John 19:17

The phrase "βαστάζων ἑαυτῷ" (bastazōn heautō) translates to "bearing to his own self" or "carrying to himself" or with the accusative "the Stake": bearing the stake to his own self.

• "βαστάζων" (bastazōn) is the present active participle form of the verb "βαστάζω" (bastazō), which means "to carry" or "to bear."
• "ἑαυτῷ" (heautō) is the dative form of the reflexive pronoun "ἑαυτός" (heautós), which means "to his own self."

The whole phrase then, "βαστάζων ἑαυτῷ τὸν σταυρὸν" (bastazōn heautō ton stauro) would be:

"Carrying to his own self the stake."

Because ἑαυτῷ is not genitive, a translation of "carrying his own cross/stake" is therefore, for lack of any better way to put it, a lie. It is not "the Cross of himself" but rather "the Cross to himself."