Isa 28:16, Dan 2:45, Mat 21:42, 1Cor 3:11, 1Pe 2:6-7 | JFB | e4.org | 16. Literally, " Behold Me as Him who has laid "; namely, in My divine counsel ( ); none save I could lay it ( ). stone — Jesus Christ; Hezekiah [MAURER ], or the temple [EWALD ], do not realize the full significancy of the language; but only in type point to Him, in whom the prophecy receives its exhaustive accomplishment; whether Isaiah understood its fulness or not ( ), the Holy Ghost plainly contemplated its fulfilment in Christ alone; so in ; compare . tried —both by the devil ( ) and by men ( ), and even by God ( ); a stone of tested solidity to bear the vast superstructure of man's redemption. The tested righteousness of Christ gives its peculiar merit to His vicarious sacrifice. The connection with the context is, though a "scourge" shall visit Judea ( ), yet God's gracious purpose as to the elect remnant, and His kingdom of which "Zion" shall be the center, shall not fail, because its rests on Messiah ( ). precious —literally, "of preciousness," so in the Greek, ( ). He is preciousness. corner-stone — ( ); the stone laid at the corner where two walls meet and connecting them; often costly. make haste —flee in hasty alarm; but the Septuagint has "be ashamed"; so , "be confounded," substantially the same idea; he who rests on Him shall not have the shame of disappointment, nor flee in sudden panic (see ).

‏ Isaiah 28:16

16. Literally, "Behold Me as Him who has laid"; namely, in My divine counsel (Re 13:8); none save I could lay it (Isa 63:5).

stone—Jesus Christ; Hezekiah [MAURER], or the temple [EWALD], do not realize the full significancy of the language; but only in type point to Him, in whom the prophecy receives its exhaustive accomplishment; whether Isaiah understood its fulness or not (1Pe 1:11, 12), the Holy Ghost plainly contemplated its fulfilment in Christ alone; so in Isa 32:1; compare Ge 49:24; Ps 118:22; Mt 21:42; Ro 10:11; Eph 2:20.

tried—both by the devil (Lu 4:1-13) and by men (Lu 20:1-38), and even by God (Mt 27:46); a stone of tested solidity to bear the vast superstructure of man's redemption. The tested righteousness of Christ gives its peculiar merit to His vicarious sacrifice. The connection with the context is, though a "scourge" shall visit Judea (Isa 28:15), yet God's gracious purpose as to the elect remnant, and His kingdom of which "Zion" shall be the center, shall not fail, because its rests on Messiah (Mt 7:24, 25; 2Ti 2:19).

precious—literally, "of preciousness," so in the Greek, (1Pe 2:7). He is preciousness.

corner-stone— (1Ki 5:17; 7:9; Job 38:6); the stone laid at the corner where two walls meet and connecting them; often costly.

make haste—flee in hasty alarm; but the Septuagint has "be ashamed"; so Ro 9:33, and 1Pe 2:6, "be confounded," substantially the same idea; he who rests on Him shall not have the shame of disappointment, nor flee in sudden panic (see Isa 30:15; 32:17).

‏ Daniel 2:45

45. without hands—(See on Da 2:35). The connection of the "forasmuch," &c. is, "as thou sawest that the stone," &c., this is an indication that "the great God," &c., that is, the fact of thy seeing the dreams as I have recalled it to thy recollection, is a proof that it is no airy phantom, but a real representation to these from God of the future. A similar proof of the "certainty" of the event was given to Pharaoh by the doubling of his dream (Ge 41:32).

‏ Matthew 21:42

42. Jesus saith unto them. Did ye never read in the scriptures— (Ps 118:22, 23).

The stone which the builders rejected, &c.—A bright Messianic prophecy, which reappears in various forms (Isa 28:16, &c.), and was made glorious use of by Peter before the Sanhedrim (Ac 4:11). He recurs to it in his first epistle (1Pe 2:4-6).

‏ 1 Corinthians 3:11

11. (Isa 28:16; Ac 4:12; Eph 2:20).

For—my warning ("take heed," &c. 1Co 3:10) is as to the superstructure ("buildeth thereupon"), not as to the foundation: "For other foundation can no man lay, than that which has (already) been laid (by God) Jesus Christ," the person, not the mere abstract doctrine about Him, though the latter also is included; Jesus, GOD-SAVIOUR; Christ, MESSIAH or ANOINTED.

can—A man can not lay any other, since the only one recognized by God has been already laid.

‏ 1 Peter 2:6-7

6. Wherefore also—The oldest manuscripts read, "Because that." The statement above is so "because it is contained in Scripture."

Behold—calling attention to the glorious announcement of His eternal counsel.

elect—so also believers (1Pe 2:9, "chosen," Greek, "elect generation").

precious—in Hebrew, Isa 28:16, "a corner-stone of preciousness." See on Isa 28:16. So in 1Pe 2:7, Christ is said to be, to believers, "precious," Greek, "preciousness."

confounded—same Greek as in Ro 9:33 (Peter here as elsewhere confirming Paul's teaching. See Introduction; also Ro 10:11), "ashamed." In Isa 28:16, "make haste," that is, flee in sudden panic, covered with the shame of confounded hopes.

7. Application of the Scripture just quoted first to the believer, then to the unbeliever. On the opposite effects of the same Gospel on different classes, compare Joh 9:39; 2Co 2:15, 16.

precious—Greek, "THE preciousness" (1Pe 2:6). To you believers belongs the preciousness of Christ just mentioned.

disobedient—to the faith, and so disobedient in practice.

the stone which . . . head of . . . corner— (Ps 118:22). Those who rejected the STONE were all the while in spite of themselves unconsciously contributing to its becoming Head of the corner. The same magnet has two poles, the one repulsive, the other attractive; so the Gospel has opposite effects on believers and unbelievers respectively.