Matthew 21 · Verse 44

Matthew 21:44

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, King James Version

Matthew 21:44 in other translations

BSBHe who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”
WEBHe who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.”
ASVAnd he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust.
YLTand he who is falling on this stone shall be broken, and on whomsoever it may fall it will crush him to pieces.'
DARBYAnd he that falls on this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.
BBEAny man falling on this stone will be broken, but he on whom it comes down will be crushed to dust.
WebsterAnd whoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

What does Matthew 21:44 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
44. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder--The Kingdom of God is here a Temple, in the erection of which a certain stone, rejected as unsuitable by the spiritual builders, is, by the great Lord of the House, made the keystone of the whole. On that Stone the builders were now "falling" and being "broken" (Is 8:15). They were sustaining great spiritual hurt; but soon that Stone should "fall upon them" and "grind them to powder" (Da 2:34, 35; Zec 12:2)--in their corporate capacity, in the tremendous destruction of Jerusalem, but personally, as unbelievers, in a more awful sense still.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 44. Whosoever shall fall, etc. There is an allusion here, doubtless, to Isa 8:14,15. Having made an allusion to himself as a Stone, or a Rock, Mt 21:42, he proceeds to state the consequences of coming in contact with it. He that falls upon it, shall be broken; he that runs against it--a corner-stone, standing out from the other parts of the foundation--shall be injured, or broken in his limbs or body. He that is offended with my being the foundation, or that opposes me, shall, by the act, injure himself; make himself miserable by so doing, even were there nothing farther, But there is something farther.

On whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. That is, in the original, will reduce him to dust, so that it may be scattered by the winds. There is an allusion here, doubtless, to the custom of stoning as a punishment among the Jews. A scaffold was erected, twice the height of the man to be stoned. Standing on its edge, he was violently struck off by one of the witnesses; if he died by the blow and the fall, nothing farther was done; if not, a heavy stone was thrown down on him, which at once killed him. So the Saviour speaks of the falling of the stone on his enemies. They who oppose him, reject him, and continue impenitent, shall be crushed by him in the day of judgment, and perish for ever.

(g) "it will grind" Heb 2:2,3

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 44 The 44th verse should certainly come before Mat 21:43, otherwise the narration is not consecutive. Mat 21:42. The stone which the builders rejected, is become the head of the corner, etc. Mat 21:44. Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, etc. This is an allusion to the punishment of stoning among the Jews. The place of stoning was twice as high as a man; while standing on this, one of the witnesses struck the culprit on the loins, so that he fell over this scaffold; if he died by the stroke and fall, well; if not, the other witness threw a stone upon his heart, and despatched him. That stone thrown on the culprit was, in some cases, as much as two men could lift up. Tract Sanhed. and Bab. Gemara, and Lightfoot. See also the note on Joh 8:7 (note). He, whether Jew or Gentile, who shall not believe in the Son of God, shall suffer grievously in consequence; but on whomsoever the stone (Jesus Christ) falls in the way of judgment, he shall be ground to powder, λικμησει αυτον - it shall make him so small as to render him capable of being dispersed as chaff by the wind. This seems to allude, not only to the dreadful crushing of the Jewish state by the Romans, but also to that general dispersion of the Jews through all the nations of the world, which continues to the present day. This whole verse is wanting in the Codex Bezae, one other, five copies of the Itala, and Origen; but it is found in the parallel place, Luk 20:18, and seems to have been quoted from Isa 8:14, Isa 8:15. He shall be for a Stone of Stumbling, and for a Rock of Offence to both the houses of Israel - and many among them shall Stumble and Fall, and be Broken.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 21:33-46

This parable plainly sets forth the sin and ruin of the Jewish nation; and what is spoken to convict them, is spoken to caution all that enjoy the privileges of the outward church. As men treat God's people, they would treat Christ himself, if he were with them. How can we, if faithful to his cause, expect a favourable reception from a wicked world, or from ungodly professors of Christianity! And let us ask…

Read the full comment on Matthew 21:33-46 →

Matthew 21:44 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiAndG2532
ὁhothe [one]G3588
πεσὼνpesōnhaving fallenG4098
ἐπὶepionG1909
τὸνton<the>G3588
λίθονlithonstoneG3037
τοῦτονtoutonthisG3778
συνθλασθήσεται·sunthlasthēsetaiwill be broken;G4917
ἐφ᾽eph᾽onG1909
ὃνhonwhomeverG3739
δ᾽d᾽butG1161
ἂνanmaybeG302
πέσῃ,pesēit may fall,G4098
λικμήσειlikmēseiit will grind to powderG3039
αὐτόν.¶autonhim.G846

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Matthew 21:44

  • Isaiah 8:14-15

    And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

  • 1 Peter 2:8

    And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

  • Daniel 2:34-35

    Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

  • Daniel 2:44-45

    And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

  • Romans 9:33

    As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

  • Luke 20:18

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

  • Matthew 27:25

    Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

  • Psalms 110:5-6

    The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.

  • 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

    But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

  • Zechariah 12:3

    And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

  • Psalms 21:8-9

    Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies: thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of thine anger: the Lord shall swallow them up in his wrath, and the fire shall devour them.

  • Matthew 26:24

    The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
whosoever.
Ps 2:12; Isa 8:14,15; 60:12; Zec 12:3; Lu 20:18; Ro 9:33; 2Co 4:3,4
1Pe 2:8
but.
26:24; 27:25; Ps 2:9; 21:8,9; 110:5,6; Da 2:34,35,44,45; Joh 19:11
1Th 2:16; Heb 2:2,3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Matthew 21:43

    Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

  • Matthew 21:44

    And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

  • Matthew 21:45

    And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

Read all of Matthew 21

Matthew 21:44 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y el que cayere sobre esta piedra, será quebrantado; y sobre quien ella cayere, le desmenuzará.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et celui qui tombera sur cette pierre sera brisé; mais celui sur qui elle tombera, elle le broiera.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und wer auf diesen Stein fällt, wird zerschmettert werden; aber auf welchen irgend er fallen wird, den wird er zermalmen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et qui ceciderit super lapidem istum, confringetur: super quem vero ceciderit, conteret eum.