G3586 — ξύλον (xylon)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G3586
Original: ξύλον
Transliteration: xylon
Pronunciation: xoo'-lon
Part of Speech: Neuter noun
Root: From another form of the base of ξύω (xyo, to scrape/shave) — timber as raw material
Occurrences: 17 unique verses (19 tokens) across 8 NT books
First Occurrence: Mat 26:47 — "and with him a great multitude with swords and staves (xylon)"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

Timber (as fuel or material); by implication a stick, club, or tree, or other wooden article or substance. From another form of the base of ξύω (xyo).

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Domain 3.006: Wood and Wood Products
Other words: ἄνθραξ (G440), θύϊνος (G2367), κάρφος (G2595), ξύλινος (G3585), ὕλη (G5208), φρύγανον (G5434)
Domain 3.002: Trees
Other words: ἀγριέλαιος (G65), δένδρον (G1186), ἐλαία (G1636), καλλιέλαιος (G2565), συκάμινος (G4807), συκῆ (G4808), φοῖνιξ (G5404)
Domain 6.006: Instruments Used in Punishment and Execution
Other words: σταυρός (G4716), φραγέλλιον (G5416)
Domain 6.007: Weapons and Armor
Other words: βέλος (G956), μάχαιρα (G3162), ῥομφαία (G4501), τόξον (G5115)
Domain 6.004: Instruments Used in Binding and Fastening
Other words: ἅλυσις (G254), δεσμός (G1199), πέδη (G3976)

Domain Neighbors (3.006 — Wood and Wood Products)¶

Strong's	Lemma	Total Verses	Primary KJV Translation(s)
G440	ἄνθραξ	1	coals
G2367	θύϊνος	1	thyine
G2595	κάρφος	5	mote
G3585	ξύλινος	2	of wood
G5208	ὕλη	1	a matter
G5434	φρύγανον	1	of sticks

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
tree	6	35.3%
staves	5	29.4%
a tree	3	17.6%
wood	2	11.8%
stocks	1	5.9%
the tree	1	5.9%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
1 Peter	1	1.0
Revelation	4	1.0
Galatians	1	0.7
Acts	4	0.4
Mark	2	0.3
Matthew	2	0.2
Luke	2	0.2
1 Corinthians	1	0.2

Usage is broadly distributed across 8 NT books with no single dominant author. Revelation has the highest count (4 occurrences), driven by the "tree of life" references. Acts has 4 occurrences, all in apostolic sermons about Christ's crucifixion. The Synoptic Gospels share the Gethsemane arrest narrative (staves). The word is absent from Paul's main epistles except Galatians (Deut 21:23 quotation) and 1 Corinthians (building materials).

Semantic Categories¶

1. Crucifixion / Hanging on a Tree¶

Acts 5:30 — "whom ye slew and hanged on a tree (xylon)"
Acts 10:39 — "whom they slew and hanged on a tree (xylon)"
Acts 13:29 — "they took him down from the tree (xylon)"
Gal 3:13 — "Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree (xylon)" (quoting Deut 21:23)
1 Pet 2:24 — "bare our sins in his own body on the tree (xylon)"

This is the most theologically concentrated usage. All five passages apply xylon to Christ's death, deliberately echoing the LXX of Deut 21:23 where H6086 (ets) is rendered ξύλον. The apostolic preference for xylon over stauros in these contexts connects the cross to the OT curse-formula.

2. Tree of Life (Eschatological)¶

Rev 2:7 — "will I give to eat of the tree (xylon) of life"
Rev 22:2 — "the tree (xylon) of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits"
Rev 22:14 — "that they may have right to the tree (xylon) of life"

These echo the LXX of Gen 2:9 and 3:22 where the tree of life is ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς. The bookend use — Genesis creation to Revelation restoration — marks the full arc of the concept.

3. Wooden Clubs / Staves (Weapons)¶

Mat 26:47 — "a great multitude with swords and staves (xylon)"
Mat 26:55 — "Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves (xylon)?"
Mar 14:43 — "a great multitude with swords and staves (xylon)"
Mar 14:48 — "Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves (xylon)?"
Luk 22:52 — "Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves (xylon)?"

