A-Z: General definitions: Cornerstone

Definition

The principal stone in a building which held the structure together. An Old Testament prophecy about a rejected stone becoming the cornerstone (Psalms 118:22) was applied by Jesus to himself (Mark 12:1-12). The church is said to be built on Christ, its cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-22).

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! ²Let Israel say, His steadfast love endures forever. ³Let the house of Aaron say, His steadfast love endures forever. ⁴Let those who fear the Lord say, His steadfast love endures forever. ⁵Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. ⁶The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? ⁷The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. ⁸It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. ⁹It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. ¹⁰All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! ¹¹They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! ¹²They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off! ¹³I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me. ¹⁴The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. ¹⁵Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: The right hand of the Lord does valiantly, ¹⁶the right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly! ¹⁷I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. ¹⁸The Lord has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. ¹⁹Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord. ²⁰This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it. ²¹I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. ²²The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. ²³This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. ²⁴This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. ²⁵Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray, give us success! ²⁶Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord. ²⁷The Lord is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar! ²⁸You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. ²⁹Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

¹O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever. ²Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. ³Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever. ⁴Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever. ⁵I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place. ⁶The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? ⁷The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me. ⁸It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. ⁹It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes. ¹⁰All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them. ¹¹They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. ¹²They compassed me about like bees: they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. ¹³Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me. ¹⁴The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation. ¹⁵The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. ¹⁶The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. ¹⁷I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD. ¹⁸The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death. ¹⁹Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD: ²⁰This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter. ²¹I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation. ²²The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. ²³This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. ²⁴This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. ²⁵Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. ²⁶Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD. ²⁷God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. ²⁸Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee. ²⁹O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹And he began to speak to them in parables. A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. ²When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. ³And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. ⁵And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. ⁶He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, They will respect my son. ⁷But those tenants said to one another, This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours. ⁸And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. ⁹What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰Have you not read this Scripture: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; ¹¹this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes? ¹²And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away. ¹³And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. ¹⁴And they came and said to him, Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not? ¹⁵But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it. ¹⁶And they brought one. And he said to them, Whose likeness and inscription is this? They said to him, Caesar's. ¹⁷Jesus said to them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marveled at him. ¹⁸And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, ¹⁹Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. ²⁰There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. ²¹And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. ²²And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. ²³In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife. ²⁴Jesus said to them, Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? ²⁵For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. ²⁶And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? ²⁷He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong. ²⁸And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, Which commandment is the most important of all? ²⁹Jesus answered, The most important is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. ³¹The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. ³²And the scribe said to him, You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. ³³And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. ³⁴And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. ³⁵And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? ³⁶David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet. ³⁷David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son? And the great throng heard him gladly. ³⁸And in his teaching he said, Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces ³⁹and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, ⁴⁰who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation. ⁴¹And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. ⁴²And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. ⁴³And he called his disciples to him and said to them, Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. ⁴⁴For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.

¹And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. ²And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. ³And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. ⁴And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. ⁵And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some. ⁶Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. ⁷But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be our's. ⁸And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. ⁹What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. ¹⁰And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: ¹¹This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? ¹²And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way. ¹³And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words. ¹⁴And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? ¹⁵Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. ¹⁶And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's. ¹⁷And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him. ¹⁸Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying, ¹⁹Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. ²⁰Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed. ²¹And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise. ²²And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also. ²³In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife. ²⁴And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? ²⁵For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven. ²⁶And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? ²⁷He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err. ²⁸And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? ²⁹And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: ³⁰And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. ³¹And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. ³²And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: ³³And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. ³⁴And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question. ³⁵And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David? ³⁶For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. ³⁷David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly. ³⁸And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces, ³⁹And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: ⁴⁰Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation. ⁴¹And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. ⁴²And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. ⁴³And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: ⁴⁴For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

English Standard Version
King James Version

¹And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ²in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience - ³among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. ⁴But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - ⁶and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. ¹¹Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands - ¹²remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility ¹⁵by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, ¹⁶and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. ¹⁷And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, ²¹in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. ²²In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

¹And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; ²Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: ³Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. ⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, ⁵Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) ⁶And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: ⁷That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. ¹¹Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; ¹²That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: ¹³But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; ¹⁵Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; ¹⁶And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: ¹⁷And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. ¹⁸For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. ¹⁹Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; ²⁰And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; ²¹In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: ²²In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

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