Albert Barnes Commentary Matthew 27:31-32

"And when they had mocked him, they took off from him the robe, and put on him his garments, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to go [with them], that he might bear his cross." — Matthew 27:31-32 (ASV)

As they came out. That is, out of the governor's palace, where he had been treated with such cruelty and contempt, or out of the gates of the city, to crucify him.

A man of Cyrene. Cyrene was a city of Libya, in Africa, lying west of Egypt. Many Jews lived there, and they were accustomed, like others, to go frequently to Jerusalem.

Him they compelled to bear his cross. John says (John 19:17) that Jesus went forth bearing his cross. Luke says (Luke 23:26) that they laid the cross on Simon, so that he might bear it after Jesus. There is no contradiction in these accounts. It was a part of the usual punishment of those who were crucified that they should bear their own cross to the place of execution.

It was accordingly laid at first on Jesus, and he went forth, as John says, bearing it. Weak, however, and exhausted by suffering and watchfulness, he probably sank under the heavy burden, and they laid hold of Simon so that he might bear one end of the cross, as Luke says, after Jesus.

The cross was composed of two pieces of wood, one of which was placed upright in the earth, and the other crossed it, in the shape of the letter T. The upright part was commonly so high that the feet of the person crucified were two or three feet from the ground.

On the middle of that upright part there was a projection, or seat, on which the person crucified sat, or, as it were, rode. This was necessary, because the hands alone were not strong enough to bear the weight of the body, and because the body was often left exposed for many days, frequently being allowed to remain until the flesh had been devoured by vultures or had putrefied in the sun.

The feet were fastened to this upright piece, either by nailing them with large spikes driven through the tender part, or by being lashed with cords. To the cross-piece at the top, the hands, being extended, were also fastened, either by spikes or by cords, or perhaps in some cases by both.

The hands and feet of our Saviour were both fastened by spikes. Crosses were also sometimes made in the form of the letter X, with the limbs of the person crucified being extended to the four points, and this person was subjected to a lingering death in this cruel manner. The cross used in the crucifixion of Christ appears to have been the former.

The mention of the cross often occurs in the New Testament. It was the instrument on which the Saviour made atonement for the sins of the world. The whole of the Christian's hope of heaven, and all his peace and consolation in trial and in death, depend on the sacrifice made there for sin, and on proper views and feelings regarding the fact and the design of the Redeemer's death.

Therefore, the following images are inserted to illustrate the usual form of the cross and the common method of crucifixion. The accompanying image shows the simplest form of the cross. The usual mode of crucifixion is illustrated by the first image:

Other modes of crucifixion are illustrated by the second image. It was probably in one of these modes that Peter was crucified (see the commentary on John 21:18).