Luke 20 18

Luke 20:18 kjv

Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Luke 20:18 nkjv

Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

Luke 20:18 niv

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed."

Luke 20:18 esv

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him."

Luke 20:18 nlt

Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on."

Luke 20 verses

Luke 20 18 Meaning

This verse serves as a climactic warning and prophecy from Jesus, drawing from the metaphor of the "stone" introduced in the preceding verse (Psa 118:22). It delineates two severe consequences for those who interact negatively with Him, the foundational stone. First, "everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces" signifies a self-inflicted spiritual shattering or ruin that comes from rejecting or stumbling over Jesus in disbelief and opposition to His person and teaching. It is the destruction that comes from an individual's hostile encounter with Christ. Second, "and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him" speaks of an active, overwhelming, and definitive divine judgment initiated by Christ Himself, where He, as the powerful stone of God's kingdom, utterly demolishes and pulverizes all who oppose Him, particularly in the context of His ultimate triumph and establishment of His reign. It highlights Christ as an unavoidable determinant of destiny, either as the foundation of salvation or the source of devastating judgment.

Luke 20 18 Context

Luke 20:18 is the concluding, authoritative statement of Jesus following His "Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers" (Luke 20:9-16). This parable directly addresses the chief priests, scribes, and elders (Luke 20:1), who had just questioned His authority. In the parable, Jesus likens the nation of Israel (the vineyard) and its religious leaders (the tenants) to a landlord's vineyard whose tenants reject and ultimately kill the master's beloved son (Jesus Himself) in an attempt to seize the inheritance. The parable clearly foreshadows Jesus' crucifixion at the hands of these very leaders. Immediately before this verse, Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22 ("The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone"), directly identifying Himself as that stone. Thus, Luke 20:18 is the potent and undeniable application of that prophetic Scripture, revealing the dire consequences for the religious leaders, and by extension, for anyone, who would reject or oppose the Messiah, the divine stone chosen by God.

Luke 20 18 Word analysis

• Everyone who falls on that stone: Greek: πᾶς ὁ πεσὼν ἐπʼ ἐκεῖνον τὸν λίθον (pas ho pesōn epi ekeinon ton lithon).
  • "Everyone" (pas): Highlights universality; applies to all individuals.
  • "Falls on" (pesōn): Implies an active act of stumbling over something, a voluntary or involuntary encounter that results in an accident. Here, it signifies opposition, rejection, disbelief, or active hostility toward Christ's identity, authority, or message. This kind of "falling" comes from resistance to Christ, where one's own rejection becomes the cause of their downfall.
  • "That stone" (ton lithon): Refers directly to Jesus Christ. It picks up the imagery from Luke 20:17 (Psalm 118:22) where He is the rejected "cornerstone" chosen by God but deemed worthless by human builders. This imagery also ties to Isa 8:14, where God is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.
• will be broken to pieces: Greek: συνθλασθήσεται (synthlasthesetai).
  • From synthlaō, meaning to break thoroughly, shatter completely, crush together. This strong verb describes the severe, shattering consequence upon those who stumble over Christ in opposition. It depicts a spiritual and possibly temporal ruin; their life, plans, and spiritual standing are utterly disintegrated. It signifies the inability to stand in opposition to the Lord.
• and when it falls on anyone: Greek: ὃ δ᾽ ἂν πέσῃ ἐφ᾽ ὃν (ho d' an pesē ep' hon).
  • "When it falls on": This phrase denotes the stone (Christ) actively falling upon someone, rather than someone falling upon the stone. It implies Christ's direct and sovereign action of judgment. It refers to a future manifestation of His power, likely His Second Coming or the ultimate establishment of His kingdom.
  • "Anyone": Continues the universal application of judgment.
• it will crush him: Greek: λικμήσει αὐτόν (likmēsei auton).
  • From likmaō, which means "to winnow" or "to grind to powder." This term directly echoes the imagery from Daniel 2:34-35 and 44-45 (as found in the Septuagint Greek translation), where a divinely cut stone strikes and grinds the great statue into fine dust that blows away with the wind. This signifies a more absolute, definitive, and annihilating form of judgment than merely being "broken to pieces." It depicts total destruction, reduction to nothing, or complete dissolution.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces": This describes a judgment incurred through encountering Christ in rejection. It highlights the consequence of human unbelief, rebellion, or antagonism towards the Messiah, resulting in a breaking apart of one's own being or spiritual ruin. This often refers to the current consequences of rejecting Christ in disbelief or sin.
• "and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him": This describes a future, overwhelming, and active judgment initiated by Christ Himself, signifying His absolute power to dismantle and destroy all who oppose His kingdom. It draws heavily on the prophecy of Daniel 2, where God's kingdom, represented by the stone, pulverizes all worldly kingdoms. This points to the final, comprehensive judgment and destruction of those found in rebellion against Him. The imagery escalates from being broken by self-stumbling to being annihilated by divine force.

Luke 20 18 Bonus section

• The distinction between "broken to pieces" (synthlasthesetai) and "crush" (likmēsei) is crucial. Synthlaō indicates a breaking through impact or shattering, whereas likmaō (from Daniel's imagery) denotes complete pulverization and scattering, a more severe and definitive form of destruction, symbolizing the absolute victory of God's kingdom.
• This verse underscores Jesus' self-understanding as the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies. He directly links Himself to the "rejected stone" of Psalm 118:22 and the "crushing stone" of Daniel 2, claiming a prophetic role and authority that only the Son of God could possess.
• The dual aspect of the stone (stumbling block for some, foundation for others) is a consistent theme in both Old and New Testaments concerning God's dealing with humanity and Israel specifically. Those who reject God's chosen way ultimately fall, and when God acts definitively, the outcome for the rebellious is total ruin.
• The immediate audience, the religious leaders, understood the implication clearly, hence their attempt to arrest Jesus right after He spoke (Luke 20:19). They recognized that the parable and this concluding statement were directed squarely at them and their rejection of God's Anointed.

Luke 20 18 Commentary

Luke 20:18 encapsulates Jesus' severe warning to the Jewish religious leaders and, by extension, to all who would reject His divine authority and identity as the Messiah. It employs powerful Old Testament stone imagery to depict the unavoidable, dual nature of consequences arising from one's relationship with Christ. Those who stumble over Jesus through disbelief or active opposition will find themselves spiritually fractured and broken, experiencing ruin that stems from their own self-willed resistance. However, a more dire consequence awaits those on whom Christ, as the "stone," actively falls in judgment; this describes an ultimate, devastating, and annihilating judgment akin to being ground to dust. This statement powerfully asserts Jesus' unique position as either the firm foundation upon which salvation is built or the immovable force of final, destructive judgment against all who stand in rebellion against God's chosen King.