Mark 15:21

And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian
(See Gill on Matthew 27:32);

who passed by;
as they were leading Jesus to be crucified:

coming out of the country;
from some country village hard by, according to the Syriac, and Vulgate Latin versions; or out of the field, as the Persic and Ethiopic: he might have been in the field, about some rural business; or, as Dr. Lightfoot conjectures, to fetch wood from thence, which was lawful to be done on a feast day, with some provisos, according to the Jewish canon, which runs thus {t};

``they may bring wood out of the field, (i.e. on a feast day, as this was,) of that which is gathered together, and out of a place that is fenced about, and even of that which is scattered abroad: what is a fenced place? whatever is near to a city, the words of R. Judah. R. Jose says, whatever they go into by a door, and even within the border of the sabbath.''

The father of Alexander and Rufus;
who were men well known when Mark wrote his Gospel, and very likely men of eminence among Christians: mention is made of Alexander in ( Acts 19:33 ) and of Rufus, in ( Romans 16:13 ) , which some have thought the same as here; but whether they are or not, is not certain: however, they obliged "Simon"

to bear his cross:
the cross of Christ, after him; (See Gill on Matthew 27:32).