Matthew 21:44 kjv
And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Matthew 21:44 nkjv
And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."
Matthew 21:44 niv
Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed."
Matthew 21:44 esv
And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him."
Matthew 21:44 nlt
Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on. "
Matthew 21 44 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 118:22 | The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone... | Messiah as the rejected and central stone. |
| Isa 8:14-15 | He will be a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense... | Christ as a cause of spiritual downfall. |
| Isa 28:16 | ...I lay in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone... | God's chosen and secure foundation. |
| Dan 2:34-35 | a stone was cut out, not by human hands, and it struck the statue... | The divine kingdom destroys worldly power. |
| Dan 2:44-45 | the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed... | Divine stone crushing all earthly kingdoms. |
| Lk 20:18 | Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken; and on whomever it falls.. | Parallel verse in Luke; source for Mt 21:44's content. |
| Rom 9:32-33 | ...they stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written: “Behold, I am laying... | Gentiles receive Christ; Israel stumbled. |
| 1 Pet 2:7-8 | The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stone of stumbling.. | Fulfillment of prophecy for believers and disbelievers. |
| Lk 6:49 | but the one who heard and did not do, built his house on the ground without a foundation... | Failure to heed Christ's words leads to ruin. |
| Hos 10:11 | Ephraim was a trained heifer that loved to thresh, and I will set a yoke... | God's breaking and scattering due to rebellion. |
| Jer 19:10-11 | I will break this people and this city, just as one breaks a potter's vessel... | Symbolic breaking due to sin. |
| Matt 7:26-27 | built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came... | Judgment on those who don't act on Jesus' words. |
| Job 24:20 | The womb forgets him; the worm feeds on him; he is no longer remembered... | Complete oblivion, echoing "grind to powder". |
| Rev 2:27 | ...he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as when pots are broken in pieces... | Christ's severe judgment upon nations. |
| Ps 2:9 | You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. | Messiah's crushing judgment of rebellious nations. |
| Zech 12:3 | On that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all the peoples... | Nations struggling against God's chosen city. |
| Isa 1:28 | the destruction of transgressors and sinners will be complete; those who abandon the Lord... | Utter destruction for those who forsake God. |
| Joel 3:14 | Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord... | Imminent divine judgment. |
| Nah 1:5-6 | The mountains quake before him; the hills melt... who can stand before his indignation? | Irresistible divine power in judgment. |
| Zeph 1:2-3 | I will utterly sweep away everything from the face of the earth, declares the Lord. | Complete eradication due to divine wrath. |
Matthew 21 verses
Matthew 21 44 Meaning
Matthew 21:44 details the dual consequences of interacting with Jesus Christ, symbolized as a foundational "stone." It prophesies that those who merely stumble over this stone—who reject or disbelieve in Him—will be broken or injured. However, a far more severe judgment awaits those upon whom the stone falls, representing direct opposition or the full weight of His divine authority at judgment. In this latter case, they will be utterly pulverized, signifying complete destruction and annihilation, leaving no remnant.
Matthew 21 44 Context
Matthew 21:44 concludes the Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers (Mt 21:33-43). In this parable, Jesus clearly identifies Himself as the Son, sent by the owner of the vineyard (God), after prophets (servants) were mistreated. The tenants (religious leaders of Israel) reject and murder the Son, signifying their rejection of Christ and impending judgment. Jesus then directly quotes Ps 118:22 about the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone (Mt 21:42), highlighting His Messiahship and the blindness of the Jewish leaders. Verse 44 intensifies this prophecy, derived from a parallel saying in Lk 20:18, specifying the two dire outcomes for those who confront this "stone." It is a strong polemic against the chief priests and Pharisees, who understood Jesus' words were directed at them (Mt 21:45).
Matthew 21 44 Word analysis
- And (Καὶ - Kai): A conjunction introducing a direct consequence or amplification of the preceding statement about the cornerstone.
- whoever (ὁ πεσὼν - ho pesōn): Literally, "the one having fallen" or "whoever falls." Denotes any individual, group, or nation encountering Jesus, the stone. It implies a 'stumbling' due to disbelief or failure to understand.
