1 Peter 2:4
New International Version
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—

New Living Translation
You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.

English Standard Version
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,

Berean Standard Bible
As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight,

Berean Literal Bible
Coming to Him, a living stone, indeed rejected by men, but chosen and precious in the sight of God,

King James Bible
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

New King James Version
Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,

New American Standard Bible
And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,

NASB 1995
And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,

NASB 1977
And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God,

Legacy Standard Bible
And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,

Amplified Bible
Come to Him [the risen Lord] as to a living Stone which men rejected and threw away, but which is choice and precious in the sight of God.

Christian Standard Bible
As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God—

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Coming to Him, a living stone—rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God—

American Standard Version
unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious,

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
He to whom you draw near, The Living Stone, whom the children of men have rejected, and is chosen and precious to God.

Contemporary English Version
Come to Jesus Christ. He is the living stone people have rejected, but which God has chosen and highly honored.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Unto whom coming, as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen and made honourable by God:

English Revised Version
unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You are coming to Christ, the living stone who was rejected by humans but was chosen as precious by God.

Good News Translation
Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by people as worthless but chosen by God as valuable.

International Standard Version
As you come to him, the living stone who was rejected by people but was chosen and precious in God's sight,

Literal Standard Version
to whom coming—a living stone—having indeed been disapproved of by men, but with God—choice [and] precious,

Majority Standard Bible
As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight,

New American Bible
Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God,

NET Bible
So as you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and priceless in God's sight,

New Revised Standard Version
Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and

New Heart English Bible
coming to him, a living stone, though rejected by people but chosen by God, precious.

Webster's Bible Translation
To whom coming as to a living stone, disallowed indeed by men, but chosen by God, and precious,

Weymouth New Testament
Come to Him, the ever-living Stone, rejected indeed by men as worthless, but in God's esteem chosen and held in honour.

World English Bible
Come to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious.

Young's Literal Translation
to whom coming -- a living stone -- by men, indeed, having been disapproved of, but with God choice, precious,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Living Stone
3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight, 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.…

Cross References
Isaiah 42:1
"Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen One, in whom My soul delights. I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations.

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

1 Peter 2:7
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,"


Treasury of Scripture

To whom coming, as to a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

To.

Isaiah 55:3
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

Jeremiah 3:22
Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

Matthew 11:28
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

a living.

John 5:26
For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

John 6:57
As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

John 11:25,26
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: …

stone.

Isaiah 28:16
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

Daniel 2:34,45
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…

Zechariah 3:9
For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.

disallowed.

Psalm 118:22,23
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner…

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…

Matthew 21:42
Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

chosen.

Isaiah 42:1
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Matthew 12:18
Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

precious.

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Cast Choice Chosen Disallowed Disapproved Elect Esteem Ever-Living God's Great Held Honour Honoured Indeed Precious Rejected Sight Special Stone Value Worthless
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Cast Choice Chosen Disallowed Disapproved Elect Esteem Ever-Living God's Great Held Honour Honoured Indeed Precious Rejected Sight Special Stone Value Worthless
1 Peter 2
1. He exhorts to put away wickedness;
4. showing that Christ is the foundation whereupon they are built.
11. He beseeches them also to abstain from sinful desires;
13. to be obedient to authorities;
18. and teaches servants how to obey their masters;
20. patiently suffering for well doing, after the example of Christ.














(4) To whom coming.--The word used is that which gives rise to the name of a "proselyte." (Comp. Note on 1Peter 2:2.) It is also strangely used in something of the same sense in 1Timothy 6:3. "Joining Him therefore as proselytes." Not that St. Peter has any notion of a mere external accession. The Apostolic writers do not contemplate the possibility of a difference between the visible and invisible Church. From this point the regeneration-idea, which coloured the whole of the preceding portion of the Epistle, suddenly disappears. The thought is no longer that of a spiritual seed instead of a carnal seed, but of a spiritual Temple instead of the stone temple at Jerusalem.

A living stone.--The very structure and order of the sentence puts Jesus Christ first. Foundation first, building afterwards. It is a pity to insert "as unto" with our version; it takes off from the striking, attracting effect of the sudden metaphor. St. Peter is fond of explaining his metaphors--e.g., "inheritance . . . in heaven," "tested genuineness . . . more precious than of gold," "gird up . . . loins of your minds:" so here, "living stone." It is more than doubtful whether St. Peter, in what follows, had before his mind the giving of his own surname. The word which he here uses is neither petros, nor petra, but lithos; and indeed the whole idea of the relative position of the Church to the petra and to the lithos is quite different. Neither petros nor petra could possibly be used of the squared wrought stone, but represent the native rocky unhewn substratum--part, or whole--which pre-exists before any building is begun, even before the "chief corner-stone" would be placed. (Comp. Matthew 7:24.) Here, therefore, the idea is quite different: the substratum is not thought of at all; and Jesus Christ is a carefully selected and hewn stone (lithos), specially laid as the first act in the work of building. The only thing, therefore, which is, in fact, common to the two passages is the simple thought of the Christian Church being like a building. Our present verse gives us no direct help towards finding how St. Peter understood the famous name-passage. All we can say for certain is that he did not so interpret it as to suppose an official connection with his own person to be the one essential of the true Church, or else in again using the metaphor of building the Church (though in a different connection) he could hardly have omitted all mention of himself. He is, apparently, thinking only of the Messianic interpretation of Old Testament sayings as expounded by our Lord--the "unsophisticated milk of the word" of 1Peter 2:2.

