Greet Rufus, the chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
Parallel Translations
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Greet Rufus, the chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
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Salute Rufus chosen in the Lorde and his mother and myne.
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Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
Cross-references (10)
Passages linked to Romans 16:13 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Mark 15:21 They compelled one passing by, coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them, that he might bear his cross.
- 1 Timothy 5:2 the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, in all purity.
- 2 John 1:1 The elder, to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not I only, but also all those who know the truth,
- John 15:16 You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
- Matthew 12:49-50 He stretched out his hand toward his disciples, and said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
- Matthew 20:16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”
- Mark 3:35 For whoever does the will of God is my brother, my sister, and mother.”
- John 19:27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour, the disciple took her to his own home.
- Ephesians 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love,
- 2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth,
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (14 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 13 Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his…
13 Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
Ver. 13. His mother and mine] His by nature, mine by affection. The apostles parted with parents and friends at home, found them abroad.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Salute Rufus; the same (it may be) of whom…
Salute Rufus; the same (it may be) of whom you may read, Mar 15:21.
Chosen in the Lord; a choice Christian, one eminent for gifts and graces. So, 2Jo 1:1, you read of an elect lady: he is supposed not to speak here of eternal election.
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And his mother and mine; his mother by nature, mine by affection: she hath tendered me as a mother her son: see 1Ti 5:2.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes,.... The two first…
Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes,.... The two first of these names are Greek, and the persons called by them, with Herodion before mentioned, are taken notice of in the Roman martyrology, as disciples of the apostle; Asyncritus is said to be bishop of Hyrcania, and Phlegon of Marathon, and both of the seventy disciples; See Gill on Luk 10:1; Hermas is said to be bishop of Philippi, or Aquileia, and brother of Pope Pius the First, and to be the author of the book called Pastor, or the Shepherd, cited by many of the ancients; but all is doubtful and uncertain. Patrobas is a Roman name, Martial makes mention of it (w); it seems to be composed of the Greek word or the Latin "pater", and the Syriac "Abba", and signifies the same as the other two. This man might be a Jew, whose name was Abba; we often read of R. Abba in the Jewish writings (x), and as the Jews were wont to have two names, the one Gentile, the other Jewish, Pater might be this man's Gentile name, and Abba his Jewish one, and both being put together, by contraction be called "Patrobas"; he is said to be of the seventy disciples, and to be bishop of Puteoli; See Gill on Luk 10:1. The last of them, Hermes, is a Greek name, the same with Mercurius, which the Lystrians called Paul by, in Act 14:12, who he was is not known; he is also mentioned among the seventy disciples, and said to be bishop of Dalmatia:
and the brethren which are with them; these seem to have lived together, with others who were their brethren, not in a natural but spiritual relation, and whom the apostle owned and loved as such.
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(w) Epigr. l. 2. ep. 27. (x) Juchasin, fol. 70. 1, &c.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Salute Rufus - Perhaps the same that is mentioned,…
Salute Rufus - Perhaps the same that is mentioned, Mark xv, 21. And his mother and mine - This expression may only denote the tender care which Rufus's mother had taken of him.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 13. Rufus, chosen in the Lord] τον εκλεκον,…
Verse 13. Rufus, chosen in the Lord] τον εκλεκον, one of great excellence in Christianity; a choice man, as we would say. So the word εκλεκτος often signifies. Ps 78:31: They smote τους εκλεκτους, the chosen men that were of Israel. So εκλεκτα μνημεια are choice sepulchres, Ge 23:6: εκλεκτα των δωρων choice gifts, De 12:11; and ανδρες εκλεκτοι, choice men, Jdg 20:16. By the same use of the word, the companions of Paul and Barnabas are termed chosen men, εκλεξαμενους ανδρας, persons in whom the Church of God could confide. See Whitby.
His mother and mine.] It is not likely that the mother of Rufus was the mother of Paul; but while she was the natural mother of the former, she acted as a mother to the latter. We say of a person of this character, that she is a motherly woman. Among the ancients, he or she who acted a kind, instructing, and indulgent part to another, was styled the father or mother of such a one. So Terence:-
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Natura tu illi pater es, consiliis ego.
Adelphi, Act. i. scen. 2, ver. 47.
Thou art his father by nature, I by instruction.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Chosen in the Lord - “Elect” in the Lord;…
Chosen in the Lord - “Elect” in the Lord; that is, a chosen follower of Christ.
