Reference: Stone
American
The allusion in Re 2:17 may be to the practice at the Olympic games of giving the successful competitor a white stone, inscribed with his name and the value of his prize; or to the mode of balloting with black and white stones on the question of the acquittal of an accused person, or his admission to certain privileges; if the stones deposited in the urn by the judges were all white, the decision was favorable. In early ages, flint-stone knives were in common use, instead of steel, Ex 4:25; Jos 5:2. It was also customary to raise a heap or mound of stones in commemoration of any remarkable event, Ge 31:46; Jos 4:5-7; 7:26; 8:29; 2Sa 18:17. The same custom still prevails in Syria, and passing travellers are wont to add each one a stone to the heap. See CORNER STONE.
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Then said Jacob to his brethren - Gather stones. And they took stones and made a heap, - and they did eat there, by the heap.
So Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it down at his feet, - and said - Surely, a bridegroom by rites of blood, art thou to me!
and Joshua said unto them: Pass ye over, before the ark of Yahweh your God, into the midst of the Jordan, - and lift ye up, each man one stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel: that this may be a sign in your midst, - for your sons will ask in time to come, saying, What mean these stones to you? read more. Then shall ye say unto them - That the waters of the Jordan, were cut off, from before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, when it passed into the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan, were cut off. So shall these stones become a memorial unto the sons of Israel, unto times age-abiding.
At that time, said Yahweh unto Joshua, Make thee knives of flint, - and again circumcise the sons of Israel, a second time.
yea they raised over him a great heap of stones which remaineth until this day. And Yahweh turned from the fierceness of his anger, - for which cause, hath the name of that place been called - The Valley of Achor, until this day.
And, the king of Ai, hanged he on a tree until eventide, - but, at the going in of the sun, Joshua gave command and they took down his dead body from the tree, and cast it in at the opening of the gate of the city, and raised up over it a great heap of stones - which remaineth until this day.
He that hath an ear, let him hear what, the Spirit, is saying unto the assemblies. Unto him that overcometh, I will give, unto him, of the hidden manna, and I will give unto him a white stone, and, upon the stone, a new name written, which, no one, knoweth, save he that receiveth it.
Easton
Stones were commonly used for buildings, also as memorials of important events (Ge 28:18; Jos 24:26-27; 1Sa 7:12, etc.). They were gathered out of cultivated fields (Isa 5:2; comp. 2Ki 3:19). This word is also used figuratively of believers (1Pe 2:4-5), and of the Messiah (Ps 118:22; Isa 28:16; Mt 21:42; Ac 4:11, etc.). In Da 2:45 it refers also to the Messiah. He is there described as "cut out of the mountain." (See Rock.)
A "heart of stone" denotes great insensibility (1Sa 25:37).
Stones were set up to commemorate remarkable events, as by Jacob at Bethel (Ge 28:18), at Padan-aram (Ge 35:4), and on the occasion of parting with Laban (Ge 31:45-47); by Joshua at the place on the banks of the Jordan where the people first "lodged" after crossing the river (Jos 6:8), and also in "the midst of Jordan," where he erected another set of twelve stones (Jos 4:1-9); and by Samuel at "Ebenezer" (1Sa 7:12).
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So Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone which he halt lint for his pillow, and put it for a pillar, - and poured out oil upon the top thereof;
So Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone which he halt lint for his pillow, and put it for a pillar, - and poured out oil upon the top thereof;
So Jacob took a stone, - and set it up as a pillar. Then said Jacob to his brethren - Gather stones. And they took stones and made a heap, - and they did eat there, by the heap. read more. And Laban called it, Jegar-sahadutha, - but, Jacob, called it, Galeed.
So they gave unto Jacob all the gods of the alien which were in their hand, and the earrings which were in their ears, - and Jacob hid them under the oak, which was by Shechem.
