Mark 15 21

Mark 15:21 kjv

And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.

Mark 15:21 nkjv

Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross.

Mark 15:21 niv

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.

Mark 15:21 esv

And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.

Mark 15:21 nlt

A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene, was coming in from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross. (Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.)

Mark 15 verses

Mark 15 21 Meaning

Mark 15:21 recounts a pivotal moment during Jesus' journey to Golgotha, revealing His extreme physical weakness and the brutality of Roman authority. As Jesus was led away to be crucified, He could no longer bear the weight of His cross. The Roman soldiers, exercising their right of impressment, compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was returning from the countryside, to carry Jesus' cross for Him. The detail that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus suggests these individuals were known to Mark's original audience, indicating that Simon's forced encounter likely led to him and his family becoming significant figures in the early Christian community, particularly in Rome. This verse marks the physical transfer of the immense burden of the cross to another individual, a seemingly ordinary man forced into an extraordinary divine appointment.

Mark 15 21 Context

Mark 15:21 is set in the immediate aftermath of Jesus' condemnation by Pilate and His scourging by the Roman soldiers. Following mockings and physical abuse in the Praetorium, Jesus is led out to be crucified at Golgotha. The journey would have been a public spectacle, intended to humiliate and deter others. Crucifixion was a horrific and shameful form of Roman execution reserved for slaves, rebels, and the lowest criminals. The condemned was usually forced to carry the patibulum (the horizontal beam) of the cross to the execution site. Jesus, having endured severe scourging and sleep deprivation, was in a severely weakened state, likely collapsing under the weight, necessitating someone else to bear the cross. Simon of Cyrene was a foreign Jew or proselyte, coming into Jerusalem from the country, possibly for the Passover feast, making him an unexpected, innocent bystander. His compelling to carry the cross highlights the Roman arbitrary power and Jesus' physical debilitation as His Passion continues to unfold.

Mark 15 21 Word analysis

• And they compelled (καὶ ἀγγαρεύουσιν - kai angareuousin): The Greek verb ἀγγαρεύω (angareuō) refers to forced impressment or compulsory service. Originally derived from a Persian term for mounted couriers who could requisition transport, it was later adopted by the Roman legal system for forced service, such as demanding a private citizen's animal or service. This was an authoritative act, showing the full weight of Roman power and the soldiers' complete disregard for individual rights. It also echoes Jesus' teaching in Matt 5:41 about going the second mile when compelled.
• a passerby (παραπορευόμενόν - paraporeuomenon): This term emphasizes Simon's role as an innocent, uninvolved bystander. He was not part of the procession nor had he committed any offense. He was simply passing by, highlighting the random and involuntary nature of his involvement.
• Simon (Σίμων - Simon): A common Jewish name. His origin from Cyrene, rather than his Jewish ethnicity, is emphasized, making him an "outsider" in the eyes of the Jerusalem crowd and Roman authorities.
• of Cyrene (Κυρηναῖον - Kurēnaion): Cyrene was a significant city in North Africa (modern-day Libya), with a substantial Jewish diaspora population. Jews from Cyrene had a synagogue in Jerusalem (Acts 6:9). This detail confirms Simon's background as a non-local, potentially a pilgrim or resident of the Jewish diaspora, reinforcing his status as an external individual suddenly thrust into the pivotal moment of history.
• who was coming in from the country (ἐρχόμενον ἀπ᾽ ἀγροῦ - erchomenon ap' agrou): This indicates he was not from Jerusalem itself but from a rural area or had been out in the fields, perhaps for agricultural reasons or pilgrimage-related activities. This reinforces his innocent, unprepared nature for the event he encountered.
• the father of Alexander and Rufus (πατέρα Ἀλεξάνδρου καὶ Ῥούφου - patera Alexandrou kai Rhouphou): This unique Markan detail is crucial. It suggests that Alexander and Rufus were well-known individuals within the early Christian community, particularly the Roman church (as hinted by Rom 16:13's mention of Rufus, perhaps the same individual). Mark includes this parenthetical information because his audience would immediately recognize Simon through his prominent Christian sons, giving historical validation and personal connection to the account. This also implies Simon's eventual conversion and his family's role in the spread of the Gospel.
• to carry His cross (ἵνα ἄρῃ τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ - hina arē ton stauron autou): To carry the cross was the ultimate burden and symbol of public shame and execution. Simon was made to bear not just a physical burden, but the instrument of Christ's agony and the very symbol that would become central to the Christian faith. It connects directly to Jesus' teaching about discipleship where one must "take up his cross" (Mk 8:34), here literally fulfilled by Simon. It symbolizes God's providential working even through involuntary means, turning forced labor into a sacred act.

• "they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene": This phrase starkly highlights Roman authority's cold exercise of power against an innocent bystander, forcing him into a task for the Roman state. It also shows Jesus' extreme physical exhaustion, as He could no longer bear the cross.
• "who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus": These descriptive details root the account in historical reality. Simon's country origin underscores his lack of connection to the city's unfolding drama, while mentioning his well-known sons indicates that Mark's original readers would recognize the historical figures and the significance of their father's unplanned encounter with Christ.
• "to carry His cross": This simple yet profound command transferred the ultimate physical burden from the suffering Christ to a random man. Spiritually, it signifies the beginning of the burden of the Cross becoming central to human experience and calling, foreshadowing the discipleship command to carry one's own cross.

Mark 15 21 Bonus section

• Simon of Cyrene's identity being known to Mark's audience suggests a deliberate inclusion by Mark to authenticate the narrative and connect the historical Passion to the lived experience of early believers, many of whom were in Rome, where Rufus and his mother (Rom 16:13) were significant figures.
• While Peter denied Jesus, and other disciples fled, Simon, a mere passerby, was thrust into direct service of Christ's journey to the cross. He became a primary, immediate eyewitness and participant in a uniquely intimate way with Jesus' final steps.
• The incident highlights the physical extent of Jesus' suffering – He was not only willing to die but physically broken and exhausted beyond the capacity to perform even the customary act required of the condemned.
• The irony of Roman power, intended to humiliate and destroy Jesus, inadvertently leading to the carrying of the very symbol that would become the church's emblem and a source of strength for believers.

Mark 15 21 Commentary

Mark 15:21 offers a profound intersection of human suffering, Roman oppression, and divine providence. Jesus, scourged and severely weakened, literally collapses under the weight of the cross, symbolizing the crushing burden of humanity's sin He was bearing. The Romans, in their efficiency and brutality, press Simon, an unknown foreigner, into service, demonstrating the absolute lack of dignity afforded the condemned and the arbitrary nature of imperial power. Yet, in this coerced act lies deep spiritual significance. Simon, a Gentile, or at least a Diaspora Jew, forced to carry the instrument of Christ's execution, becomes the first to literally "take up the cross" and follow Jesus on the path to Golgotha, thus prefiguring the universal call to discipleship where believers must voluntarily bear their own crosses after Christ. The identification of his sons suggests this unwilling participation transformed Simon and his family into faithful followers, showing how God can redeem even forced circumstances for His greater redemptive purposes, turning an act of Roman coercion into a foundational event for the nascent church. It serves as a reminder that burdens, even when unwelcome, can become paths to unforeseen grace and profound identification with Christ's journey.