Greek word · G4628

σκέλος

skelos

leg

The leg, from hip to foot, often the lower leg or shin in particular.

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

σκέλος, -ους, τό

[in LXX for רֶגֶל, etc. ;]

the leg from the hip downwards: ?John 19:3-33 †

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of John 19:32

Range of meaning

The leg, from hip to foot, often the lower leg or shin in particular.

Against the English

'Legs' is accurate. The Latin equivalent crus (as in crurifragium) means the shin, which matches the practice.

Used elsewhere in the period

Common in medical and everyday Greek. In the NT it appears only in John 19:31–33.

From the study of John 19:33

Range of meaning

The leg, especially from the hip or knee down. It covers the shin bones, where the blow of crurifragium landed.

Against the English

'Legs' is accurate. The point is that these were the bones a crucified person relied on to push up against the nail or footrest and relieve the strain on his body. Breaking them took away that support.

Used elsewhere in the period

A common Greek anatomical word, also found in the Septuagint (the ancient Greek Old Testament), e.g. Leviticus 11:21 for locusts' jumping legs. In the New Testament it occurs only in John 19:31, 32 and 33.

Where it appears

John · 3

  1. John 19:31 σκέλη legs

    It was the day of Preparation, and the next day was a High Sabbath. In order that the bodies would not remain on the cross during the Sabbath, the Jews asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies removed.

    Here: The legs from the hip down, especially the shins. These were the bones struck in the Roman practice later called crurifragium ('leg-breaking').

  2. John 19:32 σκέλη legs

    So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and those of the other.

    Here: The leg, especially the lower leg and shin. In the New Testament it appears only in this scene (vv. 31, 32, 33).

  3. John 19:33 σκέλη, legs,

    But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

    Here: 'Legs.' The same word as in verse 32. Breaking the lower legs was the standard way to speed up death on a cross. This is the only place it occurs in the New Testament, apart from verses 31 and 32.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.