And it came to pass, when all the nation had made an end of passing over the Jordan, that Yahweh slake unto Joshua, saying: Take unto you, from among the people, twelve men, one man severally from each tribe; read more. and command ye them, saying, Take you up from hence, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where stood the feet of the priests with firm footing, twelve stones; - and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging-place where ye shall lodge, tonight. So Joshua called unto the twelve men whom he had made ready, from among the sons of Israel, - one man severally out of each tribe; and Joshua said unto them: Pass ye over, before the ark of Yahweh your God, into the midst of the Jordan, - and lift ye up, each man one stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel: that this may be a sign in your midst, - for your sons will ask in time to come, saying, What mean these stones to you? Then shall ye say unto them - That the waters of the Jordan, were cut off, from before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, when it passed into the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan, were cut off. So shall these stones become a memorial unto the sons of Israel, unto times age-abiding. And the sons of Israel did so, as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as spake Yahweh unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, - and carried them with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. Twelve stones also, did Joshua set up in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where stood the feet of the priests who were bearing the ark of the covenant, - and they have remained there until this day.
And it was so, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that, the seven priests who were bearing the seven rams' horns before Yahweh, passed on and blew with the horns, - the ark of the covenant of Yahweh also coming after them.
And Joshua wrote these words in the scroll of the law of God, - and took a great stone, and set it up there, under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Yahweh. And Joshua said unto all the people - Lo! this stone, shall serve against us as a witness, for, it, hath heard all the sayings of Yahweh, which he hath spoken with us, - so shall it serve against you as a witness, lest ye should act deceptively against your God.
And Samuel took a certain stone, and set it between Mizpah and Yeshanah, and called the name thereof Eben-ezer, - and said, Hitherto, hath Yahweh helped us.
And it came to pass, in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, and his wife told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became like a stone.
And ye shall smite every strong city, and every choice city, and, every goodly tree, shall ye fell, and, all fountains water, shall ye close up, - and, every goodly heritage, shall ye mar with stones.
A stone the builders refused, hath become the head of the corner:
And he thoroughly digged it, And gathered out the stones thereof, And planted it with a precious vine, And built a tower in the midst thereof, Moreover also a wine-press, hewed he therein, - Then waited he that it should bring forth grapes. And it brought forth wild grapes:
Therefore, Thus, saith My Lord, Yahweh, Behold me! founding in Zion a stone, A stone of testing, The costly corner of a well-laid foundation, he that trusteth, shall not make haste!
Forasmuch as thou sawest that, out of the rock, a stone tare itself away, but not with hands, and brake in pieces the clay, the iron, the bronze, the silver and the gold, the mighty God, hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter. Exact then is the dream, and trusty its interpretation.
Jesus saith unto them - Have ye, never, read in the Scriptures, A stone which the builders rejected, the same, hath become, head of the corner: From the Lord, hath this come to pass, and is marvellous in our eyes.
This, is the stone, set at nought by you the builders, which became the head of the corner;
Unto whom coming near, as unto a living stone - by men, indeed, rejected, but, with God, chosen, held in honour, Yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, well-pleasing unto God through Jesus Christ;
Hastings
STONE
I. In OT.
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Then said they, each man to his friend, Come on! let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly, - So the bricks, served them for stone, and bitumen, served them for mortar,
So Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone which he halt lint for his pillow, and put it for a pillar, - and poured out oil upon the top thereof;
So Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone which he halt lint for his pillow, and put it for a pillar, - and poured out oil upon the top thereof;
And, this stone which I have put for a pillar, shall be the house of God, - And, of all which thou shalt give me, a tenth, will I tithe unto thee.
And he looked, and lo! a well, in the field and lo! there, three flocks of sheep, lying down near it, for out of that well, do they water the flocks, but, the stone, is great, on the mouth of the well:
And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone, - and he poured out thereon a drink-offering, and poured thereon oil.
So Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it down at his feet, - and said - Surely, a bridegroom by rites of blood, art thou to me!
And Yahweh said unto Moses, - Say unto Aaron - Take thy staff, and stretch forth thy hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams over their rivers, and over their pools and over all their collections of water - that they may become blood, - so shall there be blood in all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.
But, the hands of Moses, were weary, so they took a stone, and put under him, and he sat thereupon, - and, Aaron and Hur, upheld his hands - on this side, one and on that side, one, and so his hands became steady, until the going in of the sun.
