Psalm 118:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

NIV: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;

NASB: A stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.

CSB: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

NLT: The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.

KJV: The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

NKJV: The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.

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).

Psalm 118:19–29 includes phrases used during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:8–9). References to gates, cornerstones, and salvation are themes repeated frequently in the Bible (John 10:9; Matthew 7:13–14; Titus 2:11; 1 Peter 2:6). Similar ideas about entering through gates to praise God are found in Psalm 24:7–10 and Psalm 26:6–8.

Psalm 118 appears to be a "call and response." The repeated phrases may have been spoken by a congregation after the prompts, read by a song leader. The psalmist begins with a declaration of God's loyal love and its expression by all of Israel. Next is a celebration of the Lord's rescue and the value of honoring Him. Despite Israel's many powerful neighbors, God preserved them through discipline and exile, not allowing the nation to die. What the world rejects has now become the key piece of God's plan for mankind.

This is the last of a block of songs used during Israel's festivals (Psalm 113—118). Because of a mention of rescue from Egypt (Psalm 114:1), this block is sometimes called the "Egyptian Hallel." The Hebrew expression halelu-yāh is a call to "praise the Lord!" The New Testament quotes from this song often (Hebrews 13:6), especially Psalm 118:22 (Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10, 11; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:7) and Psalm 118:26 (Matthew 23:39; Mark 11:9; Luke 19:38; John 12:13;). Some scholars suggest this was written after the exile as the temple was being restored (Ezra 2:1; 3:1–2, 8).

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.