The Life of Jesus in Harmony | Index

Simon a Cyrenian

"Simon of Cyrene." A Hellenistic Jew, born at Cyrene, on the N coast of Africa, who was present at Jerusalem at the time of the crucifixion of Jesus, either as an attendant at the feast (Acts 2:10) or as one of the numerous settlers at Jerusalem from that place (6:9).

Meeting the procession that conducted Jesus to Golgotha as he was returning from the country, he was pressed into service to bear the cross (Mt. 27:32; Mk 15:21; Lk 23:26) when Jesus Himself was unable to bear it any longer.

Mark describes him as the father of Alexander and Rufus, perhaps because this was the Rufus known to the Roman Christians (Rom 16:13), for whom he more specifically wrote.

Certain Gnostics believed that Simon suffered in the place of Jesus.