σταυρός, σταυροῦ, ὁ (from ἵστημι (root sta); cf. Latinstauro, English staff (see Skeat, Etymological Dictionary, under the word); Curtius, § 216; Vanicek, p. 1126); 1. an upright stake, especially a pointed one (Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon). 2. a cross; a. the well-known instrument of most cruel and ignominious punishment, borrowed by the Greeks and Romans from the Phoenicians; to it were affixed among the Romans, down to the time of Constantine the Great, the guiltiest criminals, particularly the basest slaves, robbers, the authors and abetters of insurrections, and occasionally in the provinces, at the arbitrary pleasure of the governors, upright and peaceable men also, and even Roman citizens themselves; cf. Winers RWB, under the word Kreuzigung; Merz in Herzog edition 1 ((cf. Schaff-Herzog) also Schultze in Herzog edition 2), under the word Kreuz; Keim, iii., p. 409ff. (English translation, vi. 138; BB. DD., see under the words, Cross, Crucifixion; O. Zöckler, Das Kreuz Christi (Gütersloh, 1875); English translation, Lond. 1878; Fulda, Das Kreuz u. d. Kreuzigung (Bresl. 1878); Edersheim, Jesus the Messiah, ii. 582ff). This horrible punishment the innocent Jesus also suffered: Mat_27:32; Mat_27:40; Mat_27:42; Mar_15:21; Mar_15:30; Mar_15:32; Luk_23:26; Joh_19:17; Joh_19:19; Joh_19:25; Joh_19:31; Col_2:14; Heb_12:2; θάνατος σταυροῦ, Php_2:8; τό αἷμα τοῦ σταυροῦ, blood shed on the cross; Col_1:20. b. equivalent to the crucifixion which Christ underwent: Gal_5:11 (on which see σκάνδαλον, under the end); Eph_2:16; with the addition of τοῦ Χριστοῦ, 1Co_1:17; the saving power of his crucifixion, Php_3:18 (on which see ἐχθρός, at the end); Gal_6:14; τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ διώκεσθαι, to encounter persecution on account of one's avowed belief in the saving efficacy of Christ's crucifixion, Gal_6:12; ὁ λόγος ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ, the doctrine concerning the saving power of the death on the cross endured by Christ, 1Co_1:18. The judicial usage which compelled those condemned to crucifixion themselves to carry the cross to the place of punishment (Plutarch, de sara numinis vindict. c. 9; Artemidorus Daldianus, oneir. 2, 56, cf. Joh_19:17), gave rise to the proverbial expression αἴρειν or λαμβάνειν or βαστάζειν τόν σταυρόν αὐτοῦ, which was usually used by those who, on behalf of God's cause, do not hesitate cheerfully and manfully to bear persecutions, troubles, distresses thus recalling the fate of Christ and the spirit in which he encountered it (cf. Bleek, Synop. Erkl. der drei ersten Evangg. i, p. 439f): Mat_10:38; Mat_16:24; Mar_8:34; Mar_10:21 (R L in brackets); ; Luk_9:23; Luk_14:27.

σταυρός stauros 27x a stake; a cross, Mat_27:32 ; Mat_27:40 ; Mat_27:42 ; Php_2:8 ; by impl. the punishment of the cross, crucifixion, Eph_2:16 ; Heb_12:2 ; meton. the crucifixion of Christ in respect of its import, the doctrine of the cross, 1Co_1:17-18 ; Gal_5:11 ; Gal_6:12 ; Gal_6:14 ; met. to take up, or bear one s cross, to be ready to encounter any extremity, Mat_10:38 ; Mat_16:24 cross.

