1 Peter 2:4

A Living Stone, a Chosen People

2:4 So as you come to him, ¹  a living stone rejected by men but ²  chosen and priceless ³  in God’s sight,

Isaiah 28:16

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

“Look, I am laying ⁴  a stone in Zion,

an approved ⁵  stone,

set in place as a precious cornerstone for the foundation. ⁶ 

The one who maintains his faith will not panic. ⁷ 

Zechariah 10:4

10:4 From him will come the cornerstone, ⁸  the wall peg, ⁹  the battle bow, and every ruler. ¹⁰ 

Romans 9:32-33

9:32 Why not? Because they pursued ¹¹  it not by faith but (as if it were possible) by works. ¹²  They stumbled over the stumbling stone, ¹³  9:33 just as it is written,

“Look, I am laying in Zion a stone that will cause people to stumble

and a rock that will make them fall, ¹⁴ 

yet the one who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ¹⁵ 

Ephesians 2:20

2:20 because you have been built ¹⁶  on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, ¹⁷  with Christ Jesus himself as ¹⁸  the cornerstone. ¹⁹ 

[2:4]  ¹ tn Grk “to whom coming…you are built up…” as a continuation of the reference to the Lord in v. 3.

[2:4]  ² tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two phrases more than can be easily expressed in English.

[2:4]  ³ tn Grk “chosen, priceless.”

[28:16]  ⁴ 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.

[28:16]  ⁵ tn Traditionally “tested,” but the implication is that it has passed the test and stands approved.

[28:16]  ⁶ 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).

[28:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “will not hurry,” i.e., act in panic.

[10:4]  ⁸ sn On the NT use of the image of the cornerstone, see Luke 20:17; Eph 2:20; 1 Pet 2:6.

[10:4]  ⁹ sn The metaphor of the wall peg (Heb. יָתֵד, yated), together with the others in this list, describes the remarkable change that will take place at the inauguration of God’s eschatological kingdom. Israel, formerly sheep-like, will be turned into a mighty warhorse. The peg refers to a wall hook (although frequently translated “tent peg,” but cf. ASV “nail”; TWOT 1:419) from which tools and weapons were suspended, but figuratively also to the promise of God upon which all of Israel’s hopes were hung (cf. Isa 22:15-25; Ezra 9:8).

[10:4]  ¹⁰ tn This is not the usual word to describe a king of Israel or Judah (such as מֶלֶךְ, melekh, or נָשִׂיא, nasi’), but נוֹגֵשׂ, noges, “dictator” (cf. KJV “oppressor”). The author is asserting by this choice of wording that in the messianic age God’s rule will be by force.

[9:32]  ¹¹ tn Grk “Why? Because not by faith but as though by works.” The verb (“they pursued [it]”) is to be supplied from the preceding verse for the sake of English style; yet a certain literary power is seen in Paul’s laconic style.

[9:32]  ¹² tc Most mss, especially the later ones (א² D Ψ 33 Ï sy), read νόμου (nomou, “of the law”) here, echoing Paul’s usage in Rom 3:20, 28 and elsewhere. The qualifying phrase is lacking in א* A B F G 6 629 630 1739 1881 pc lat co. The longer reading thus is weaker externally and internally, being motivated apparently by a need to clarify.

[9:32]  ¹³ tn Grk “the stone of stumbling.”

[9:33]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”

[9:33]  ¹⁵ sn A quotation from Isa 28:16; 8:14.

[2:20]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “having been built.”

[2:20]  ¹⁷ sn Apostles and prophets. Because the prophets appear after the mention of the apostles and because they are linked together in 3:5 as recipients of revelation about the church, they are to be regarded not as Old Testament prophets, but as New Testament prophets.

[2:20]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “while Christ Jesus himself is” or “Christ Jesus himself being.”

[2:20]  ¹⁹ tn Or perhaps “capstone” (NAB). The meaning of ἀκρογωνιαῖος (akrogwniaio") is greatly debated. The meaning “capstone” is proposed by J. Jeremias (TDNT 1:792), but the most important text for this meaning (T. Sol. 22:7-23:4) is late and possibly not even an appropriate parallel. The only place ἀκρογωνιαῖος is used in the LXX is Isa 28:16, and there it clearly refers to a cornerstone that is part of a foundation. Furthermore, the imagery in this context has the building growing off the cornerstone upward, whereas if Christ were the capstone, he would not assume his position until the building was finished, which vv. 21-22 argue against.