Exploring the Meaning of Stauroo in Greek

σταυρόω means “to crucify,” appearing in passion predictions, courtroom demands, and narrative reports of Jesus’ death, as well as a broader warning about violent rejection. In these passages it marks a specific outcome being planned, demanded, carried out, or remembered.

Occurrences

Matthew 20:19: “and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, to scourge, and to crucify; and the third day he will be raised up.”

Here σταυρόω stands as one element in a sequence of actions that others will do to “him.” The wording places crucifixion alongside “mock” and “scourge,” framing it as the culminating act of humiliation and violence after a formal “hand[ing]…over to the Gentiles.” The clause that follows (“and the third day he will be raised up”) sets crucifixion in direct contrast with what comes after, so the verb functions as the low point in a foretold chain of events.

Matthew 23:34: “Therefore behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city;”

σταυρόω is used here not for Jesus’ case but for the treatment of those “I send to you.” The verb is paired with “kill” (“kill and crucify”), depicting crucifixion as a form of lethal hostility within a larger spectrum that also includes “scourge” and “persecute.” The future orientation (“you will”) makes it a predicted pattern of rejection enacted by the addressed group.

Matthew 26:2: ““You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.””

In this statement the verb is expressed as the purpose or outcome of being “delivered up.” The time marker (“after two days”) and the mention of Passover give the prediction a fixed horizon, while “will be delivered up to be crucified” presents crucifixion as the intended end of the delivery, not a mere possibility. The focus is less on the mechanics and more on the certainty of the outcome.

Matthew 27:22: “Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do to Jesus, who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let him be crucified!””

σταυρόω appears as a shouted demand in response to Pilate’s question about what action he should take. The imperative-like wording (“Let him be crucified!”) turns crucifixion into the crowd’s proposed “doing” to Jesus. It functions as their chosen resolution to the governor’s dilemma, placing public insistence at the center of the decision.

Matthew 27:23: “But the governor said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, saying, “Let him be crucified!””

The repetition of the demand highlights intensity: the people “cried out exceedingly.” Within the verse, crucifixion is set against Pilate’s question about wrongdoing (“What evil has he done?”), so the verb is used as a penalty being pressed even while the governor probes for justification. The word thus carries the force of an unyielding verdict urged by the crowd.

Matthew 27:26: “Then he released to them Barabbas, but Jesus he flogged and delivered to be crucified.”

σταυρόω here is embedded in a procedural sequence: release of one prisoner, flogging of Jesus, then delivery “to be crucified.” The verb expresses the endpoint of the governor’s action (“delivered”), while “he flogged” shows preparatory brutality preceding that endpoint. Crucifixion functions as the decisive disposition of Jesus’ case in this narrative moment.

Matthew 27:31: “When they had mocked him, they took the robe off him, and put his clothes on him, and led him away to crucify him.”

This occurrence places the verb at the end of a series of humiliations and transitions—mockery, removal of the robe, restoration of his clothes, and then physical movement. “Led him away to crucify him” portrays crucifixion as the destination toward which he is taken. The verb contributes the purpose of the escort and frames the preceding actions as immediate prelude.

Matthew 27:35: “When they had crucified him, they divided his clothing among them, casting lots,”

σταυρόω is used as a completed action (“had crucified him”), functioning as the temporal hinge for what follows. The dividing of clothing and casting lots occur after crucifixion is already accomplished, so the verb marks a grim transition: the execution is done, and attention turns to his possessions. In this scene the verb anchors the narrative in the fact of the act, not the demand or intention.

Matthew 27:38: “Then there were two robbers crucified with him, one on his right hand and one on the left.”

The verb expands the scene to include others: “two robbers” share the same fate “with him.” The spatial detail (“one on his right hand and one on the left”) uses crucifixion to define the arrangement of those executed, placing Jesus in the center of a trio. σταυρόω here contributes the shared circumstance and the visual layout of the event.

Matthew 28:5: “The angel answered the women, “Don’t be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified.”

σταυρόω appears as a descriptor identifying which Jesus the women are seeking: the one “who has been crucified.” The perfect-like phrasing (“has been crucified”) presents crucifixion as a completed, defining event in his recent story. The angel’s reassurance (“Don’t be afraid”) stands beside that identification, so the verb serves to name the Jesus in view without re-narrating the act.

Mark 15:13: “They cried out again, “Crucify him!””

In Mark’s account the verb is presented as a renewed shout (“again”), emphasizing persistence. The brief line puts the full weight of the crowd’s will into a single demand. σταυρόω here is not descriptive narration but the concentrated content of the cry.

Mark 15:14: “Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, “Crucify him!””

As in Matthew, the verb is pressed in response to Pilate’s question about evil. The phrase “cried out exceedingly” intensifies the scene, making crucifixion the crowd’s loud answer to a request for reasons. The verb functions as the proposed punishment that overrides inquiry and deliberation.

Sense and Usage

Across these passages, σταυρόω consistently names the act that others intend for Jesus, demand from the authorities, or carry out. In the predictive statements (Matthew 20:19; 26:2), the verb is tied to being “hand[ed]…over” or “delivered up,” showing crucifixion as the intended outcome of a transfer into hostile control. In the courtroom-like exchanges (Matthew 27:22–23; Mark 15:13–14), the word is the crowd’s chosen sentence, voiced as a direct imperative and intensified by repetition and volume (“again,” “cried out exceedingly”). In the narrative reports (Matthew 27:31, 35, 38), it supplies the purpose of the escort (“led him away to crucify him”), then marks the act as completed (“had crucified him”), and finally describes others undergoing the same act “with him,” giving the scene both its action and its arrangement.

Matthew 23:34 extends the verb beyond the passion narrative into a broader warning: crucifixion is one of the violent responses awaiting “prophets, wise men, and scribes.” In that context, the word is joined to other harms (“kill,” “scourge,” “persecute”), portraying crucifixion as part of a pattern of escalating rejection. Matthew 28:5 uses the verb not to recount the suffering but to identify Jesus by what has occurred: “Jesus, who has been crucified.” In these uses, σταυρόω can function as predicted fate, demanded sentence, executed action, shared punishment, or defining identifier—always retaining its core reference to crucifixion, while shifting in grammar and narrative role according to the scene.

Imagery

These verses repeatedly place σταυρόω at the junction between decision and deed: the shout “Crucify him!” becomes the procedural “delivered to be crucified,” and then the completed “had crucified him.” The word’s imagery is inseparable from public exposure and finality in the narrative flow, culminating in the stark identification of the one sought at the tomb as the one “who has been crucified.”

Sources: Lexical data from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and the Translators Brief Lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (STEPBible, CC BY). Occurrence data from the Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament (STEPBible, CC BY). Scripture quotations from the World English Bible (public domain).