*σταυρός , -οῦ , ὁ , 1. an upright pale or stake ( Hom ., Hdt ., Thuc ., al. ). 2. In late writers ( Diod ., Plut ., al. ) of the Roman instrument of crucifixion, the Cross : of the Cross on which Christ suffered, Mat_27:32 ; Mat_27:40 ; Mat_27:42 , Mar_15:21 ; Mar_15:30 ; Mar_15:32 , Luk_23:26 , Joh_19:17 ; Joh_19:19 ; Joh_19:25 ; Joh_19:31 , Col_2:14 , Heb_12:2 ; θάνατος σταυροῦ , Php_2:8 ; τ . αἷμα τοῦ σ ., Col_1:20 . Metaph ., in proverbial sayings: αἴρειν (λαμβάνειν , βαστάζειν ) τὸν σ ., Mat_10:38 ; Mat_16:24 , Mar_8:34 ; Mar_10:21 , Mar_15:21 , Luk_9:23 ; Luk_14:27 (for an interesting ex . of metaph . use in Papyri, v. MM , xxiii) By meton ., for Christ's death on the Cross: 1Co_1:17 , Gal_5:11 ; Gal_6:12 ; Gal_6:14 , Eph_2:16 , Php_3:18 ; ὁ λόγος ὁ τοῦ σ ., 1Co_1:18 .†

σταυρός [page 586] cross. The metaph. use of σταυρός in Luk_9:23 , ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καθ᾽ ἡμέραν , finds an interesting illustration in a Christian prayer of iv/v A.D., P Oxy VII, 1058 .2 ὁ θ (εὸ )ς τῶν παρακειμένων σταυρῶν , βοήθησον τὸν δοῦλόν σου Ἀπφοῦαν , O God of the crosses that are laid upon us, help thy servant Apphouas (Ed.). God is apparently thought of as at once the sender and mitigator of trials (Ed.). In P Lond 1917 .6 ( c. A.D. 330 40) the writer calls upon his correspondent ὅπως ἐφάρῃς τὰς χῖράς σ [ου πρὸς τὸν δεσ ]πότην θαιὸν ὡς τοίπως σ̣ταυρῷ , that you may lift up your hands to our Master God, in the semblance of a cross : see the editor s note and cf. 19 . The sign of the cross is frequently prefixed to Christian letters, e.g. P Iand I. 16 (v/vi A.D.), and in the late P Lips I. 90 10 (Byz.) the scribe states that he has written the document for the original sender, but that the latter has affixed three authenticating crosses with his own hand ἔγραψα ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ γράμματα μὴ ἰδότος βαλόντος δὲ τῇ ἰδίᾳ αὐτοῦ χειρὶ τοὺς τρεῖς τιμίους σταυρούς †. A wall-scratching from Egypt, Preisigke 2273, shows Σταῦρος δῶν Χριστιανῶν .

σταυρός σταυρός, οῦ, ὁ, [Etym: στῆναι] "an upright pale or stake", Hom. , etc.: of "piles" driven in to serve as a foundation, Hdt. , Thuc. "the Cross", NTest. : its form was represented by the Greek letter Τ, Luc.

σταυρός, -oῦ, ὁ __1. an upright pale or stake (Hom., Hdt., Thuc., al.) __2. In late writers (Diod., Plut., al.) of the Roman instrument of crucifixion, the Cross: of the Cross on which Christ suffered, Mat.27:32, 40 27:42, Mrk.15:21, 30 15:32, Luk.23:26, Jhn.19:17, 19 19:25, 31, Col.2:14, Heb.12:2; θάνατος σταυροῦ, Php.2:8; τ. αἷμα τοῦ σ., Col.1:20. Metaphorical, in proverbial sayings: αἴρειν (λαμβάνειν, βαστάζειν) τὸν σ., Mat.10:38 16:24, Mrk.8:34 10:21, 15:21, Luk.9:23 14:27 (for an interesting ex. of metaphorically use in π., see MM, xxiii) By meton., for Christ's death on the Cross: 1Co.1:17, Gal.5:11 6:12, 14, Eph.2:16, Php.3:18; ὁ λόγος ὁ τοῦ σ., 1Co.1:18.† (AS)