21
AndΚαὶthey compelἀγγαρεύουσινa passerby,παράγοντάa certainτιναSimonΣίμωναof Cyrene,Κυρηναῖονcomingἐρχόμενονfromἀπ’the country,ἀγροῦthe fatherτὸν πατέραof AlexanderἈλεξάνδρουandκαὶRufus,Ῥούφουtoἵναcarryἄρῃhis cross.τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ
Mark 15:21
Study it in the app“And they compel a passerby, a certain Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.”
With the Greek beneath
Mark 15:21, word by word
- they compelἀγγαρεύουσινangareuousin
force into service
Force someone to carry a load or do a service, as soldiers could do.
Where else “angareuousin” appears- a passerbyπαράγοντάparagonta
pass by
To go along near someone or something, without stopping.
Where else “paragonta” appears- SimonΣίμωναSimōna
Simon
Simon: the name of several men in the New Testament. The most often named is Simon Peter; also Simon the Zealot, one of the Twelve; Simon, a brother of Jesus; Simon of Cyrene; Simon the leper; a Pharisee; the magician of Samaria; the tanner of Joppa; and the father of Judas Iscariot.
Where else “Simōna” appears- of CyreneΚυρηναῖονKyrēnaion
Cyrenian
From Cyrene, a city in North Africa.
Where else “Kyrēnaion” appears- comingἐρχόμενονerchomenon
come
To move to where someone is or to a place, and be present there.
Where else “erchomenon” appears- the countryἀγροῦagrou
countryside
Rural land, outside the city.
Where else “agrou” appears- the fatherπατέραpatera
parents
A family's father; sometimes father and mother.
Where else “patera” appears- of AlexanderἈλεξάνδρουAlexandrou
Alexander
Alexander, a man's name.
Where else “Alexandrou” appears- RufusῬούφουRhouphou
Rufus
Rufus, a man's name.
Where else “Rhouphou” appears- carryἄρῃarēi
carry
To bear something on oneself: "take up his cross".
Where else “arēi” appears- his crossσταυρὸνstauron
cross
The wooden beam on which the Romans nailed those condemned to death.
Where else “stauron” appears
Parallel passages
Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.
Simon of Cyrene carries the cross
See them side by side
Mark 15:21
21And they compel a passerby, a certain Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.
32As they were going out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; this man they compelled to carry his cross.
26And as they led him away, they seized a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, coming from the country, and put the cross on him to carry it behind Jesus.
The context
20And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple and put his own clothes on him. And they lead him out to crucify him.
21 · This verse (above)
22And they bring him to the place Golgotha, which is translated Place of a Skull.
To study Mark 15 in a group
1. What it says
What was written in the charge placed over Jesus on the cross (v. 26)?
2. What it means
What did the centurion say on seeing how Jesus died (v. 39)?
3. How I live it
Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry the cross (v. 21). How can you help carry someone's load today?