Simon from
Cyrene [a city in North Africa], the father of Alexander and
Rufus, was on his way in
[to Jerusalem] from the country
(the fields). They forced him
[according to Roman law] to carry Jesus' cross
[crossbeam].
[Simon is a typical Jewish name, which suggests that he was a jew who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. The expression that he came from the country, Gk. agros, has sometimes been interpreted as meaning that he worked in the fields. However, this is unlikely. According to Jewish Sabbath laws, it was forbidden to even inspect the fields on the Sabbath. The event also takes place before nine in the morning, long before the end of the working day, see . The same expression is used about the travelers to Emmaus to describe that they had left the city and were "on their way out to the country," see .
The fact that Simon's sons are mentioned by name is probably because they are known to the readers of the Gospel of Mark. In the Epistle to the Romans, Paul sends special greetings to Rufus and his mother, see . If it is the same Rufus, Simon's family later belonged to the congregation in Rom.]
