Greek word · G4957

συσταυρόομαι

systauroomai

to crucify with

To crucify together with someone; passive, to be crucified alongside. Literally used of the two men executed with Jesus (Matt 27:44; Mark 15:32; John 19:32). Paul uses it figuratively: Gal 2:19 'I have been crucified with Christ.'

Appears 4 times in 4 verses of the Greek New Testament.

What it means

συν-σταυρόω (Rec. συσ-), -ῶ,

to crucify together with: pass., with dative, John 19:32; id. before σύν, Matthew 27:44, Mark 15:32. Metaphorical, of the mystical death of the Christian with Christ: Romans 6:6, Galatians 2:20 (Eccl.).†

(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 Romans 6:6

Range of meaning

To crucify together with someone; passive, to be crucified alongside. Literally used of the two men executed with Jesus (Matt 27:44; Mark 15:32; John 19:32). Paul uses it figuratively: Gal 2:19 'I have been crucified with Christ.'

Against the English

Most versions say 'was crucified with him', which is good. KJV 'is crucified' uses an older English idiom for a completed state ('is gone', 'is come'), but modern readers can hear it as something happening now or habitually.

How it drifted

The phrase is often merged with calls to 'crucify yourself daily'. That language comes from Luke 9:23 ('take up his cross daily') and from the imperatives of Col 3:5. This verse does not command self-crucifixion. It reports a completed event that was done to the believer, in union with Christ's death.

Used elsewhere in the period

Not attested in surviving Greek before the New Testament. All its known early uses are tied to Jesus' crucifixion. The base word stauroō referred to the Roman penalty commonly used for slaves, rebels and the lowest classes (see Hengel, Crucifixion).

From the study of John 19:32

Range of meaning

To crucify together with someone; in the passive, to be crucified alongside someone.

Against the English

Translations render it 'crucified with', which is accurate.

Used elsewhere in the period

Used of the two men crucified with Jesus in Matt 27:44, Mark 15:32 and John 19:32. Paul uses it figuratively for believers ('I have been crucified with Christ', Gal 2:20; Rom 6:6). That figurative use is a later and different application. It is not in view here.

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 27:44 συσταυρωθέντες having been crucified

    In the same way, even the robbers who were crucified with Him berated Him.

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 15:32 συνεσταυρωμένοι crucified

    Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” And even those who were crucified with Him berated Him.

John · 1

  1. John 19:32 συσταυρωθέντος having been crucified with

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

    Here: 'Crucified together with', a compound of 'with' and 'crucify'. The past tense points back to verse 18, where they were crucified on either side of Jesus. Grammatically it describes 'the other', but in fact it fits both men.

Romans · 1

  1. Romans 6:6 συνεσταυρώθη, was crucified with [Him],

    We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

    Here: 'Was crucified together with [him]'. The tense describes a single completed event, and the voice is passive, so it was done to us. The 'with' prefix ties it to Christ's own crucifixion. It is the same word used of the bandits crucified beside Jesus.

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