The arrest narrative uses xylon for crude wooden weapons — clubs or cudgels. Consistently paired with μάχαιρα (machaira, sword) in all five parallels.

4. Building Material / Timber¶

1 Cor 3:12 — "gold, silver, precious stones, wood (xylon), hay, stubble"

Here xylon means raw timber as a building material, contrasted with precious and permanent materials in Paul's foundation metaphor.

5. Instrument of Restraint¶

Acts 16:24 — "made their feet fast in the stocks (xylon)"

The stocks (τὸ ξύλον) as a wooden restraining device — the punishment/binding sense reflected in Louw-Nida domain 6.004/6.006.

6. Green/Dry Tree (Proverbial)¶

Luk 23:31 — "if they do these things in a green tree (xylon), what shall be done in the dry?"

A proverbial use on the road to Calvary. The green tree (living/moist wood) versus dry tree (dead/combustible) creates a parabolic contrast.

7. Merchandise / Trade Goods¶

Rev 18:12 — "gold, and silver… and all thyine wood (xylon), and all manner vessels of ivory"

Xylon as a commercial commodity in the Babylon-fall merchandise catalogue.

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
μάχαιρα (machaira)	G3162	5x (29%)	"swords and staves" — arrest narrative
Ἰησοῦς (Iesous)	G2424	4x (24%)	Subject of arrest or crucifixion
ποιέω (poieo)	G4160	4x (24%)	"do these things" — Lk 23:31 and Acts sermons
κρεμάννυμι (kremannymi)	G2910	3x (18%)	"hanged on a tree" — crucifixion formula
ζωή (zoe)	G2222	3x (18%)	"tree of life" — Rev 2:7, 22:2, 22:14
ἀρχιερεύς (archiereus)	G749	3x (18%)	Chief priests in arrest/sermon contexts
λῃστής (leistes)	G3027	3x (18%)	"as against a thief" — arrest rebuke
ὄχλος (ochlos)	G3793	3x (18%)	"great multitude" — arrest scene
πρεσβύτερος (presbyteros)	G4245	3x (18%)	Elders present at arrest
γράφω (grapho)	G1125	2x (12%)	"it is written" — citing Deut 21:23
θεός (theos)	G2316	2x (12%)	"God of our fathers" — Acts sermons

Synonyms¶

ἐλαία (G1636) — olive tree (specific tree species)
φοῖνιξ (G5404) — palm tree/date palm
ὕσσωπος (G5301) — hyssop (plant/wood)
λίβανος (G3030) — frankincense (tree resin product)

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
עֵץ (ets)	H6086	tree, wood	OT equivalent — 288 occurrences covering all senses; xylon is its NT reflex through LXX
δένδρον (dendron)	G1186	tree, trees	Living growing tree; xylon = timber/wood/tree-as-object; dendron is never used for "hanging on a tree"
ῥάβδος (rhabdos)	G4464	staves	Rod, staff, scepter — a shaped implement; xylon = raw club/cudgel
בַּד (bad)	H905	staves	OT carrying poles (of the ark); different from xylon's club sense

Semantic Domains¶

[003] Plants — tree as botanical entity (Rev 2:7, 22:2,14)
[006] Artifacts — wood as worked material (1 Cor 3:12, Rev 18:12, Acts 16:24)

Hebrew Source¶

Hebrew Source	Strong's	Co-occurrences	PMI Score
עֵץ (ets)	H6086	219	33.69
אֶרֶז (erez)	H730	23	16.13
שִׁטָּה (shittah)	H7848	13	15.35
אֶבֶן (eben)	H68	37	14.21
פְּרִי (periy)	H6529	22	13.67
תָּלָה (talah)	H8518	11	13.25

H6086 (ets) is the overwhelming primary source with 219 LXX co-occurrences. The talah (H8518, "to hang/suspend") connection is significant — Deut 21:23 uses both ets and talah, and the NT "hanged on a tree" passages use both xylon and kremannymi (G2910).