noun · masculine
stauros
Strong’sG4716
a cross
stem staur-27 times in the New Testamentin 10 of 27 books4 of 10 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
σταυρός originally denoted a plain upright pale or stake, the ordinary word in earlier Greek for a post or stake set upright 13; Strong's likewise defines it as "a stake or post (as set upright)" 2.
In the New Testament the word means the cross, the Roman instrument of crucifixion, and specifically the cross on which Christ suffered and died 1234. From this it is used metaphorically in sayings about "taking up" or "bearing" the cross, referring to voluntary suffering or self-denial 123. By extension it is also used to stand for Christ's death on the cross itself, that is, for the atonement accomplished through it 12.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
* σταυρός, -οῦ, ὁ
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G4716 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidstow-ros'
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
Fromfrom the base of G2476;
King Jamescross.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
upright pale or stake, σταυροὺς ἐκτὸς ἔλασσε διαμπερὲς ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα πυκνοὺς καὶ θαμέας Refs 8th c.BC+; of piles driven in to serve as a foundation, Refs 5th c.BC+
II cross, as the instrument of crucifixion, NT+1st c.BC+; σ. λαμβάνειν, ἆραι, βαστάζειν, metaphorically of voluntary suffering, NT: its form was represented by the Greek letter T, Refs 2nd c.AD+
II.b pale for impaling a corpse, Refs 1st c.AD+
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | one singular | more than one plural |
|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | stauros1×σταυρὸς | staurois |
| object accusative | stauron10×σταυρὸν | stauroin |
| direct address vocative | stauror | stauroir |
| of, belonging to genitive | staurou12×σταυροῦ | stauroiu |
| to, for dative | stauro4×σταυρῷ | stauroi |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
stauro is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Words built on the same stem
Other words sharing the exact same stem — not merely related in meaning.
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
27 occurrences, every one of them listed
stauros“cross”subjectnominative singular1×
1 Corinthians 1:17… sofia logou, hina mē keniteia tos stauros tou Christou.… with words of wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its …
stauron“cross”objectaccusative singular10×
Matthew 10:38kai hos ouk labatō ton stauron autou kai akolouthatō opisō mu, ouk …… who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy …
Matthew 16:24… erchara, aparnetar heauton kai airatar ton stauron autou kai akolouthatōr mi.… deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
Matthew 27:32… Simōnon; houton angareuala hina airateia ton stauron autou.… they forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.
Mark 8:34… erchara, aparnetar heauton kai airatar ton stauron autou kai akolouthatōr mi.… deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
Mark 15:21… Alexandrou kai Roufou, hina airateia ton stauron autou.… soldiers forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.
Luke 9:23… erchorō, arnetar heauton kai airatar ton stauron autou kata hēmeran, kai akolouthatōr mi.… deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
Luke 14:27hotinos ouk bastazatō ton stauron heautou kai erchotō opisō mu, ouk …And whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My …
Luke 23:26… erchorōnton apo agrou epitithala auto ton stauron ferarō opisthen tou Iēsu.… the country, and they put the cross on him to carry behind Jesus.
John 19:17kai bastazarōntos heauto ton stauron exerchata eis ton legorōnton Kranieu Topon, …Carrying His own cross, He went out to The Place …
Hebrews 12:2… anti tau prokeiorōntau auto charau hupomenata stauron aischunau katafronarantos, en dexa tē tou …… joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down …
staurou“cross”of, belonging togenitive singular12×
Matthew 27:40… asō tou theou, katabainasar apo tou staurou.… of God, come down from the cross!”
Matthew 27:42… Israēl atō, katabainatar nun apo tou staurou kai pisteuani epi auton.… Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.
Mark 15:30sōzasar siauton katabainarantos apo tou staurou.come down from the cross and save Yourself!”
Mark 15:32… basilevos Israēl katabainatar nun apo tou staurou, hina horaneia kai pisteuaneia. kai tois …… Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and …
John 19:19… tos Pilatos kai tithata epi tou staurou; ate de graforēntem; Iēsus tos Nazōraios …… had a notice posted on the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE …
John 19:31… ate, hina mē menateia epi tou staurou teim sōmeim en te sabbate, ate …… bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath, the Jews asked …
1 Corinthians 1:18Tos logos gar tos tou staurou toi men apolorōntoi mōrias atō, toi …For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are …
Galatians 5:11… diōkomō? ara katargotē tem skandalem tou staurou.… that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.
Ephesians 2:16… hene sōme to theo dia tou staurou apoktenarantos tan echthran en auto;… God in one body through the cross, by which He put to death …
Philippians 2:8… generantos hupēkoos mechris thanatou, thanatou de staurou;… to death — even death on a cross.
Philippians 3:18… kai klaiarōntos legamō, toin echthroin tou staurou tou Christou,… Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Colossians 1:20… auton, eirēnopoiarantos dia teu haimeu tou staurou autou, dia autou eite teim epi …… peace through the blood of His cross.
stauro“cross”to, fordative singular4×
John 19:25Stēalelē de para to stauro tou Iēsu tas mētēras autou kai …Near the cross of Jesus stood His mother and …
Galatians 6:12… anankazalō vin peritemorō, monem hina to stauro tou Christou mē diōkoleiō;… this to avoid persecution for the cross of Christ.
Galatians 6:14… genetoia kauchorō ei mē en to stauro tou kuriou nu Iēsu Christou, dia …… I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through …
Colossians 2:14… ek teu meseu prosēlarantos autem to stauro;… it away, nailing it to the cross!