Matthew 27:32

The Crucifixion

27:32 As ¹  they were going out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, whom they forced ²  to carry his cross. ³ 

Matthew 4:18

The Call of the Disciples

4:18 As ⁴  he was walking by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen). ⁵ 

[27:32]  ¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[27:32]  ² tn Or “conscripted”; or “pressed into service.”

[27:32]  ³ 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. Mark 15:21 names him as father of two people apparently known to Mark’s audience.

[4:18]  ⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[4:18]  ⁵ tn The two phrases in this verse placed in parentheses are explanatory comments by the author, parenthetical in nature.