The Meaning of 1 Peter 2:8 Explained

1 Peter 2:8

KJV: And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

YLT: and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence -- who are stumbling at the word, being unbelieving, -- to which also they were set;

Darby: and a stone of stumbling and rock of offence; who stumble at the word, being disobedient to which also they have been appointed.

ASV: and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  a stone  of stumbling,  and  a rock  of offence,  [even to them] which  stumble  at the word,  being disobedient:  whereunto  also  they were appointed. 

What does 1 Peter 2:8 Mean?

Study Notes

stone of stumbling
Christ crucified is the Rock:
(1) Smitten that the Spirit of life may flow from Him to all who will drink Exodus 17:6 ; 1 Corinthians 10:4 ; John 4:13 ; John 4:14 ; John 7:37-39 .
(2) To the church the foundation and chief corner Stone Ephesians 2:20 .
(3) To the Jews at His first coming a "stumbling stone" Romans 9:32 ; Romans 9:33 ; 1 Corinthians 1:23 .
(4) to Israel at His second coming the "headstone of the corner" Zechariah 4:7 .
(5) To the Gentile world-power the smiting "stone cut out without hands" Daniel 2:34 .
(6) In the divine purpose the Stone which, after the destruction of Gentile world- power, is to grow and fill the earth.
(7) To unbelievers the crushing Stone of judgment. Matthew 21:44 .

Context Summary

1 Peter 2:1-10 - Building On The Precious Corner-Stone
It is easy to lay aside malice, guile and evil speaking, when we are constantly feeding on the unadulterated milk of spiritual truth. If you have tasted of the grace of Jesus, you will not want to sip of the wine of Sodom. Drink, O beloved, eat and drink abundantly, that we may grow, casting aside sinful and childish things.
The changing imagery of the next paragraph is remarkable. As we touch the Living Stone we live, and we touch others who are touching Him, and so a temple begins to grow up. Then we become a holy priesthood in the temple, and finally the sacrifices which are offered within its precincts. If Christ is not that Living Stone for you, He will be your undoing.
All that God said of His ancient people may be realized by us in and through Christ. Compare 1 Peter 2:9 with Exodus 19:6. Thus songs of praise are ever ascending to Him who has called us into His light. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

Greek Commentary for 1 Peter 2:8

And [και]
Peter now quotes Isaiah 8:14 and gives a new turn to the previous quotation. To the disbelieving, Christ was indeed “a stone of stumbling (λιτος προσκομματος — lithos proskommatos) and rock of offence (πετρα σκανδαλου — petra skandalou),” quoted also by Paul in Romans 9:32. See note on Romans 9:32 for discussion. Προσκομμα — Proskomma (from προσκοπτω — proskoptō to cut against) is an obstacle against which one strikes by accident, while σκανδαλον — skandalon is a trap set to trip one, but both make one fall. Too much distinction need not be made between λιτος — lithos (a loose stone in the path) and πετρα — petra (a ledge rising out of the ground). [source]
For they [οι]
Causal use of the relative pronoun.Stumble at the word, being disobedient (προσκοπτουσιν τωι λογωι απειτουντες — proskoptousin tōi logōi apeithountes). Present active indicative of προσκοπτω — proskoptō with dative case, λογωι — logōi and present active participle of απειτεω — apeitheō (cf. απιστουσιν — apistousin in 1 Peter 2:7) as in Romans 3:1. Τωι λογωι — Tōi logōi can be construed with απειτουντες — apeithountes (stumble, being disobedient to the word).Whereunto also they were appointed First aorist passive indicative of τιτημι — tithēmi See this idiom in 1 Timothy 2:7. “Their disobedience is not ordained, the penalty of their disobedience is” (Bigg). They rebelled against God and paid the penalty. [source]
Stumble at the word, being disobedient [προσκοπτουσιν τωι λογωι απειτουντες]
Present active indicative of προσκοπτω — proskoptō with dative case, λογωι — logōi and present active participle of απειτεω — apeitheō (cf. απιστουσιν — apistousin in 1 Peter 2:7) as in Romans 3:1. Τωι λογωι — Tōi logōi can be construed with απειτουντες — apeithountes (stumble, being disobedient to the word). [source]
Whereunto also they were appointed [εις ο και ετετησαν]
First aorist passive indicative of τιτημι — tithēmi See this idiom in 1 Timothy 2:7. “Their disobedience is not ordained, the penalty of their disobedience is” (Bigg). They rebelled against God and paid the penalty. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 Peter 2:8

