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.

And they compel one passing by, Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them , that he might bear his cross.

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

And they compel to go with them a certain passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, coming from the field, the father of Alexander and Rufus, that he might carry his cross.

And they constrain one Simon, a Cyrenian, who was passing by, coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.

And they impress a certain one passing by, Simon, a Cyrenian, coming from the field, the father of Alexander and Rufus, that he may bear his cross,

One Simon, a Cyrenaean, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing along, coming from the country: him they compelled to carry His cross.

And they made one, Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was going by, coming from the country, go with them, so that he might take his cross.

And they forced one passing by, Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them, that he might carry his cross.

And they compelled a certain passerby, Simon the Cyrenian, who was arriving from the countryside, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to take up his cross.

They led Jesus out to crucify him; and they compelled a passer-by, Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them to carry his cross.

A Cyrenian - One of Cyrene, a celebrated city in the Pentapolis of Libya.
The father of Alexander and Rufus - It appears that these two persons were well known among the first disciples of our Lord. It is not unlikely that this is the same Alexander who is mentioned, Acts 19:33, and that the other is the Rufus spoken of by St. Paul, Romans 16:13.

And they (3) compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.
(3) The rage of the wicked has no measure; meanwhile, even the weakness of Christ, who was in pain under the heavy burden of the cross, manifestly shows that a lamb is led to be sacrificed.

And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian,.... See Gill on Matthew 27:32;
who passed by; as they were leading Jesus to be crucified:
coming out of the country; from some country village hard by, according to the Syriac, and Vulgate Latin versions; or out of the field, as the Persic and Ethiopic: he might have been in the field, about some rural business; or, as Dr. Lightfoot conjectures, to fetch wood from thence, which was lawful to be done on a feast day, with some provisos, according to the Jewish canon, which runs thus (t);
"they may bring wood out of the field, (i.e. on a feast day, as this was,) of that which is gathered together, and out of a place that is fenced about, and even of that which is scattered abroad: what is a fenced place? whatever is near to a city, the words of R. Judah. R. Jose says, whatever they go into by a door, and even within the border of the sabbath.''
And according to the commentators (u), it must be wood that is gathered together, and that lies not in an open field, but in a fenced place, and this near the city; at least with in two thousand cubits, a sabbath day's journey.
The father of Alexander and Rufus; who were men well known when Mark wrote his Gospel, and very likely men of eminence among Christians: mention is made of Alexander in Acts 19:33 and of Rufus, in Romans 16:13, which some have thought the same as here; but whether they are or not, is not certain: however, they obliged "Simon"
to bear his cross: the cross of Christ, after him; See Gill on Matthew 27:32.
(t) Misn. Betza, c. 4. sect. 2. (u) Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. Vid. Maimon. Hilch. Yom Tob, c. 2. sect. 14.

They compel one Simon . . . to bear the cross. See notes on Matthew. 27:32-56. Mark's account is almost parallel. Compare Luke 23:26-49; John 19:17-30. Only Mark declares that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus. See Romans 16:13; 1-Timothy 1:20; Acts 19:33. Simon, while a native of Cyrene in North Africa, was a Jew.

The father of Alexander and Rufus - These were afterward two eminent Christians, and must have been well known when St. Mark wrote.