Crucify
This is the term used most often when referring to the method of death of the
precious Lamb of YAHWEH, Yahshua MessiYah. The history and true origin of many
of the words commonly used today are considered or even thought about by many of
us.
This word is not a Hebrew word and is not found anywhere in Scriptures in the
Old Covenant. Our Father YAHWEH used simple terms with pure meanings such as put
to death or stoned. We the called out assembly of YAHWEH must learn to examine
the words that we use and know the true definition and meaning. Let us return to
the way of our Father YAHWEH and put away all heathen and pagan idols and words
that represent the heathen ways.
The following information is taken directly from the Strongs Greek Lexicon.
GREEK LEXICON -- STRONG'S NUMBER 4716
4716 stauros {stow-ros'} from the base of 2476;
AV -- cross (28)
1) an upright stake, esp. a pointed one
2) a cross
2a) a well known instrument of most cruel and ignominious punishment,
borrowed by the Greeks and Romans from the Phoenicians; to it were affixed among
the Romans, down to the time of Constantine the Great, the guiltiest criminals,
particularly the basest slaves, robbers, the authors and abetters of
insurrections, and occasionally in the provinces, at the arbitrary pleasure of
the governors, upright and peaceable men also, and even Roman citizens
themselves; This horrible punishment the innocent YAHSHUA also suffered.
2b) the crucifixion which Messiyah underwent.
GREEK LEXICON -- STRONG'S NUMBER 4717
4717 stauroo {stow-ro'-o} staurovw from 4716;
AV -- crucify (46)
1) to stake, drive down stakes
2) to fortify with driven stakes, to palisade: a place
3) to crucify
3a) to crucify one
3b) metaph. to crucify the flesh, destroy its power utterly (the nature of
the figure implying that the destruction is attended with intense pain)
crucifixion was in use among the Egyptians, Gen. 40:19, the Carthaginians, the
Persians, Est. 7:10, the Assyrians, Scythians, Indians, Germans, and from the
earliest times among the Greeks and Romans. Whether this mode of execution was
known among the ancient Jews is a matter of dispute. Probably the Jews borrowed
it from the Romans. It was unanimously considered the most horrible form of
death. Among the Romans the degradation was also a part of the infliction, and
the punishment if applied to freemen was used only in the case of the vilest
criminals. The one being crucified was stripped naked of all his clothes, and
then followed the most awful moment of all. He was laid down upon the implement
of torture. His arms were stretched along the cross beams, and at the centre of
the open palms the point of a huge iron nail was placed, which, by the blow of a
mallet, was driven home into the wood. Then through either foot separately, or
possibly through both together, as they were placed one over the other, another
huge nail tore its way through the quivering flesh. Whether the sufferer was
also bound to the cross we do not know, but to prevent the hands and feet being
torn away by the weight of the body, which could not rest upon anything but four
great wounds", there was, about the centre of the cross, a wooden projection
strong enough to support at least in part, a human body, which soon became a
weight of human agony. Then the "accursed tree" with its living human burden was
slowly heaved up and the end firmly fixed in a hole in the ground. The feet were
but a little raised above the earth. The victim was in full reach of every hand
that might choose to strike. A death by crucifixion seems to have included all
that pain and death can have of the horrible and ghastly, -- dizziness, cramp,
thirst, starvation, sleeplessness, traumatic fever, tetanus, publicity of shame,
long continuance of torment, horror of anticipation, mortification of untended
wounds, all intensified just up to the point which they can be endured at all,
but stopping just short of the point which would give the sufferer the relief of
unconsciousness. The unnatural position made every movement painful; the
lacerated veins and crushed tendons throbbed with incessant anguish; the wounds,
inflamed by exposure, gradually gangrened; the arteries, especially of the head
and the stomach, became swollen and oppressed with surcharged blood; and, while
each variety of misery went on gradually increasing, there was added to them the
intolerable pang of a burning raging thirst. Such was the death to which
Messiyah was doomed. The crucified was watched, according to custom, by a party
of four soldiers, John 19:23, with their centurion, Mat. 27:66, whose express
office was to prevent the stealing of the body. This was necessary from the
lingering character of the death, which sometimes did not occur even for three
days, and was at last the result of gradual benumbing and starvation. But for
this guard, the persons might have been taken down and recovered, as was
actually done in the case of three friends of Josephus. Only one survived, in
spite of the care. Fracture of the legs was especially adopted by the Jews to
hasten death. John. 19:31. In most cases the body was suffered to rot on the
cross by the action of the sun and rain, or to be devoured by birds and beasts.
Burial was generally therefore forbidden; but in consequence of Dt. 21:22,23, an
express natural exception was made in favour of the Jews. Mat. 27:58. This form
of punishment was abolished by Constantine.