Daniel 2:24

2:24 Then Daniel went in to see ¹  Arioch (whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon). He came ²  and said to him, “Don’t destroy the wise men of Babylon! Escort me ³  to the king, and I will disclose the interpretation to him!” ⁴ 

Daniel 2:35

2:35 Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were broken in pieces without distinction ⁵  and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors that the wind carries away. Not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain that filled the entire earth.

Isaiah 28:16

28:16 Therefore, this is what the sovereign master, the Lord, says:

“Look, I am laying ⁶  a stone in Zion,

an approved ⁷  stone,

set in place as a precious cornerstone for the foundation. ⁸ 

The one who maintains his faith will not panic. ⁹ 

Zechariah 12:3

12:3 Moreover, on that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy burden ¹⁰  for all the nations, and all who try to carry it will be seriously injured; ¹¹  yet all the peoples of the earth will be assembled against it.

Matthew 21:24

21:24 Jesus ¹²  answered them, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.

¹ tc The MT has עַל עַל (’al ’al, “he entered upon”). Several medieval Hebrew MSS lack the verb, although this may be due to haplography.

² tc The LXX and Vulgate, along with one medieval Hebrew MS, lack this verb.

³ tn Aram “cause me to enter.” So also in v. 25.

⁴ tn Aram “the king.”

⁵ tn Aram “as one.” For the meaning “without distinction” see the following: F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 36, §64, and p. 93; E. Vogt, Lexicon linguae aramaicae, 60.

⁶ tc The Hebrew text has a third person verb form, which does not agree with the first person suffix that precedes. The form should be emended to יֹסֵד (yosed), a Qal active participle used in a present progressive or imminent future sense.

⁷ tn Traditionally “tested,” but the implication is that it has passed the test and stands approved.

⁸ sn The reality behind the metaphor is not entirely clear from the context. The stone appears to represent someone or something that gives Zion stability. Perhaps the ideal Davidic ruler is in view (see 32:1). Another option is that the image of beginning a building project by laying a precious cornerstone suggests that God is about to transform Zion through judgment and begin a new covenant community that will experience his protection (see 4:3-6; 31:5; 33:20-24; 35:10).

⁹ tn Heb “will not hurry,” i.e., act in panic.

¹⁰ tn Heb “heavy stone” (so NRSV, TEV, NLT); KJV “burdensome stone”; NIV “an immovable rock.”

¹¹ sn In Israel’s and Judah’s past they had been uprooted by various conquerors such as the Assyrians and the Babylonians. In the eschaton, however, they will be so “heavy” with God’s glory and so rooted in his promises that no nation will be able to move them.

¹² tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.