corinthians the perfect participle “crucified” identifies the Christ who is proclaimed. Later metaphorical uses borrow the cross's decisive force, but their meaning is supplied by the surrounding argument and by union with the crucified and risen Christ.
The Old Testament repeatedly exposes unjust violence, bears witness to the suffering of the righteous, and speaks of the curse attached to one hung on a tree. The Gospels narrate Jesus' crucifixion as Roman execution within God's saving purpose, and the apostles proclaim Christ crucified and raised as the gospel's center. The cross therefore gathers themes of sin, shame, sacrifice, kingship, curse, reconciliation, and resurrection hope without reducing any one Old Testament text to a bare word match.
The church reads the cross through the whole canon and confesses that the crucified Jesus now lives by God's power.
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