ξύλον G3586
Wood, tree, club, or stocks; any shaped or living wooden object, from the cross to cudgels to a carpenter's timber.
In the New Testament, this word spans the full life-cycle of wood—from the living tree to the cross on which Christ was hung. Luke preserves a proverb about green and dry wood (Luke 23:31), while Paul lists it among perishable building materials (1 Cor 3:12). Most strikingly, the apostolic preaching repeatedly calls the cross a 'tree' (Acts 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Gal 3:13; 1 Pet 2:24), deliberately echoing Deuteronomy's curse formula. In the Synoptic arrest scenes the same word denotes the clubs carried by the mob. French and German translations collapse most senses into 'bois' and 'Holz,' but Spanish carefully distinguishes 'árbol' (tree), 'palos' (clubs), and 'madero' (timber/cross).
Senses
1. tree — A tree, especially in the theological formula 'hanging on a tree' applied to Christ's crucifixion. All five Petrine and Pauline references (Acts 5:30, 10:39, 13:29; Gal 3:13; 1 Pet 2:24) use this word to invoke the Deuteronomic curse of Deut 21:22–23, reframing the cross as the accursed tree that bears salvation. Revelation's 'tree of life' (Rev 2:7; 22:2, 14) closes the canon's bookends with Eden. Spanish 'árbol' preserves the living-tree sense distinctly from 'madero.' 10×
AR["الخَشَبَةِ","الشَّجَرَةِ","خَشَبَةٍ","خَشَبَةِ","شَجَرَةُ","شَجَرَةِ"]·ben["কাঠে","কাঠের","কাঠের;","গাছের","বৃক্ষ","বৃক্ষে","বৃক্ষের"]·DE["Holz"]·EN["a-tree","tree"]·FR["bois"]·heb["הָ-עֵץ","עֵץ"]·HI["उत्पन्न-करता","और","काठ","क्रूस","नगर","लकदि;","वृक्ष"]·ID["kayu","kayu.","pohon"]·IT["legno"]·jav["kajeng,","kajeng.","kayu,","kayu.","kayu;","wit"]·KO["나무","나무-에","나무-위-에","나무;","나무가","나무에","나무에서","나무의"]·PT["madeiro","madeiro,","árvore"]·RU["дерева","дереве","дерево","деревом","древа","древе","древо,"]·ES["madero","árbol"]·SW["mti","mti,","mti."]·TR["ağaca","ağacın","ağacından","ağacının","ağaç","ağaçtan"]·urd["درخت","درخت-سے","درخت-کے","لکڑی","لکڑی،"]
2. clubs — Clubs or cudgels—wooden weapons wielded by hand. All five occurrences cluster in the Synoptic arrest narratives (Matt 26:47, 55; Mark 14:43, 48; Luke 22:52), where Jesus challenges the crowd: 'Have you come out with swords and clubs as against a robber?' Spanish 'palos' (sticks) captures the rough, improvised nature of these weapons, distinct from manufactured arms. 5×
AR["عِصِيٍّ"]·ben["লাঠির"]·DE["Holz"]·EN["clubs"]·FR["bois"]·heb["מַקְלוֹת","מַקֵּלוֹת"]·HI["लाठियों"]·ID["pentung","pentungan-pentungan"]·IT["legno"]·jav["penthung","penthung?","pentung"]·KO["몽둥이들","몽둥이들을-가지고","몽둥이들을-가진","몽둥이로"]·PT["paus"]·RU["кольями"]·ES["palos"]·SW["marungu"]·TR["sopalar","sopalarla"]·urd["لاٹھیوں","لاٹھیوں-کے"]
3. wood — Wood as a material or commodity—timber, lumber, or firewood. Paul ranks it among construction materials that will be tested by fire (1 Cor 3:12), Revelation lists it among luxury trade goods (Rev 18:12), and Jesus' green-wood/dry-wood proverb (Luke 23:31) trades on wood's combustibility. Spanish distinguishes 'madera' (lumber) from 'leño' (a log or billet), showing the material's varied commercial forms. 4×
AR["خَشَباً","خَشَبٍ","شَجَرَةِ"]·ben["কাঠ","কাঠ,","কাঠে","কাঠের"]·DE["Holz"]·EN["wood"]·FR["bois"]·heb["עֵץ","עֵצִים"]·HI["लकड़ी","लकड़ी-में"]·ID["kayu"]·IT["legno"]·jav["kajeng","kayu","kayu,"]·KO["나무","나무에서","나무의"]·PT["madeira"]·RU["дерева","дерево","деревом"]·ES["leño","madera","maderas"]·SW["kuni","kuni,","mti"]·TR["ağacı","ağacın","ağacına","saman"]·urd["لکڑی"]
4. stocks — Stocks—a wooden restraining device for prisoners, consisting of a frame that locked the feet in place. Used only in Acts 16:24 where the Philippian jailer fastened Paul and Silas' feet in the stocks after their arrest. Spanish 'cepo' (stocks/trap) preserves the instrument's specific identity, which French 'bois' and German 'Holz' obscure by defaulting to the generic material. 1×
AR["مِقطَرَةِ"]·ben["কাঠে"]·DE["Holz"]·EN["stocks"]·FR["bois"]·heb["סַד"]·HI["काठ"]·ID["balok"]·IT["legno"]·jav["kayu"]·KO["차꼽에"]·PT["tronco."]·RU["колоду"]·ES["cepo"]·SW["mbao"]·TR["tomruğa"]·urd["کاٹھ"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ξύλον [ῠ], τό (plural spelt ξύλεα Refs 5th c.BC+, wood cut and ready for use, firewood, timber, etc., Refs 8th c.BC+, mostly in plural, Refs 8th c.BC+; ξ. νήϊα ship-timber, Refs 8th c.BC+; ξ. τετράγωνα logs cut square, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 in plural, also, the wood-market, ἐπὶ ξύλα ἰέναι Refs 5th c.BC+ __II in singular, piece of wood, log, beam, post, once in Refs 8th c.BC+; ξ. σύκινον spoon made…