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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Mark 15:21 - 15:21
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mar_15:21
21They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross.
Mar_15:21 "pressed into service" This is a Persian loan word used of official confiscation of property or conscription of workers for governmental use.
NASB "a passer-by coming from the country"
NKJV "as he was coming out of the country"
NRSV "a passer-by, who was coming in from the country"
TEV "who was coming into the city from the country"
NJB "a passer-by. . .who was coming from the country"
Does this imply a person now living in Palestine or a visitor to the Passover? I think it refers to a pilgrim who was housed in the suburbs of Jerusalem who just happened to be walking by at the time. However, there were many from Cyrenaica (i.e., North Africa) who lived in Jerusalem. There was even a special synagogue for them (cf. Act_6:9). His children are mentioned who apparently were known by the early church (not in Jerusalem, but in Rome).
▣ "Simon of Cyrene" Cyrenaica was a province of North Africa. Cyrene was its capital. However, the name Simon is a Jewish name. We learn from Acts that there were many Jews from this area (cf. Act_2:10; Act_6:9; Act_11:20; Act_13:1). His racial identity is uncertain. There were black Jews from Solomon and the Queen of Sheba's day (i.e., Ethiopia).
▣ "the father of Alexander and Rufus" Obviously this specific description implies that Simon and/or his children became well known in the early church. Since Mark is written to Romans possibly the Rufus in Rom_16:13 is the same man.
▣ "cross" There are several possible shapes used by the Romans, T, X, t, or a scaffold holding several vertical beams. All of these shapes have been found by archaeological research as being used in first century Palestine.