And his mother and mine - “His mother in a literal sense, and mine in a figurative one.” An instance of the delicacy and tenderness of Paul; of his love for this disciple and his mother, as if he were of the same family. Religion binds the hearts of all who embrace it tenderly together. It makes them feel that they are one great family, united by tender ties, and joined by special attachments. See what the Lord Jesus declared in Mat 12:47-50, and his tender address to John when he was on the cross; Joh 19:26-27.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain Salute Rufus, chosen--"the chosen"
Salute Rufus, chosen--"the chosen"
in the Lord--meaning, not "who is one of the elect," as every believer is, but "the choice" or "precious one" in the Lord. (See Pe1 2:4; Jo2 1:13). We read in Mar 15:21 that Simon of Cyrene, who was compelled to bear our Lord's cross, was "the father of Alexander and Rufus." From this we naturally conclude that when Mark wrote his Gospel, Alexander and Rufus must have been well known as Christians among those by whom he expected his Gospel to be first read; and, in all likelihood, this was that very "Rufus"; in which case our interest is deepened by what immediately follows about his mother.
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and--salute.
his mother and mine--The apostle calls her "his own mother," not so much as our Lord calls every elderly woman believer His mother (Mat 12:49-50), but in grateful acknowledgment of her motherly attentions to himself, bestowed no doubt for his Master's sake, and the love she bore to his honored servants. To us it seems altogether likely that the conversion of Simon the Cyrenian dated from that memorable day when "passing [casually] by, as he came from the country" (Mar 15:21), "they compelled him to bear the" Saviour's cross. Sweet compulsion, if what he thus beheld issued in his voluntarily taking up his own cross! Through him it is natural to suppose that his wife would be brought in, and that this believing couple, now "heirs together of the grace of life" (Pe1 3:7), as they told their two sons, Alexander and Rufus, what honor had unwittingly been put upon their father at that hour of deepest and dearest moment to all Christians, might be blessed to the inbringing of both of them to Christ. In this case, supposing the elder of the two to have departed to be with Christ ere this letter was written, or to have been residing in some other place, and Rufus left alone with his mother, how instructive and beautiful is the testimony here borne to her!
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 13. Rufus—(See note on Mar_15:21.)
13. Rufus—(See note on Mar_15:21.)
His mother—Naturally, and mine spiritually, or by maternal kindness.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 13. Rufus] A Latin name. Possibly this was the…
13. Rufus] A Latin name. Possibly this was the Rufus of Mar_15:21, brother of Alexander and son of Simon the Cyrenian. Alexander and Rufus are apparently named by St Mark as well known in the Christian Church, and it is observable that his Gospel was probably written at Rome. But the name is a common one.
chosen in the Lord] Lit. the chosen one, &c. All true Christians might be so described, (Rom_8:33,) but this, as Meyer remarks, would not forbid a special and emphatic use of the word, in the case of a Christian remarkable for character or usefulness.
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his mother and mine] Evidently, the mother of Rufus (possibly the wife of Simon the Cyrenian,) had endeared herself to St Paul by special Christian kindness; the sweeter to him as his own parents, probably, were long departed.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (13) Rufus.—Simon of Cyrene is described in St. Mark’s…
(13) Rufus.—Simon of Cyrene is described in St. Mark’s Gospel (Mar_15:21) as “the father of Alexander and Rufus,” and as there is a substantial tradition, favoured by some internal indications, that this Gospel was written at Rome, it is not unlikely that the same Rufus may be meant.
Chosen in the Lord.—An eminent Christian.
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His mother and mine.—His mother, who has also been like a mother to me.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother…
Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. Observe the graceful way in which St. Paul intimates his obligation to the mother of Rufus, who at some time (though when and where we know not) had been as a mother to himself. Similar delicate courtesy of language is especially observable in the Epistle to Philemon.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 13. Salute Rufus. Some have supposed this to be…
13. Salute Rufus. Some have supposed this to be the Rufus named in Mark 15:21. His father was of Cyrene. Paul had certainly met his mother elsewhere, for he not only greets her, but says she had been a mother to him.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
J. W. McGarvey 1914 · Public Domain alute Rufus the chosen in the Lord, and his…
alute Rufus the chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine . [We know nothing certain of these. Paul had evidently spent time in the home of Rufus, and had received motherly care at that time, which he now gracefully acknowledges, reckoning that if the woman of the home was Rufus' mother by nature, she was also is by service and affection ( Mat_19:29 ). Possibly this Rufus may have been Simon's son ( Mar_15:21 ), and Paul may have lived with them while a youthful student in Jerusalem ( Act_22:3 ). The tradition that Mark wrote his Gospel while at Rome adds to the plausibility that both he and Paul refer to the same Rufus.]
J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 16:13 This Rufus might be the individual mentioned as…
16:13 This Rufus might be the individual mentioned as the son of Simon of Cyrene, who carried Christ’s cross (see Mark 15:21).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.