And as they came out
Of the city; for no execution was made, neither in the court of
judicature, nor in the city, but at some distance; as it was at
stoning, so at crucifixion F8:
``when judgment was finished, they brought him out to be stoned; the place of stoning was without the sanhedrim, as it is said, ( Leviticus 24:14 ) , "bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp".''Upon which the gloss and Gemara say F9, without the three camps; which were these, the court which was the camp of the Shekinah; or the divine presence; and the mountain of the house, the camp of the Levites; and the city, the camp of Israel; so that he that was executed, was had without the city. Maimonides F11 says,
``the place in which the sanhedrim executed, was without it, and at a distance from it, as it is said, ( Leviticus 24:14 ) , and it appears to me, that it was about six miles distant; for so far it was between the sanhedrim of Moses our master, which was before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the camp of Israel.''So Jesus went without the camp, and suffered without the gate, as the antitype of the red heifer; see ( Numbers 19:3 ) , compared with ( Hebrews 13:11-13 ) , and the notes there.
They found a man of Cyrene:
a place in Libya, and one of the five cities called Pentapolis:
which were these, Berenice, Arsinoe, Ptolemais, Apollonia, and
Cyrene F12; Kir in ( Amos 1:5 ) ( 9:7 ) is rendered by the
Targum, (ynryq) ,
"Cyrene", as it is also by the Vulgate Latin. There were many
Jews dwelt here, as appears from ( Acts 2:10 ) , as this man
was a Jew, as his name shows; and besides, there was a synagogue
of the Cyrenian Jews at Jerusalem, ( Acts 6:9 ) , so that
though he was a native of Cyrene, he might now dwell there, and
some of these were converted to the faith of Christ; for of those
that were scattered abroad at the death of Stephen, some were men
of Cyrene, ( Acts 11:19 Acts 11:20 ) . And it is
very likely, that this man was a favourer of Christ, which might
be one reason why they laid hold on him, and obliged him to bear
the cross of Christ; since he was the father of Alexander and
Rufus, who were men of note among the first Christians:
Simon by name;
of which name was one of the apostles, and a common name among
the Jews, and signifies hearkening and obedient: and none are fit
to bear, or will bear the cross of Christ, but such who hearken
to his voice, and are obedient to him, being made willing in the
day of his power:
him they compelled to bear his cross;
which they did, not out of good will to Christ, but fearing lest
through his faintness and weakness, he should, die before he got
to the place of execution, and they be disappointed of their end,
the crucifixion of him; or because they were in haste to have him
executed, and he was not able to go so fast as they desired; for
when they, first came out, the cross was laid upon Christ, and he
bore it, as John relates; but he being weak and ready to faint
under it, and not able to go the pace they would have him, and
meeting with this man, they press him to bear it after him: which
he might be unwilling to do, partly because it was scandalous and
ignominious; and partly, because if a favourer of Jesus, he did
not choose to be any ways accessary to his death: but he was
obliged to it; and it may be observed from hence, that taking up
the cross and following Christ, is disagreeable to flesh and
blood: though the spirit may be willing, the flesh recoils; none
care for it, or choose to bear it, unless constrained to it.
F8 Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 6. sect. 1.
F9 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 42. 2.
F11 Hilch. Sanhedrin, c. 12. sect. 3.
F12 Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 5. c. 5.