- shall fall on (ἐπὶ - epi): Indicates contact, implying stumbling upon the stone or tripping over it. This suggests an initial encounter with Christ, possibly not intentionally hostile, but still resulting in adverse consequences due to disbelief or neglect.
- this (τοῦτον - touton): A demonstrative pronoun, referring explicitly to the "stone" mentioned in the preceding verse (Mt 21:42), identifying it as Jesus Christ Himself.
- stone (λίθον - lithon): Refers to Jesus, the rejected cornerstone (Ps 118:22). It embodies His divine nature, solidity, and foundational role in God's plan.
- shall be broken (συνθλασθήσεται - synthlasthēsetai): Implies injury, shattering, or fragmentation. It describes a severe but not necessarily absolute destruction. It suggests suffering severe spiritual, moral, or physical consequences, or the breaking of their authority or well-being.
- but (δ’ ἂν - d’ an): A strong adversative conjunction introducing a contrasting, even more severe, consequence.
- on whomsoever it shall fall (ἐφ’ ὃν ... πέσῃ - eph' hon ... pesē): This signifies an active, forceful act of the stone (Christ) coming down upon someone, representing divine judgment unleashed. It speaks to intentional, direct opposition to Christ and His kingdom, or the final eschatological judgment.
- it will grind him to powder (λικμήσει αὐτόν - likmēsei auton): This imagery draws from Dan 2:44-45, where the stone strikes and utterly crushes worldly kingdoms, making them like "chaff on the summer threshing floors," scattered by the wind. It signifies complete, utter annihilation, reduction to nothing, beyond repair or recognition. It denotes God's irresistible and irreversible destructive judgment.
Matthew 21 44 Bonus section
The inclusion of Matthew 21:44 in various biblical manuscripts is a notable textual variant. Many modern English translations (e.g., ESV, NIV, NASB, RSV) omit this verse, footnoting it as "not found in the earliest manuscripts." It is largely considered an assimilation from the parallel text in Luke 20:18. However, its presence in other traditions (e.g., Textus Receptus, forming the basis for KJV, NKJV) highlights its long-standing thematic significance and theological weight. Even if textually secondary to Matthew, the idea conveyed by the verse perfectly fits the immediate context of Jesus's confrontation with the religious leaders and expands upon the "stone" motif drawn from Psalm 118:22. The powerful imagery of "grinding to powder" (λικμήσει - likmēsei) strongly echoes Daniel 2:34-35 and 44-45, where a stone cut from a mountain crushes the great statue, signifying God's kingdom utterly obliterating all earthly powers. This deep Old Testament connection underscores the prophetic destiny and sovereign authority of the Messiah, Jesus, who will ultimately conquer and judge all opposition. It shows that judgment by Christ is not merely corrective, but utterly annihilative for those who stand in ultimate defiance.
Matthew 21 44 Commentary
Matthew 21:44 presents a stark dichotomy of judgment based on humanity's response to Jesus, the "stone" from Ps 118:22 and Dan 2. Firstly, to "fall on this stone" signifies stumbling or rejecting Christ through disbelief, failing to recognize His identity, or neglecting His teachings. Such individuals will be "broken," incurring severe, painful consequences like spiritual fracturing, loss of spiritual authority, or national dispersion (as seen with Israel after rejecting Jesus). This is a consequence of encountering Christ without acknowledging His truth. Secondly, the far more terrifying prospect is the stone "falling on whomsoever," which depicts the full, crushing force of God's wrath and Christ's supreme authority unleashed upon His enemies. This implies a proactive, definitive act of judgment by Christ, not a mere accidental stumbling. The outcome, "grinding to powder," means complete and irreversible annihilation, utter ruin beyond any recovery, as symbolized by the prophetic destruction of Daniel's image of world powers. This verse underlines the perilous nature of ignoring or actively opposing the Son of God. It functions as a warning, emphasizing Christ's unavoidable centrality to salvation or judgment for all people and nations.