Mar 15:21 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Mark 15:21-22: 15:21-22 After they left the walled city of Jerusalem, Jesus’ strength apparently failed. The Roman soldiers forced Simon ... from Cyrene in northern Africa to carry Jesus’ cross (cp. Matt 5:41 ). Normally, a crucifixion victim was forced to carry the horizontal crossbeam (the patibulum ) of his own cross to the place of execution. The vertical post (the staticulum ) was sometimes left permanently in the ground as a warning and deterrent (like a hangman’s scaffold in a public square). • Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus , who were probably known to Mark’s readers (cp. Rom 16:13 ). • Golgotha is Aramaic, meaning Place of the Skull . In the Latin Vulgate, “skull” is calvariae (“Calvary”). In Jesus’ day, Golgotha lay outside the walled city of Jerusalem (John 19:20 ; see Matt 27:32 ; Heb 13:12 ). When Herod Antipas later enlarged the city with the so-called third wall, Golgotha was enclosed.

a15:21-22►

bMatt 5:41►

cRom 16:13►

dJohn 19:20►

eMatt 27:32►

fHeb 13:12►

‏ Mark 15:21

Summary for Mark 15:21-22: 15:21-22 ^a After they left the walled city of Jerusalem, Jesus’ strength apparently failed. The Roman soldiers forced Simon ... from Cyrene in northern Africa to carry Jesus’ cross (cp. Matt 5:41 ^b). Normally, a crucifixion victim was forced to carry the horizontal crossbeam (the patibulum) of his own cross to the place of execution. The vertical post (the staticulum) was sometimes left permanently in the ground as a warning and deterrent (like a hangman’s scaffold in a public square).

• Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus, who were probably known to Mark’s readers (cp. Rom 16:13 ^c).

• Golgotha is Aramaic, meaning Place of the Skull. In the Latin Vulgate, “skull” is calvariae (“Calvary”). In Jesus’ day, Golgotha lay outside the walled city of Jerusalem (John 19:20 ^d; see Matt 27:32 ^e; Heb 13:12 ^f). When Herod Antipas later enlarged the city with the so-called third wall, Golgotha was enclosed.