Matthew 21:44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."

◄ Matthew 21:44 ►

New International Version
Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

New Living Translation
Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”

English Standard Version
And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

Berean Standard Bible
He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

Berean Literal Bible
And the one having fallen on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."

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

New King James Version
And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

New American Standard Bible
And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and on whomever it falls, it will crush him.”

NASB 1995
“And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

NASB 1977
“And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

Legacy Standard Bible
And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

Amplified Bible
And he who falls on this Stone will be broken to pieces; but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

Christian Standard Bible
Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will shatter him.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whoever it falls, it will grind him to powder!”

American Standard Version
And he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust.

Contemporary English Version
Anyone who stumbles over this stone will be crushed, and anyone it falls on will be smashed to pieces."

English Revised Version
And he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken. If the stone falls on anyone, it will crush that person."

International Standard Version
The person who falls over this stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush anyone on whom it falls."

Majority Standard Bible
He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

NET Bible
The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed."

New Heart English Bible
He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it will fall, it will crush him."

Webster's Bible Translation
And whoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

Weymouth New Testament
He who falls on this stone will be severely hurt; but he on whom it falls will be utterly crushed."

World English Bible
He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.”

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
and he who is falling on this stone will be broken, and on whomsoever it may fall it will crush him to pieces.”

Berean Literal Bible
And the one having fallen on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."

Young's Literal Translation
and he who is falling on this stone shall be broken, and on whomsoever it may fall it will crush him to pieces.'

Smith's Literal Translation
And he falling upon this stone shall be crushed: but upon whomsoever it should fall, it shall winnow him.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And whoever will have fallen on this stone shall be broken, yet truly, on whomever it shall fall, it will crush him.”

New American Bible
[ The one who falls on this stone will be dashed to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.]”

New Revised Standard Version
The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And whoever falls on this stone will be broken, and on whomever it falls it will scatter him.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“And whoever falls on this stone will be shattered, and it will pulverize to dust everyone upon whom it will fall.”

NT Translations

Anderson New Testament
And he that falls upon this stone shall be dashed to pieces; but him on whom it shall fall, it will make like chaff for the wind.

Godbey New Testament

Haweis New Testament
And whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken in pieces, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.

Mace New Testament
and whosoever shall stumble at this stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, he shall be entirely crush'd.

Weymouth New Testament
He who falls on this stone will be severely hurt; but he on whom it falls will be utterly crushed."

Worrell New Testament
And he who falls on this stone shall be broken in pieces; but on whomsoever it falls, it will scatter him as dust."

Worsley New Testament
And he that stumbleth at this stone shall be bruised, but on whomsoever it falls, it will crush him to pieces.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
…43Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.” 45When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they knew that Jesus was speaking about them.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Isaiah 8:14-15
And He will be a sanctuary—but to both houses of Israel a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, to the dwellers of Jerusalem a trap and a snare. / Many will stumble over these; they will fall and be broken; they will be ensnared and captured.”

Daniel 2:34-35
As you watched, a stone was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them. / Then the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were shattered and became like chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that had struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

Daniel 2:44-45
In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will shatter all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself stand forever. / And just as you saw a stone being cut out of the mountain without human hands, and it shattered the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold, so the great God has told the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

Psalm 118:22-23
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. / This is from the LORD, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

Isaiah 28:16
So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.

Romans 9:32-33
Why not? Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, / as it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”

1 Peter 2:6-8
For it stands in Scripture: “See, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.” / To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” / and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word—and to this they were appointed.

Luke 20:17-18
But Jesus looked directly at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? / Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

Acts 4:11
This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’

Ephesians 2:20
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.

1 Corinthians 3:11
For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:4
and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

Zechariah 12:3
On that day, when all the nations of the earth gather against her, I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who would heave it away will be severely injured.

Zechariah 12:10
Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

Isaiah 28:13
Then the word of the LORD to them will become: “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there,” so that they will go stumbling backward and will be injured, ensnared, and captured.

Treasury of Scripture

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

whosoever.

Psalm 2:12
Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

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…

Isaiah 60:12
For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.

but.

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.

Matthew 27:25
Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

Psalm 2:9
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

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Matthew 21

1. Jesus rides into Jerusalem upon a donkey
12. drives the buyers and sellers out of the temple;
17. curses the fig tree;
23. puts to silence the priests and elders,
28. and rebukes them by the parable of the two sons,
33. and the husbandmen who slew such as were sent to them.

