The Wooden Pole
As they were going out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon. They pressed him into service to carry his stake.
The word *stauros* is rendered "stake" rather than "cross" in keeping with the PT's consistent word choice, as the primary classical meaning refers to an upright post or stake. The verb *ēggareusan* (from *angareuō*) means to compel or conscript someone into service by force — a Roman military practice of requisitioning labour — translated here as "pressed him into service" to preserve that coercive force.
Berean Standard Bible
BSB and T4T shown with Greek annotations — · Why we show the Greek →
32Along the way they found a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the σταυρός · staurosPrimary classical Greek meaning: upright stake or pole. Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon, Oxford. of Jesus.
King James Version
BSB and T4T shown with Greek annotations — · Why we show the Greek →
32And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his σταυρός · staurosPrimary classical Greek meaning: upright stake or pole. Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon, Oxford..
Goodspeed New Testament
BSB and T4T shown with Greek annotations — · Why we show the Greek →
32As they went out of the city they came upon a Cyrenian named Simon, and they forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.
Translation for Translators
T4T was designed as a tool for Bible translators, not as a devotional text. It makes implicit meaning explicit and flags figurative language with abbreviations. Gold [brackets] indicate translation notes. ◄Triangles► mark alternative renderings.Read more about how to read T4T →BSB and T4T shown with Greek annotations — · Why we show the Greek →
32After Jesus carried his σταυρός · staurosPrimary classical Greek meaning: upright stake or pole. Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon, Oxford. a short distance, the soldiers saw a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene city. They forced him to carry the σταυρός · staurosPrimary classical Greek meaning: upright stake or pole. Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon, Oxford. for Jesus.
Berean Standard Bible
Goodspeed New Testament
BSB and T4T shown with Greek annotations — · Why we show the Greek →
Along the way they found a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the σταυρός · staurosPrimary classical Greek meaning: upright stake or pole. Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon, Oxford. of Jesus.
As they went out of the city they came upon a Cyrenian named Simon, and they forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.
Berean Standard Bible
Goodspeed New Testament
King James Version
BSB and T4T shown with Greek annotations — · Why we show the Greek →
Along the way they found a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the σταυρός · staurosPrimary classical Greek meaning: upright stake or pole. Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon, Oxford. of Jesus.
As they went out of the city they came upon a Cyrenian named Simon, and they forced him to carry Jesus’ cross.
And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his σταυρός · staurosPrimary classical Greek meaning: upright stake or pole. Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon, Oxford..
SBL
32
Ἐξερχόμενοι come out ἐξέρχομαι exérchomai from G1537 (ἐκ) and G2064 (ἔρχομαι); to issue (literally or figuratively) come (forth, out), depart (out of), escape, ge δὲ and δέ dé a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc. also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in Eng εὗρον find εὑρίσκω heurískō a prolonged form of a primary , which (together with another cognate form) is used for it in all the tenses except the p ἄνθρωπον man ἄνθρωπος ánthrōpos from G435 (ἀνήρ) and (the countenance; from G3700 (ὀπτάνομαι)); man-faced, i.e. a human being certain, man Κυρηναῖον belonging to Cyrene Κυρηναῖος Kyrēnaîos from G2957 (Κυρήνη); i.e. Cyrenæan, i.e. inhabitant of Cyrene of Cyrene, Cyrenian ὀνόματι name ὄνομα ónoma from a presumed derivative of the base of G1097 (γινώσκω) (compare G3685 (ὀνίνημι)); a name (literally or figuratively) Σίμωνα Simon Σίμων Símōn of Hebrew origin (H08095); Simon (i.e. Shimon), the name of nine Israelites Simon · τοῦτον this οὗτος hoûtos from the article G3588 (ὁ) and G846 (αὐτός); the he (she or it), i.e. this or that (often with article repeated) he (it ἠγγάρευσαν impress ἀγγαρεύω angareúō of foreign origin (compare H0104); properly, to be a courier, i.e. (by implication) to press into public service compel ἵνα so that ἵνα hína probably from the same as the former part of G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ) (through the demonstrative idea; compare G3588 (ὁ)); in orde ἄρῃ raise αἴρω aírō a primary root; to lift up; by implication, to take up or away; figuratively, to raise (the voice), keep in suspense (th τὸν the ὁ ho the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom) the, this, that, one, he, she, σταυρὸν stauros (stake) σταυρός staurós from the base of G2476 (ἵστημι); a stake or post (as set upright), i.e. (specially), a pole or stauros (stake) (as an instrument o αὐτοῦ he αὐτός autós from the particle (perhaps akin to the base of G109 (ἀήρ) through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive .
Along the way they found a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the stauros (stake) of Jesus.
Where the New Testament uses stauros, this site shows the Greek word alongside its primary classical meaning in brackets. Stauros meant stake or upright stake in classical Greek — the Liddell-Scott-Jones lexicon (Oxford University Press) lists this as its first definition, citing Homer and Herodotus. The word itself does not specify material; wood is implied by the context of the era, not encoded in the Greek term.
Where the New Testament uses xylon, this site shows the Greek word alongside its meaning of tree or wood — xylon does specify material, and is already translated as tree by the NIV, ESV, and KJV in Acts 5:30, Galatians 3:13, and 1 Peter 2:24.
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Sources
SBL Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)License
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
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