Disallowed indeed of men.--A direct reference to the passage (Psalm 118:22), which is quoted below in 1Peter 2:7. It here says "men," rather than "builders," in order to contrast them more forcibly with God. The word "disallowed," or "rejected," implies a form of trial or probation which comes to an unsatisfactory conclusion. The human builders examine the stone, inspect all its qualifications, and find it unsuited to the edifice which they have in hand, and refuse it not only the place of honour, but any place at all, in their architecture. St. Peter wishes to bring out strongly the absolute opposition between God and the Jews. . . .

Verse 4. - To whom coming as unto a living stone. Omit the words, "as unto," which are not in the Greek, and weaken the sense. The participle is present; the Christian must be ever coming to Christ, riot only once for all, but always, every day. The ', living Stone" is Christ; the "Lord" of Psalm 34:8 is Jehovah. St. Peter passes from the figure of milk to that of a chief cornerstone. So St. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 3, after saying that he had fed his Corinthian converts "with milk, and not with meat," passes first to the figure of laborers on the land, and then to that of builders upon the one foundation "which is Jesus Christ." This, like so many other coincidences, indicates St. Peter's knowledge of St. Paul's Epistles. St. Peter may have been thinking of his own name, the name which Christ gave him when Andrew brought him to the Lord; though the Greek word here is not πέτρα or πέτρος, but λίθος ( νοτ the solid native rock on which the temple is built, nor a piece of rock, an unhewn stone, but a stone shaped and wrought, chosen for a chief corner-stone. But the apostle does not mention himself; he omits all reference to his own position in the spiritual building; he wishes to direct his readers only to Christ. He is plainly referring to the Lord's own words in Matthew 21:42, where Christ applies to himself the language of Psalm 118, He described himself as a Stone; St. Peter adds the epithet "living" (λίθον ζῶντα). The figure of a stone is inadequate, all figures are inadequate, to represent heavenly mysteries. This stone is not, like the stones of earth, an inert mass; it is living, full of life; nay, it gives life, as well as strength and coherence, to the stones which are built upon it: for the Lord hath life in himself - he is risen from the dead, and is alive for evermore. Disallowed indeed of men. St. Peter slightly varies the quotation, and attributes to men in general the rejection ascribed in the psalm and in the Gospel to the "builders." "He was despised and rejected of men." In his speech before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:11), he had directly applied the prophecy to the chief priests. But chosen of God, and precious; rather, as the Revised Version, with God elect, precious, or perhaps better, honored; a reference to Isaiah 28:16. He was rejected of the builders, but chosen of God; despised of men, but with God held in honor. The adjective is not the same as that rendered "precious" in 1 Peter 1:19: τίμος there marks the preciousness of the blood of Christ in itself; ἔντιμος here, the honor with which God "hath highly exalted him."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
As you come
προσερχόμενοι (proserchomenoi)
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4334: From pros and erchomai; to approach, i.e. come near, visit, or worship, assent to.

to
Πρὸς (Pros)
Preposition
Strong's 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

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

[the] living
ζῶντα (zōnta)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2198: To live, be alive. A primary verb; to live.

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.

rejected
ἀποδεδοκιμασμένον (apodedokimasmenon)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 593: To reject after testing (examination), disqualify. From apo and dokimazo; to disapprove, i.e. to repudiate.

by
ὑπὸ (hypo)
Preposition
Strong's 5259: A primary preposition; under, i.e. of place, or with verbs; of place (underneath) or where (below) or time (when).

men,
ἀνθρώπων (anthrōpōn)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural
Strong's 444: A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.

but
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

chosen
ἐκλεκτὸν (eklekton)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1588: From eklegomai; select; by implication, favorite.

[and] precious
ἔντιμον (entimon)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1784: (held precious, hence) precious, honored, honorable in rank. From en and time; valued.

in God’s
Θεῷ (Theō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

sight,
παρὰ (para)
Preposition
Strong's 3844: Gen: from; dat: beside, in the presence of; acc: alongside of.


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NT Letters: 1 Peter 2:4 Coming to him a living stone rejected (1 Pet. 1P iP i Pet)
1 Peter 2:3
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