But if, an altar of stones, thou wilt make to me, thou shalt not build them hewn, - for as soon as thou hast lifted, thy sharp tool, thereupon, thou hast profaned it;
And when men strive together, and one shall smite the other, with a stone or with his fist, - and he die not, but shall fall to his bed; -
Then said Yahweh unto Moses - Come thou up unto me in the mountain and remain thou there, - for I must give thee tables of stone and the law and the commandment, which I have written to direct them.
And thou shalt take two onyx stones, - and engrave upon them the names of the sons of Israel:
with the work of a stone engraver, like seal-ring engravings, shalt thou engrave the two stones, after the names of the sons of Israel, - to be encircled with settings of gold, shalt thou make them.
and in the cutting of stones for setting, and in the carving of wood, - to work in all manner of workmanship,
and shall take other stones, and put in the place of the stones, - and, other mortar, shall he take and plaster the house.
or is hump-backed or a dwarf, or hath defective vision, - or hath scurvy or scab, or is crushed in the stones:
Or if with a stone thrown by hand, where-by one might die, he smote him and he died, a manslayer, he is, - the man-slayer, shall surely die,
then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman who hath done this wicked thing, within thy gates - the man, or the woman, - and shalt stone them with stones that they die. At the mouth of two witnesses or three witnesses, shall he that is to die be put to death, - he shall not be put to death at the mouth of one witness. read more. The hand of the witnesses, shall be upon him first to put him to death, and the hand of all the people, afterwards, - so shalt thou consume the wicked thing out of thy midst.
Thou shall not move back the boundary of thy neighbour, by which they set bounds at first, - in thine inheritance which thou shall receive in the land which Yahweh thy God is giving thee to possess.
Neither he that hath been mutilated by crushing, nor he that hath had his privy member cut off, shall enter into the convocation of Yahweh.
Take heed, in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do, - according to all that the priests the Levites shall direct you, as I have commanded them, so shall ye observe to do.
So then it shall be in the day when ye shall pass over the Jordan, into the land which Yahweh thy God is giving unto thee, - that thou shalt rear thee up great stones, and plaster them with plaster;
And thou shalt build there an altar unto Yahweh thy God, - an altar of stones, thou shalt not wield thereupon any tool of iron. Of whole stones, shalt thou build the altar of Yahweh thy God, - then shalt thou cause to go up thereon ascending-sacrifices, unto Yahweh thy God;
And Joshua said - Why hast thou troubled us? Yahweh, will trouble thee, this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them up with fire, and covered them with stones;
And, the king of Ai, hanged he on a tree until eventide, - but, at the going in of the sun, Joshua gave command and they took down his dead body from the tree, and cast it in at the opening of the gate of the city, and raised up over it a great heap of stones - which remaineth until this day. Than, built Joshua, an altar, unto Yahweh, God of Israel, - in Mount Ebal:
And Joshua said, Roll ye great stones against the mouth of the cave, - and set over it men, to watch them;
And the boundary goeth up Beth-hoglah, and passeth over, on the north, by Beth-arabah, - and the boundary goeth up by the Stone of Bohan, son of Reuben;
And Joshua wrote these words in the scroll of the law of God, - and took a great stone, and set it up there, under the oak that was by the sanctuary of Yahweh.
And, the waggon, entered into the field of Joshua, a man of Beth-shemesh, and stood still, there, where also, was a great stone, - so they clave into pieces the planks of the waggon, and, the kine, offered they up as an ascending-sacrifice, unto Yahweh.
And David thrust his hand into his pouch, and took from thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine, in his forehead, - that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell upon his face, to the earth.
Then Hiram, king of Tyre, sent messengers unto David, with cedar-wood, and carpenters, and masons, and they built a house for David.
And he pelted, with stones, David and all the servants of King David, - all the people, and all the mighty men, being on his right hand and on his left.
And, when David and his men went along in the way, Shimei, was going along on the side of the hill over against him, cursing as he went, pelting him with stones, and throwing dust.
And the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to found the house with hewn stones.
