crucify

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The Greek that is translated into English as “crucify” is translated in various ways:

  • Naro: xgàu or “to stretch” (as is done with a skin after slaughtering in order to dry it. The word is also widely accepted in the churches.) (Source: Gerrit van Steenbergen)
  • Balinese / Toraja-Sa’dan: “stretch him” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Rendille: lakakaaha or “stretched and nailed down” (source: Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 33)
  • Ghari: “hammer to the cross” (source: David Clark)
  • Lambya: “to nail on a cross” (source: project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Loma: “fasten him to a spread-back-stick” (source: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Sundanese: “hang him on a crossbeam” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Aguaruna: “fasten him to the tree”
  • Navajo (Dinė): “nail him to the cross”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “fasten him to the cross” (source for this and two above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125)
  • Noongar: “kill on a tree” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Apali: “nail to a tree piece put cross-wise, lift up to stand upright (for the crucified person) to die (and in some contexts: “to die and rise again”)” (source: Martha Wade)

In British Sign Language it is signed with a sign that signifies “nails hammered into hands” and “arms stretched out.” (Source: Anna Smith)


“Crucify” or “crucifixion” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

See also the common sign language sign for Jesus.

Following is a painting by Wang Suda 王肅達 (1910-1963):

Housed by Société des Auxiliaires des Missions Collection – Whitworth University
(click image to enlarge)

Image taken from Chinese Christian Posters . For more information on the “Ars Sacra Pekinensis” school of art, see this article , for other artworks of that school in TIPs, see here.

Click or tap here to see a short video clip showing how crucifixion was done in biblical times (source: Bible Lands 2012)

See also cross, hang on a tree, and this devotion on YouVersion .

Christ carrying the cross (image)

Hand colored stencil print on washi by Sadao Watanabe (1987). Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe. For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.

Following is a painting by Kim Ki-chang (1913-2001):

Kim Ki-chang (pen name: Unbo) had been deaf and partially mute since the age of 7. He painted a series of 30 paintings for the “Life of Christ” cycle in 1952 during the Korean War. Kim portrayed Jesus as a seonbi / 선비, or a Joseon Period (1392-1910) gentleman scholar. For other images of Kim Ki-chang art works in TIPs, see here.

complete verse (John 19:16)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 19:16:

  • Uma: “Finally Pilatus offered/gave Yesus to them to be crucified. From there, soldiers took Yesus off to be crucified.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So-then Pilatus handed Isa over to them so that they nailed him on the post to kill (him).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then Pilate permitted that Jesus be nailed to the cross. And they brought Jesus” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “That being so, he handed-over Jesus to them to be nailed on the cross.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore Pilato then went along with the will of those Judio, in that he caused Jesus to be delivered to those who would nail him to a cross. The soldiers then took charge of Jesus.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “After this was said, Pilate delivered him to go and be put on the cross. The Jews took him.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on John 19:16

Pilate handed Jesus over to them is literally “he handed him over to them.” Good News Translation makes the first two pronominal references explicit. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch makes the third pronominal reference explicit also and transforms the passive verb be crucified into an active verb: “then Pilate handed him over to the soldiers for them to crucify him.” In the Greek text the nearest antecedent for them is the chief priests. However, Pilate could not have handed Jesus over to the priests for crucifixion, since crucifixion was a Roman type of punishment, which had to be carried out by Roman soldiers. In Matthew and Mark the statement that Pilate/he … handed him over to be crucified (Matt 27.26; Mark 15.15) is immediately followed by a reference to Pilate’s/The soldiers (Matt 27.27; Mark 15.16), who take Jesus off to mock him and beat him. Consequently, it is evident that Pilate handed Jesus over to the Roman soldiers. In Luke (23.25) and John (19.16) Pilate’s action in handing Jesus over is not followed by the mocking of Jesus by the Roman soldiers, and therefore it is unclear to whom the pronoun them refers in these two Gospels. Although the soldiers are mentioned later on in the crucifixion scene (Luke 23.36; John 19.23), it may be that both Luke and John have intentionally left it unclear to whom Jesus was handed over, in order to suggest that the crowd (Luke 23.20) or The chief priests (John 19.16) were responsible for Jesus’ crucifixion. New English Bible translates “Then at last, to satisfy them, he handed Jesus over to be crucified,” New American Bible renders “In the end, Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified,” but adds this note: “… according to the sequence this would seem to mean ‘handed him over to the chief priests….’ ”

Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch takes the unexpressed subject of the Greek verb “they took charge” to be Roman soldiers: “the soldiers took charge of Jesus.” A literal translation of they took charge of Jesus could be misunderstood to mean “they took care of Jesus.” In some languages the most satisfactory equivalent is “they led Jesus off” or “the soldiers led Jesus away.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .