Greek word · G2956

Κυρηναῖος

kyrēnaios

from Cyrene

A person from Cyrene, the main city of Cyrenaica on the Libyan coast. Cyrene was founded as a Greek colony and had a large Jewish population from the Ptolemaic period onward.

Appears 6 times in 6 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

Κυρηναῖος, -α, -ον

(Κυρήνη),

of Cyrene, a Cyrenæan: Matthew 27:32, Mark 15:21, Luke 23:2, Acts 6:9 11:20 13:1.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Matthew 27:32

Range of meaning

A person from Cyrene, the main city of Cyrenaica on the Libyan coast. Cyrene was founded as a Greek colony and had a large Jewish population from the Ptolemaic period onward.

Against the English

"Of Cyrene" or "from Cyrene" is accurate. Modern readers often hear only "from Africa" and miss that the term marks Simon as a diaspora Jew from a well-known Jewish community.

Used elsewhere in the period

Josephus (Antiquities 14.115) quotes Strabo listing Jews as one of the four classes of Cyrene's population. Cyrenian Jews were in Jerusalem at Pentecost (Acts 2:10). Jerusalem had a synagogue of Cyrenians (Acts 6:9). Men of Cyrene preached to Greeks at Antioch (Acts 11:20), and Lucius of Cyrene was a leader there (Acts 13:1). In 1941 a family tomb was found in the Kidron Valley with ossuaries (bone boxes) of Jews from Cyrenaica. One is inscribed "Alexander son of Simon". Whether this is the family of Mark 15:21 is possible but unproven, because both names were common.

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 27:32 Κυρηναῖον of Cyrene

    Along the way they found a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.

    Here: From Cyrene, a major city on the North African coast (modern Libya) with a large Jewish community. It marks Simon as a Jew from overseas, either in Jerusalem for Passover or settled there.

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 15:21 Κυρηναῖον of Cyrene

    Now Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and the soldiers forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 23:26 Κυρηναῖον from Cyrene

    As the soldiers led Him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene on his way in from the country, and they put the cross on him to carry behind Jesus.

Acts · 3

  1. Acts 6:9 Κυρηναίων Cyrenians

    But resistance arose from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. They disputed with Stephen,

    Here: Jews from Cyrene, a Greek city in North Africa (modern eastern Libya) with a large Jewish community. Simon of Cyrene came from there.

  2. Acts 11:20 Κυρηναῖοι, of Cyrene,

    But some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks as well, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus.

    Here: Jews from Cyrene in North Africa (modern Libya), another major Jewish settlement abroad. Compare Simon of Cyrene (Luke 23:26) and Lucius of Cyrene, later a leader at Antioch (Acts 13:1).

  3. Acts 13:1 Κυρηναῖος, Cyrenian,

    Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch), and Saul.

    Here: From Cyrene, a Greek city in North Africa (modern eastern Libya) with a large Jewish community. Men 'of Cyprus and Cyrene' were the first to preach to non-Jews in Antioch (11:20), and Lucius may have been one of them.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.