And the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to found the house with hewn stones.
and to the masons, and to the hewers of stone, and to buy timber, and hewn stone, for repairing the breaches of the house of Yahweh, - and to every one that went out upon the house, to repair it.
And King Ahaz cut off the side walls of the stands, and took away from off them the laver, and, the sea, took he down from off the oxen of bronze, which were under it, - and set it on a pavement of stones.
Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, when, he, was sixteen years old, - and made him king, instead of his father Amaziah.
And he made in Jerusalem, inventions invented of the inventor, to be upon the towers and upon the turrets, for throwing with arrows, and with great stones, - so that his name went forth afar, for he was marvellously helped, until that he was strong.
and they conspired, all of them together, to come, to fight against Jerusalem, - and to cause it harm;
He bendeth down his tail like a cedar, the sinews of his thighs, are twisted together;
A stone the builders refused, hath become the head of the corner:
A stone the builders refused, hath become the head of the corner:
So shall he become a hallowed asylum, - But a stone to strike against, and a rock to stumble over unto both houses of Israel A trap and a snare to the dweller in Jerusalem;
So the word of Yahweh must be to them - Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, A little here, a little there, - That they may go and fall backward and be torn and snared and captured.
Surely, the stone out of the wall, will make outcry, - and, the tie out of the timber, will answer it.
Who, art, thou, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel, brought down to a plain! So shall he bring forth the headstone, with thundering shouts Beautiful! Beautiful! thereunto.
And, some, fell on the rocky places, where it had not much earth, - and, straightway, it sprang up, because if had no depth of earth;
Jesus saith unto them - Have ye, never, read in the Scriptures, A stone which the builders rejected, the same, hath become, head of the corner: From the Lord, hath this come to pass, and is marvellous in our eyes.
And, spitting upon him, they took the reed, and began striking upon his head.
And, some, fell on the rocky places, evenwhere it had not much earth, - and, straightway, it sprang forth, by reason of its not having depth of earth;
And these are likewise they upon the rocky places sown, - who, as soon as they hear the word, straightway, with joy receive it,
But, he, looking at them, said - What, then, is this that is written, - A stone which the builders' rejected, The same, hath become, head of the corner?
He led him unto Jesus. Jesus, looking at him, said - Thou, art Simon, the son of John, - thou, shalt be called, Cephas; which is to be translated, Peter.
Now there were there, six stone water-vessels, placed, according to the purification of the Jews; holding each, two or three measures.
This, is the stone, set at nought by you the builders, which became the head of the corner;
And, thrusting him forth outside the city, proceeded to stone him. And, the witnesses, laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
Unto whom coming near, as unto a living stone - by men, indeed, rejected, but, with God, chosen, held in honour, Yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, well-pleasing unto God through Jesus Christ; read more. Inasmuch as it is contained in scripture - Lo! I lay in Zion an outmost corner stone, chosen, held in honour, and, he that resteth faith thereupon, shall not be put to shame. Unto you, then, is the honour - unto you who believe; but, unto such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, - The same, hath become head of the corner, And a stone to strike against, and a rock to stumble over: Who stumble because, unto the word, they do not yield, - unto which also they have been appointed;
He that hath an ear, let him hear what, the Spirit, is saying unto the assemblies. Unto him that overcometh, I will give, unto him, of the hidden manna, and I will give unto him a white stone, and, upon the stone, a new name written, which, no one, knoweth, save he that receiveth it.