Berean Study Bible

He who falls on this stone
The "stone" here is a metaphor for Jesus Christ, the cornerstone rejected by the builders, as referenced earlier in Matthew 21:42. The Greek word for "stone" is "lithos," which often signifies a building block. In the context of Jesus' ministry, He is the foundational stone of faith. To "fall on this stone" implies encountering Christ and His teachings. Historically, those who stumbled over Jesus' message, such as the Pharisees and other religious leaders, found themselves spiritually broken, unable to reconcile their rigid traditions with the transformative message of the Gospel.

will be broken to pieces
The phrase "broken to pieces" suggests a shattering or a humbling experience. The Greek word "sunthlao" conveys a sense of being dashed or crushed. Spiritually, this breaking is not necessarily destructive but can be seen as a necessary humbling or breaking of pride. For those who encounter Christ and recognize their own insufficiency, this breaking can lead to repentance and transformation. Historically, many who initially opposed Jesus later became His followers, illustrating the redemptive potential of being "broken."

but he on whom it falls
This part of the verse shifts the imagery from an active stumbling to a passive receiving of judgment. The stone falling on someone indicates a decisive act of divine judgment. The Greek word "epipipto" means to fall upon or to strike. In the broader biblical narrative, this reflects the ultimate judgment that comes upon those who reject Christ entirely. The imagery is stark, emphasizing the seriousness of rejecting the cornerstone.

will be crushed
The word "crushed" comes from the Greek "likmao," meaning to grind to powder. This is a severe and final judgment, contrasting with the earlier "broken to pieces." While being broken can lead to restoration, being crushed implies a complete and irreversible judgment. In a historical context, this can be seen in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, a tangible consequence for the nation that rejected its Messiah. Spiritually, it serves as a warning of the eternal consequences of rejecting Christ's salvation.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(44) Whosoever shall fall on this stone.--There is a manifest reference to the "stumbling and falling and being broken" of Isaiah 8:14-15. In the immediate application of the words, those who "fell" were those who were "offended" at the outward lowliness of Him who came as the carpenter's son, and died a malefactor's death. That "fall" brought with it pain and humiliation. High hopes had to be given up, the proud heart to be bruised and broken. But there the fall was not irretrievable. The bruise might be healed; it was the work of the Christ to heal it. But when it fell on him who was thus offended (here there is a rapid transition to the imagery and the thoughts, even to the very words, of Daniel 2:35; Daniel 2:44), when Christ, or that Church which He identifies with Himself, shall come into collision with the powers that oppose Him, then it shall "grind them to powder." The primary meaning of the word so rendered is that of winnowing by threshing the grain, and so separating it from the chaff, and its use was probably suggested by the imagery of Daniel 2:35, where the gold and silver and baser materials that made up the image of Nebuchadnezzar's vision were "broken in pieces together, and became as the chaff of the summer threshing-floor." In its wider meaning it includes the destruction of all that resists Christ's kingdom, and so represents the positive side of the truth which has its negative expression in the promise that "the gates of hell shall not prevail" against His Church (Matthew 16:18).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 44. - Christ proceeds to show the positive and terrible results of such unbelief. Whosoever shall fall (πεσὼν, hath fallen) on this stone shall be broken (συνθλασθήσεται, shall be shattered to pieces). This may refer to the practice of executing the punishment of stoning by first hurling the culprit from a raised platform on to a rock or stone, and then stoning him to death. The falling on the stone has been explained in more ways than one. Some think that it implies coming to Christ in repentance and humility, with a contrite heart, which he will not despise. But the subject here is the punishment of the obdurate. Others take it to represent an attack made by the enemies of Christ, who shall demolish themselves by such onslaught. The original will hardly allow this interpretation. Doubtless the allusion is to those who found in Christ's low estate a stone of stumbling and rock of offence. These suffered grievous loss and danger even in this present time. The rejection of the doctrine of Christ crucified involves the loss of spiritual privileges, moral debility, and what is elsewhere called "the scattering abroad" (Matthew 12:30; comp. Isaiah 8:14, 15). On whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder (λικμήσει αὐτὸν, it will scatter him as chaff). The persons here spoken of are not those who are offended at Christ's low estate; they are such as put themselves in active opposition to him and his kingdom; on them he will fall in terrible vengeance, and will utterly destroy them without hope of recovery. The idea is rerepeated from Daniel 2:34, 35, and Daniel 2:44, 45. Christ in his humiliation is the Stone against which men fall; Christ in his glory and exaltation is the Stone which falls on them.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

He who
ὁ (ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

falls
πεσὼν (pesōn)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4098: A reduplicated and contracted form of peto; probably akin to petomai through the idea of alighting; to fall.

on
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

this
τοῦτον (touton)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

stone
λίθον (lithon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3037: A stone; met: of Jesus as the chief stone in a building. Apparently a primary word; a stone.

will be broken to pieces,
συνθλασθήσεται (synthlasthēsetai)
Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4917: To break, break in pieces, crush, shatter. From sun and thlao; to dash together, i.e. Shatter.

but
δ’ (d’)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

he
ὃν (hon)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

on whom
ἐφ’ (eph’)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

it falls
πέσῃ (pesē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4098: A reduplicated and contracted form of peto; probably akin to petomai through the idea of alighting; to fall.

will be crushed.”
λικμήσει (likmēsei)
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3039: To crush to powder, scatter like chaff. From likmos, the equivalent of liknon; to winnow, i.e., to triturate.

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NT Gospels: Matthew 21:44 He who falls on this stone will (Matt. Mat Mt)