ξύλον

ξύλον, ου, τό (Hom.+).

① wood as a plant substance in unmanufactured form, wood (the wood for the offering of Isaac linked typologically with the cross of Christ: Iren. 4, 5, 4 [Harv. II 157, 2]; Orig., C. Cels. 6, 70, 12) Dg 2:2; Ox 1 recto, 8 (ASyn. 171, 5; cp. GTh 77; s. λίθος 1). πᾶν ξ. θύϊνον every kind of citron wood Rv 18:12a. ξ. τιμιώτατον very precious wood vs. 12b. Pl. wood as building material (Diod S 5, 21, 5 κάλαμοι and ξύλα; PFlor 16, 23; Just., D. 86, 6 εἰς οἰκοδομήν; Tat. 37, 1) 1 Cor 3:12; for making cult images ξύλα κ. λίθους (Sextus 568; Tat.4, 2) together w. other materials 2 Cl 1:6; PtK 2 p. 14, 13 (Ath. 15, 1). As fuel (POxy 1144, 15 ξύλα εἰς θυσίαν; Gen 22:3, 6; Lev 1:7) MPol 13:1; Hs 4:4.

② object made of wood (of polytheists’ reverence for cult images: σέβονται λίθους καὶ ξύλα Theoph. Ant. 1, 10 [p. 80, 5])

ⓐ of a piece of wood designed for a specific purpose

α. a relatively long piece that can be set in the ground, pole (Diod S 5, 18, 4; Maximus Tyr. 2, 8b), as of the one on which Moses raised the brass serpent (Num 21:8f) B 12:7.

β. club, cudgel (Hdt. 2, 63; 4, 180; Polyb. 6, 37, 3; Herodian 7, 7, 4; PHal 1, 187; PTebt 304, 10; Jos., Bell. 2, 176, Vi. 233) pl. (w. μάχαιραι) Mt 26:47, 55; Mk 14:43, 48; Lk 22:52.

ⓑ a device for confining the extremeties of a prisoner, stocks (Hdt. 6, 75; 9, 37; Lysias 10, 16; Aristoph., Eq. 367; 394; 705; also Chariton 4, 2, 6; OGI 483, 181 [s. the note]; Job 33:11) τοὺς πόδας ἠσφαλίσατο αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ ξύλον he fastened their feet in the stocks Ac 16:24.

ⓒ a wooden structure used for crucifixion, cross (Alexis Com. [IV B.C.] 220, 10 ἀναπήγνυμι ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου; Philo, Somn. 2, 213; Just., A II, 3, 1 ξύλῳ ἐμπαγῆναι, D. 138, 2 διʼ ὕδατος καὶ πίστεως καὶ ξύλου; Iren. 1, 14, 6 [Harv. I 140, 10]; διὰ ξύλου θάνατος καὶ διὰ ξ. ζωή, θ. μὲν κατὰ τὸν Ἀδάμ, ζ. δὲ κατὰ τὸν χριστόν Orig., C. Cels. 6, 36, 28.—Outside the NT also ‘gallows’: the scholiast on Aristoph., Ran. 736 cites a proverb ἀπὸ καλοῦ ξύλου κἂν ἀπάγξασθαι=if you must hang yourself choose a decent tree; Esth 5:14; 6:4, reproduced Jos., Ant. 11, 246: a ξ. sixty cubits high is to be cut down. Most often OT refers to hanging or impalement of a criminal’s corpse on a post ἐπὶ (τοῦ) ξύλου Gen 40:19; Dt 21:22f; Josh 10:26).—ἡ βασιλεία Ἰησοῦ ἐπὶ ξύλῳ the reign of Jesus is based on the wood (of the cross) B 8:5, cp. vs. 1; 12:1 (fr. an apocr. prophetic writing, perh. 4 Esdr 5:5. S. UHolzmeister, Verb Dom 21, ’41, 69–73). κρεμάσαι ἐπὶ ξύλου hang on the cross Ac 5:30; 10:39. ὁ κρεμάμενος ἐπὶ ξύλου Gal 3:13 (Dt 21:23; cp, Mel., P. 70, 507; 104, 805 ἐπὶ ξύλου κρεμασθείς). καθελεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ ξ. take down fr. the cross (cp. Josh 10:27) Ac 13:29. πάσχειν ἐπὶ ξύλου B 5:13. τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἀναφέρειν ἐπὶ τὸ ξ. bear the sins on (or to) the cross, to destroy them on the cross 1 Pt 2:24=Pol 8:1.—WSvLeeuwen, NThSt 24, ’41, 68–81.

③ tree (this usage is perceptible in Eur., Hdt.; Ctesias [IV B.C.]: 688 Fgm. 45n p. 500 Jac., in Apollon. Paradox. 17 παρʼ Ἰνδοῖς ξύλον γίνεσθαι; Theophr., HP 5, 4, 7; Fgm. Iamb. Adesp. 17 Diehl; Plut., Lycurgus 47 [13, 7]; Harpocration s.v. ὀξυθυμία; PTebt 5, 205 [118 B.C.]; PFlor 152, 4; Gen 1:29; 2:9; 3:1ff; Is 14:8; Eccl 2:5; PsSol 11:5; GrBar 4:8, 16; ApcSed 8:3; Tat. 919, 3 ξύλῳ μαντικῷ) Dg 12:8. ὑγρόν, ξηρὸν ξ. a green, a dry tree Lk 23:31 (s. ξηρός 1 and cp. Polyaenus 3, 9, 7 ξύλα ξηρά [opp. χλωρά].—AHiggins, ET 57, ’45/46, 292–94). πάγκαρπον ξ. a tree bearing all kinds of fruit Dg 12:1. ξ. ἄκαρπον a tree without (edible) fruit (of the elm) Hs 2:3. ξύλῳ ἑαυτὸν συμβάλλειν compare oneself to a tree 1 Cl 23:4a; 2 Cl 11:3 (both script. quots. of unknown orig.). τὰ φύλλα τοῦ ξ. Rv 22:2b; καρπὸς τοῦ ξ. 1 Cl 23:4b. Of trees by watercourses B 11:6 (Ps 1:3). ξ. γνώσεως Dg 12:2a (cp. Gen 2:9, 17; ApcMos 7 al.; Did., Gen. 94, 16); ξ. (τῆς) ζωῆς (Gen 2:9; TestLevi 18:11; ApcEsdr 2:11 p. 26, 5 Tdf.; ApcSed 4:5; ApcMos 19, 22, 28; Did., Gen. 110, 26; τὰ δὲ δύο ξ. τὸ τῆς ζωῆς καὶ τὸ τῆς γνώσεως Theoph. Ant. 2, 24 [p. 156, 19]) Rv 2:7; 22:2a (RSchran, BZ 24, ’38/39, 191–98), 14, 19; Dg 12:2b (cp. vs. 3 and PsSol 14:3 ξύλα τῆς ζωῆς; s. ζωή 2bβ; LvSybel, Ξύλον ζωῆς: ZNW 19, 1920, 85–91; UHolmberg, D. Baum d. Lebens 1923; HBergema, De Boom des Levens in Scrift en Historie, diss. Hilversum ’38; CHemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in Their Local Setting ’89 [’86] 41–47; RAC II 1–34; VIII 112–41).—B. 50; 1385. DELG. M-M. EDNT. TW. Sv.