“Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.”
My Notes
What Does 1 Peter 2:6 Mean?
1 Peter 2:6 quotes Isaiah 28:16, applying one of the Old Testament's most significant Messianic prophecies to Jesus: "Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded." Peter identifies Jesus as the stone God has placed in Zion — chosen (eklektos), precious (entimos), and load-bearing.
The "chief corner stone" (akrogoniaion) was the first stone laid in a building — the stone that determined the alignment of every wall and the integrity of the entire structure. Get the cornerstone right, and everything built on it will be straight. Get it wrong, and the whole building is compromised. Peter is saying that Jesus is the stone on which everything else is oriented. He determines what is level, what is plumb, what belongs in the structure and what doesn't.
The promise — "he that believeth on him shall not be confounded" — uses the Greek kataischuno (confounded, put to shame), the same word Paul uses in Romans 10:11. The person who builds their life on this stone will not be publicly disgraced, will not find their trust misplaced, will not discover they've been standing on something that crumbles. The next verses (7-8) reveal the flip side: the same stone that is precious to believers becomes a "stone of stumbling" to the disobedient. Christ is either your foundation or your obstacle. There is no neutral relationship with this stone.
Reflection Questions
- 1.A cornerstone determines the alignment of everything else. Is Jesus actually the reference point for your decisions, relationships, and values — or is something else functioning as your cornerstone?
- 2.The promise is 'shall not be confounded' — your trust won't be misplaced. Where do you need reassurance that what you're building your life on will actually hold?
- 3.The same stone is precious to believers and a stumbling block to others. How have you experienced Jesus as both — as foundation in one area of your life and as a challenge in another?
- 4.Peter says the stone is 'elect, precious' — chosen and valued by God. How does knowing that God chose and treasures this foundation change your confidence in building on it?
Devotional
God laid a stone, and everything else in the universe is oriented by it. The cornerstone — the first stone in the building, the one that determines whether every wall is straight — is Jesus. Peter says He's chosen by God. Precious to God. And the person who builds on Him will never be put to shame.
The cornerstone metaphor matters because it's architectural, not sentimental. A cornerstone doesn't make you feel good. It makes things level. It determines alignment. Every decision you make, every relationship you build, every value you hold — it's either aligned with this stone or it's crooked. Jesus isn't the decorative element of your life that you add for aesthetic value. He's the structural reality that determines whether everything else holds together or collapses.
The promise is the part that should settle something in you: you will not be confounded. You will not be put to shame. The thing you're trusting won't turn out to be empty. When every other foundation — career, health, reputation, relationships — is tested by time and pressure, this one holds. Not because you believe hard enough. Because the stone itself is what God says it is: chosen, precious, unshakeable. Your belief connects you to the stone. The stone does the holding. If you've been afraid that your faith is built on something that might crumble, this verse says: check the stone, not your faith. The stone is fine. It's been tested. It holds.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Unto you therefore which believe,.... And such are not all they that can say their creed, or give their assent to the…
Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture - Isa 28:16. The quotation is substantially as it is found in the…
Behold, I lay in Sion - This intimates that the foundation of the Christian Church should be laid at Jerusalem; and…
I. The apostle here gives us a description of Jesus Christ as a living stone; and though to a capricious wit, or an…
Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture As the words are not quoted in exact accordance either with the LXX. or…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture