Description
The nail was a thin piece of metal (usually iron) sharpened on one end. It served much the same purpose as a modern nail, attaching pieces of wood to each other or to the floor.
The spike for crucifixion was a fairly thick, pointed piece of iron. It was roughly 20 centimeters (8 inches) long and about the thickness of a man’s finger. Archaeological excavations in 1968 uncovered the remains of a crucified man. A metal spike was still lodged in an anklebone, passing through it from the side.
Translation
In a number of languages a distinction is made between relatively small nails and larger spikes. The latter would be appropriate when speaking of crucifixion and probably for the spikes used in gate construction in 1CH 22:3. The word chosen should indicate a spike strong enough that two or three of them would have held the weight of a man.
