Rock

The term "rock" refers to a large, solid mass of stone. In the Bible it can denote an actual rock, and it is also frequently used as a figure for God's constancy and protection.

Occurrences in the Bible

• The rock in the wilderness: In Exodus 17:1-7, water came out when Moses struck the rock at Horeb with his staff. In Numbers 20:1-13, Moses struck the rock twice at Meribah and brought forth water.
• A title for God: Deuteronomy 32, 1 Samuel 2:2, 2 Samuel 22:2-3, Psalms 18:2 and 62:2, Isaiah 26:4, and other passages call God "the Rock."
• The Gospels: Matthew 7:24-27 contains the parable of the house built on the rock. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says to Peter, "upon this rock I will build my church."
• The Epistles: In 1 Corinthians 10:4, Paul writes of the rock in the wilderness that "that Rock was Christ."

Terminology and Background

Old Testament Hebrew chiefly uses the words tsur and sela, while New Testament Greek uses petra. In the rocky terrain of Palestine, rocks served as places of refuge and as fortresses. A building constructed on rock signified a firm foundation able to withstand rain and wind.

Significance Across the Bible

In the Old Testament, calling God "Rock" is a confession of Him as the unshakable One who protects His people. The New Testament carries this confession forward to Jesus Christ. Paul connected the rock that gave water in the wilderness with Christ. Romans 9:33 and 1 Peter 2:8, quoting Isaiah 8:14 and 28:16, state that Christ becomes a rock of stumbling to those who do not believe.

Interpretation and Debate

Traditions differ in how they read the "rock" in Matthew 16:18.

• The Catholic Church holds that it refers to Peter himself and connects this with the primacy (preeminent authority within the church) of the pope as Peter's successor.
• Within Protestantism, the traditionally prevalent interpretations have taken the rock to be Peter's confession of faith (Matthew 16:16) or Christ Himself. Some Protestant scholars do hold that it refers to Peter, but they do not connect this meaning with succession to the papal office.
• The Eastern Orthodox Church generally emphasizes Peter's faith and confession and does not accept papal primacy.

The various interpretations share a common observation: in the Greek text, Peter's name, Petros, and the word for rock, petra, are closely related.

1 Corinthians 10:4 calls the rock "that spiritual Rock that followed them." Some scholars associate this expression with a Jewish tradition that a rock or well followed Israel through the wilderness. The biblical text, however, does not directly relate such a story.

Numbers 20:12 states that Moses was not permitted to enter Canaan because he did not believe God and did not sanctify Him. Interpreters differ as to whether this refers to his striking the rock with his staff instead of speaking to it, or to his anger toward the people.

In the Korean Church

The hymn "Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me," written by the eighteenth-century Englishman Augustus Toplady, is widely sung (in Korean as "Manse Banseok Yeollini"). Expressions such as "the rock of faith" and "a church built on the rock" frequently appear in public prayers and sermons. Many churches also include the word "rock" (banseok) in their names.