Watsons
STONE. This word is sometimes taken in the sense of rock, and is applied figuratively to God, as the refuge of his people. See Rock. The Hebrews gave the name of "stones" to the weights used in commerce; no doubt because they were originally formed of stone. "Just weights," is therefore in Hebrew, "just stones." "The corner stone," or "the head stone of the corner," is a figurative representation of Christ. It is the stone at the angle of a building, whether at the foundation or the top of the wall. Christ was that corner stone, which, though rejected by the Jews, became the corner stone of the church, and the stone that binds and unites the synagogue and the Gentiles in the unity of the same faith. Some have thought the showers of stones cast down by the Lord out of heaven, mentioned several times in the Old Testament, to be showers of hail of extraordinary size; which was probably the case, as they even now sometimes occur in those countries in a most terrific and destructive form, and show how irresistible an agent this meteor is in the hands of an offended God. The knives of stone that were made use of by the Jews in circumcision, were not enjoined by the law; but the use of them was founded, either upon custom, or upon the experience that this kind of instrument is found to be less dangerous than those made of metal. Zipporah made use of a stone to circumcise her sons, Ex 4:25. Jos 5:2, did the same, when he caused such of the Israelites to be circumcised at Gilgal, as had not received circumcision during their journey in the wilderness. The Egyptians, according to Herodotus, made use of knives of stone to open dead bodies that were to be embalmed; and Pliny assures us, that the priests of the mother of the gods had sharp stones, with which they cut and slashed themselves, which they thought they could not do with any thing else without danger. Great heaps of stones, raised up for a witness of any memorable event, and to preserve the remembrance of some matter of great importance, are among the most ancient monuments. In those elder ages, before the use of writing, these monuments were instead of inscriptions, pyramids, medals, or histories. Jacob and Laban raised such a monument upon Mount Gilead in memory of their covenant, Ge 31:46. Joshua erected one at Gilgal, made of stones taken out of the Jordan, to preserve the memorial of his miraculous passage over this river, Jos 4:5-7. The Israelites that dwelt beyond Jordan also raised one upon the banks of the river, as a testimony that they constituted but one nation with their brethren on the other side, Jos 22:10. Sometimes they heaped up such a collection of stones upon the burying place of some odious persons, as was none in the case of Achan and Absalom, Jos 7:26; 2Ki 18:17.
A "heart of stone" may be understood several ways. Job 41:24, speaking of the leviathan, says, that "his heart is as firm as a stone, yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone:" that is, he is of a very extraordinary strength, boldness, and courage. It is said, 1Sa 25:37, that Nabal's heart died within him, and he became as a stone, when he was told of the danger he had incurred by his imprudence; his heart became contracted or convulsed, and this was the occasion of his death. Eze 36:26, says, that the Lord will take away from his people their heart of stone, and give them a heart of flesh; that is, he will render them contrite, and sensible to spiritual things. "I will give him a white stone," Re 2:17; that is, I will give him full and public pardon and absolution. It is spoken in allusion to an ancient custom of delivering a white stone to such as they acquitted in judgment. They used likewise to give a white stone to such as conquered in the Grecian games.
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Then said Jacob to his brethren - Gather stones. And they took stones and made a heap, - and they did eat there, by the heap.
So Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it down at his feet, - and said - Surely, a bridegroom by rites of blood, art thou to me!
and Joshua said unto them: Pass ye over, before the ark of Yahweh your God, into the midst of the Jordan, - and lift ye up, each man one stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel: that this may be a sign in your midst, - for your sons will ask in time to come, saying, What mean these stones to you? read more. Then shall ye say unto them - That the waters of the Jordan, were cut off, from before the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, when it passed into the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan, were cut off. So shall these stones become a memorial unto the sons of Israel, unto times age-abiding.
At that time, said Yahweh unto Joshua, Make thee knives of flint, - and again circumcise the sons of Israel, a second time.
yea they raised over him a great heap of stones which remaineth until this day. And Yahweh turned from the fierceness of his anger, - for which cause, hath the name of that place been called - The Valley of Achor, until this day.
And, when they came into the circles of the Jordan, which were in the land of Canaan, - then did the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh build there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of large dimensions,
And it came to pass, in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, and his wife told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became like a stone.
His heart, is hardened like a stone, yea hardened, like the nether millstone;
And I will give you a new heart, And a new spirit, will I put within you,-And I will take away the heart of stone, of your flesh, And will give you a heart of flesh;
He that hath an ear, let him hear what, the Spirit, is saying unto the assemblies. Unto him that overcometh, I will give, unto him, of the hidden manna, and I will give unto him a white stone, and, upon the stone, a new name written, which, no one, knoweth, save he that receiveth it.
