Cornerstone

Occurrences in Scripture

The best-known Old Testament passage is Psalm 118:22: "The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner" (Psalm 118:22). In Isaiah 28:16, God says that he lays in Zion "a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation," and that "he that believeth shall not make haste." Job 38:6 likewise compares creation to the construction of a building and asks, "who laid the corner stone thereof?" The word also appears in Zechariah 10:4.

In the New Testament, Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22 at the close of the Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10-11; Luke 20:17). Peter applied the verse to Jesus before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:11). Ephesians 2:20 states that the church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, "Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone" (Ephesians 2:20). First Peter 2:6-8 quotes Isaiah 28:16, Psalm 118:22, and Isaiah 8:14 together. Romans 9:33 likewise combines Isaiah 28:16 and 8:14 in a single quotation.

Background and Terminology

In the stone architecture of the ancient Near East, the cornerstone was set where two walls met. Because it served as the reference point for the position and orientation of the other stones, the largest and most solid stone was chosen and dressed for the purpose. The Hebrew expression in Psalm 118:22, rosh pinnah, literally means "head of the corner." The New Testament term akrogōniaios derives from the Septuagint rendering of Isaiah 28:16. The New Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Gaejeong) renders the same concept differently depending on the verse, using moteungitdol ("cornerstone"), meoritdol ("headstone"), and gichotdol ("foundation stone").

Significance Across Scripture

In the Old Testament, this stone signifies the firm foundation that God establishes. It also symbolizes a reversal in which what human beings rejected is exalted by God. The New Testament applies this image to the rejection, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and further extends it to the church, which is built up with Christ at its center. First Peter 2:5 calls believers "lively stones" who "are built up a spiritual house" (1 Peter 2:5). Alongside this appears a contrast: the same stone that is precious to those who believe becomes "a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence" to those who do not.

Interpretations and Points of Debate

• The position of the stone: It is generally understood as a stone laid at the corner of the foundation. Some scholars, however, appealing to the expression "head of the corner," read it as a capstone or keystone that completes an arch or the top of a wall. The original text alone does not settle the question.
• The original meaning of Psalm 118: Jewish tradition reads the verse as a song about Israel or its king being exalted after humiliation. Christian tradition, following the New Testament, reads it as a messianic prophecy. Many Protestant commentators affirm both the original historical meaning and its fulfillment in Christ.
• The "prophets" of Ephesians 2:20: Interpreters are divided over whether these are the prophets of the Old Testament or the prophets of the early church.
• Distinction from "rock": "This rock" in Matthew 16:18 translates a different word. The Catholic Church connects that verse with the primacy of Peter, while Protestants generally read it as referring to Peter's confession of faith or to Christ himself. It should be treated separately from the cornerstone passages.
• Stories claiming that a particular stone was actually rejected during a construction project do not appear in the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

In preaching, the cornerstone is frequently treated together with 1 Corinthians 3:11 under the theme that "Christ is the only foundation of the church." In modern Korean, meoritdol can also refer to a foundation stone engraved with the date and an inscription when a building is erected. For this reason, some churches hold a cornerstone-laying ceremony during church construction, and some engrave Bible verses related to this concept on the stone.