¶A stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.
Parallel translations
- WEB The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
- KJV The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
- BSB The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
- NKJV The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.
- NLT The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. It matters because it foretells Christ, rejected by men yet made the foundation of God's people.
Overview
Originally celebrating an unlikely victory, this verse is applied by Jesus and the apostles directly to Christ (Matt. 21:42; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:7). The one despised and crucified is exalted by God as the cornerstone of his church. It is a cornerstone prophecy of the gospel: rejection reversed into the foundation of salvation.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Luke 20:17But he looked at them, and said, “Then what is this that is written, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the chief cornerstone?’
- Matt 21:42Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes?’
- 1 Pet 2:4–8coming to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious.
- Acts 4:11He is ‘the stone which was regarded as worthless by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.’
- Mark 12:10–11Haven’t you even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the head of the corner.
- Eph 2:20–22being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone;
- Zech 4:7Who are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you are a plain; and he will bring out the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace, to it!’”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 118:22 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.