What does Psalm 118:22 mean?

This verse presents a crucial analogy for the ministry of Jesus Christ. Up until now, the psalmist has been celebrating God's work in rescuing the nation of Israel from death (Psalm 118:10–18). Recent verses have mentioned concepts such as a gate of entry (Psalm 118:19) and salvation (Psalm 118:20).

In the immediate context, the rejected stone is the nation of Israel. Other nations of the world considered Israel of no value: worthy of rejection (Deuteronomy 7:7–8, 18–19). Those nations had desecrated the temple and dishonored the Israelites (2 Chronicles 36:17–21). Despite this, God made Israel the pivotal foundation of His plan for the salvation of mankind (Deuteronomy 7:6; John 4:22; Romans 9:5). In ancient construction, foundations were made of carefully arranged stones. It was almost impossible to make the surface perfectly level. The structure would always put more weight on one corner than the others. This was the place for the "chief cornerstone:" the ultimate source of the building's stability.

In the New Testament, this comment about Israel as the cornerstone nation (Isaiah 28:16) is applied to the ministry of Jesus Christ: the cornerstone Messiah who provides salvation (Acts 4:11). He was also rejected by the world of His peers and Israel's leaders yet was still the crucial part of God's plan (Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10–11; Luke 20:17; 1 Peter 2:4–7).