The Meaning of Psalms 118:22 Explained

Psalms 118:22

KJV: The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

YLT: A stone the builders refused Hath become head of a corner.

Darby: The stone which the builders rejected hath become the head of the corner:

ASV: The stone which the builders rejected Is become the head of the corner.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The stone  [which] the builders  refused  is become the head  [stone] of the corner. 

What does Psalms 118:22 Mean?

Study Notes

The stone which the builders refused
See "Christ (as Stone)," See Scofield " Exodus 17:6 ". See Scofield " 1 Peter 2:8 ".
Psalms 118 looks beyond the rejection of the Stone (Christ) to His final exaltation in the kingdom ( Psalms 118:22 ).
See Psalms 2, first of the Messianic Psalms.

Context Summary

Psalms 118:15-29 - A New Way In A New Day
As we draw near the mellowing light of the sanctuary we see more deeply into the divine meaning of our experiences. In Psalms 118:13, "Thou [1] didst thrust sore at me," but in Psalms 118:18, "The Lord hath chastened me sore." Our Lord and His Apostles made much use of Psalms 118:22. See Matthew 21:42; Acts 4:11; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:4-7. It probably refers to an incident in the building of the Temple, when a rejected stone was sought for to complete the structure. Its rejection and recovery were "the Lord's doing," as a parable of other and more momentous events.
Psalms 118:27 is peculiarly beautiful. As soon as God gives you light, make use of it for a fuller consecration and be renewal of sacrifice. New light means the discovery of fresh opportunities for divine service. Let light and life keep step! Pass from the altar to the Cross, at which Jesus stands to welcome and endorse your new act of surrender. Behold there the golden cord of love, the silver cord of hope, and the crimson cord of his redeeming sacrifice for you. The confession of such a life will be that God is good, that His service is bliss, and that His mercy never fails. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 118

1  An exhortation to praise God for his mercy
5  The psalmist by his experience shows how good it is to trust in God
19  Under the type of the psalmist the coming of Christ in his kingdom is expressed

What do the individual words in Psalms 118:22 mean?

The stone [which] rejected the builders Has become the chief cornerstone
אֶ֭בֶן מָאֲס֣וּ הַבּוֹנִ֑ים הָ֝יְתָ֗ה לְרֹ֣אשׁ פִּנָּֽה

אֶ֭בֶן  The  stone  [which] 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶבֶן  
Sense: stone (large or small).
מָאֲס֣וּ  rejected 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: מָאַס 
Sense: to reject, despise, refuse.
הַבּוֹנִ֑ים  the  builders 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
הָ֝יְתָ֗ה  Has  become 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְרֹ֣אשׁ  the  chief 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
פִּנָּֽה  cornerstone 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: פִּנָּה  
Sense: corner.