Alexander
Son of Simon the Cyrenian, who was compelled to bear the cross for our Lord. (Mark 15:21) One of the kindred of Annas the high priest. (Acts 4:6) A Jew at Ephesus whom his countrymen put forward during the tumult raised by Demetrius the silversmith, (Acts 19:33) to plead their cause with the mob. An Ephesian Christian reprobated by St. Paul in (1 Timothy 1:20) as having, together with one Hymenaeus, put from him faith and a good conscience, and so made shipwreck concerning the faith.
This may be the same with Alexander the coppersmith, mentioned by the same apostle, (2 Timothy 4:14) as having done him many mischiefs.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Alexander
Alexander al-eg-zan'-der (Alexandros, literal meaning "defender of men." This word occurs five times in the New Testament, Mr 15:21; Ac 4:6; 19:33; 1Ti 1:19-20; 2Ti 4:14): It is not certain whether the third, fourth and fifth of these passages refer to the same man. ⇒See a list of verses on ALEXANDER in the Bible. 1. A Son of Simon of Cyrene: The first of these Alexanders is referred to in the passage in Mk, where he is said to have been one of the sons of Simon of Cyrene, the man who carried the cross of Christ. Alexander therefore may have been a North African by birth. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record the fact, with varying detail, that Simon happened to be passing at the time when Christ was being led out of the city, to be crucified on Calvary. Mark alone tells that Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus. From this statement of the evangelist, it is apparent that at the time the Second Gospel was written, Alexander and Rufus were Christians, and that they were well known in the Christian community. Mark takes it for granted that the first readers of his Gospel will at onc…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Alexander
The name occurs fi^•e times in NT, and apparently belongs to as m.any distinct persons. 1. Mk 15^. A son of SiMON of Cyrene, and brother of RUFUS (see these names). A. and Rufus are eWdently expected to be familiar names to the readers. Very possibly they were Christian Jews. 2. Ac 4". ' Annas the high priest teas there, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest' (RV). Of this A nothing further is known. The sug- festion of Baronius, Pearson, and Lightfoot, that e was the well-linown Alal)arch (on lliis tiile see Schiirer, HJP II. ii. 2Su) of Alexandria and brother of Philo (Jos. Ant. xvill. viii. 1, cf. Xix. v. 1), * scarcely needs serious discussion ' (Edersheim). PhUo was of liigh and wealthy birth (Jos. XX. v. 2), but Jerome's statement ( . Mentioned with Hymen AEUS (cf. 2 Ti 2") as one of tlie unconscientious teachers who had 'made shipwreck concerning the faith.' St. Paul ' delivered them unto Satan ' (cf. 1 Co 5', and see Satan). There is no strong reason to identify this A. with No. 3. 3. 2 Ti 4". Tliis A. (1) was a smith (xo…
Fausset's Bible Dictionary on Alexander
1. ALEXANDER THE GREAT. Born at Pella, 356 B.C., son of Philip, king of Macedon; not named, but described prophetically: "an he-goat" )symbol of ogility, the Graeco-Macedonian empire) coming from the W. on the face of the whole earth and not touching the ground (implying the incredible swiftness of his conquests); and the goat had A NOTABLE HORN (Alexander) between his eyes, and he came to the ram that had two horns (Media and Persia, the second great world kingdom, the successor of Babylon; under both Daniel prophesied long before the rise of the Macedon-Greek kingdom) standing before the river (at the river Granicus Alexander gained his first victory over Darius Codomanus, 334 B.C.) and ran unto him in the fury of his power, moved with choler against him (on account of the Persian invasions of Greece and cruelties to the Greeks), and smote the ram and broke his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him; but he cast him down to the ground and stamped upon him, and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand: therefore the he-goat waxed very great…
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia