Mark 1:16

1:16 As he went along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen). ¹ 

Mark 2:14

2:14 As he went along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax booth. ²  “Follow me,” he said to him. And he got up and followed him.

Mark 15:21

The Crucifixion

15:21 The soldiers ³  forced ⁴  a passerby to carry his cross, ⁵  Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country ⁶  (he was the father of Alexander and Rufus).

[1:16]  ¹ sn This is a parenthetical comment by the author.

[2:14]  ² tn While “tax office” is sometimes given as a translation for τελώνιον (telwnion, so L&N 57.183), this could give the modern reader a false impression of an indoor office with all its associated furnishings.

[15:21]  ³ tn Grk “They”; the referent (the soldiers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:21]  ⁴ tn Or “conscripted”; or “pressed into service.”

[15:21]  ⁵ sn Jesus was beaten severely with a whip before this (the prelude to crucifixion, known to the Romans as verberatio, mentioned in Matt 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1), so he would have been weak from trauma and loss of blood. Apparently he was unable to bear the cross himself, so Simon was conscripted to help (in all probability this was only the crossbeam, called in Latin the patibulum, since the upright beam usually remained in the ground at the place of execution). Cyrene was located in North Africa where Tripoli is today. Nothing more is known about this Simon.

[15:21]  ⁶ tn Or perhaps, “was coming in from his field” outside the city (BDAG 15-16 s.v. ἀγρός 1).