STAUROS

#stauros #cross #origin #usage #koinegreek

STAUROS

What a strange word #stauros is!

While studying Luke 9:23 I reread the dictionary entry for STAUROS which is "cross" in Greek.

... well it is ... now but its probably a distant cousin of stave and staff and originally it meant upright stake pole or part of a palisade or fence of wood. If stauros is not cognate to stave and staff it could be sta - standing plus ouros boundary hind end the upright thing that marks a edge?

The Greek verb is also an o-stem contract stauro+oo

Whatever its origin its meaning and usage has changed from poles and pieces of timber in Homer to a singular usage in Koine of a pole or piece of timber used for punishment.

I think we can blame the Romans love of cruel punishments for this one.

Latin has crux for cross so why did stauros be used to translate this?

How could Roman usage have  changed Greek?

I suspect its a case of semantic transfer via slang.

Executioners referring to criminals and rebels as being "staked" since crosses originally were a tau shape and maybe if there was a shortage of nails wooden stakes could have been used to fasten victims to the top bar.

When Jesus asked others to raise p a cross or piece of timber to follow him he was not just asking people to take on a heavy burden but pain and suffering.

Our "crosses to bear" fortunately is usually metaphors not actual torture equipment.

This is however also prophecy since we know several of the disciples and other early Christians were crucified by the Romans.

Our Holy Cross is a symbol of both suffering and protection.

Lent is coming and soon Easter. Contemplate the Cross.