Mark 6:3 And they were offended in him [σκανδαλον]
So exactly Matthew 13:56, were made to stumble in him, trapped like game by the πετρα σκανδαλου — skandalon because they could not explain him, having been so recently one of them. “The Nazarenes found their stumbling block in the person or circumstances of Jesus. He became - προπητης — petra skandalou (1 Peter 2:7, 1 Peter 2:8; Romans 9:33) to those who disbelieved” (Swete). Both Mark and Matthew 13:57, which see, preserve the retort of Jesus with the quotation of the current proverb about a prophet‘s lack of honour in his own country. John 4:44 quoted it from Jesus on his return to Galilee long before this. It is to be noted that Jesus here makes a definite claim to being a prophet They stumble at Jesus today as the townspeople of Nazareth did.In his own house (en tēi oikiāi autou). Also in Matthew 13:57. This was the saddest part of it all, that his own brothers in his own home disbelieved his Messianic claims (John 7:5). This puzzle was the greatest of all. [source]
Mark 6:3 were made to stumble in him []
, trapped like game by the πετρα σκανδαλου — skandalon because they could not explain him, having been so recently one of them. “The Nazarenes found their stumbling block in the person or circumstances of Jesus. He became - προπητης — petra skandalou (1 Peter 2:7, 1 Peter 2:8; Romans 9:33) to those who disbelieved” (Swete). Both Mark and Matthew 13:57, which see, preserve the retort of Jesus with the quotation of the current proverb about a prophet‘s lack of honour in his own country. John 4:44 quoted it from Jesus on his return to Galilee long before this. It is to be noted that Jesus here makes a definite claim to being a prophet They stumble at Jesus today as the townspeople of Nazareth did.In his own house (en tēi oikiāi autou). Also in Matthew 13:57. This was the saddest part of it all, that his own brothers in his own home disbelieved his Messianic claims (John 7:5). This puzzle was the greatest of all. [source]
Romans 9:33  []
Paul repeats the phrase just used in the whole quotation from Isaiah 8:14 with the same idea in “a rock of offence” ( πετραν σκανδαλου — petran skandalou “a rock of snare,” a rock which the Jews made a cause of stumbling). The rest of the verse is quoted from Isaiah 28:16 . However, the Hebrew means “shall not make haste” rather than “shall not be put to shame.” In 1 Peter 2:8 we have the same use of these Scriptures about Christ. Either Peter had read Romans or both Paul and Peter had a copy of Christian Testimonia like Cyprian‘s later. [source]
1 Peter 3:1 Ye wives [γυναικες]
Without article. About wives see note on Colossians 3:18; and note on Ephesians 5:22; and note on Titus 2:4.To your own husbands (τοις ιδιοις ανδρασιν — tois idiois andrasin). Ιδιοις — Idiois occurs also in Ephesians and Titus, but not in Colossians. It strengthens the idea of possession in the article τοις — tois Wives are not enjoined to be in subjection to the husbands of other women, as some think it fine to be (affinities!)Even if any obey not the word Condition of first class and dative case of λογος — logos (1 Peter 1:23, 1 Peter 1:25; 1 Peter 2:8), that is, remain heathen.That they be gained (ινα κερδητησονται — hina kerdēthēsontai). Purpose clause with ινα — hina and first future passive indicative of κερδαινω — kerdainō old verb, to gain (from κερδος — kerdos gain, interest) as in Matthew 18:15. See the future with ινα — hina also in Luke 20:10; Revelation 3:9.Without the word Probably here “word from their wives” (Hart), the other sense of λογος — logos (talk, not technical “word of God”).By the behaviour of their wives (δια της των γυναικων αναστροπης — dia tēs tōn gunaikōn anastrophēs). Won by pious living, not by nagging. Many a wife has had this blessed victory of grace. [source]
1 Peter 3:1 Even if any obey not the word [και ει τινες απειτουσιν τωι λογωι]
Condition of first class and dative case of λογος — logos (1 Peter 1:23, 1 Peter 1:25; 1 Peter 2:8), that is, remain heathen.That they be gained (ινα κερδητησονται — hina kerdēthēsontai). Purpose clause with ινα — hina and first future passive indicative of κερδαινω — kerdainō old verb, to gain (from κερδος — kerdos gain, interest) as in Matthew 18:15. See the future with ινα — hina also in Luke 20:10; Revelation 3:9.Without the word Probably here “word from their wives” (Hart), the other sense of λογος — logos (talk, not technical “word of God”).By the behaviour of their wives (δια της των γυναικων αναστροπης — dia tēs tōn gunaikōn anastrophēs). Won by pious living, not by nagging. Many a wife has had this blessed victory of grace. [source]

What do the individual words in 1 Peter 2:8 mean?

and A stone of stumbling a rock of offense [They] stumble at to the word being disobedient to which also they were appointed
Καὶ Λίθος προσκόμματος πέτρα σκανδάλου Οἳ προσκόπτουσιν τῷ λόγῳ ἀπειθοῦντες εἰς καὶ ἐτέθησαν

Λίθος  A  stone 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λίθος  
Sense: a stone.
προσκόμματος  of  stumbling 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: πρόσκομμα  
Sense: a stumbling block.
πέτρα  a  rock 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: πέτρα  
Sense: a rock, cliff or ledge.
σκανδάλου  of  offense 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Singular
Root: σκάνδαλον  
Sense: the movable stick or trigger of a trap, a trap stick.
προσκόπτουσιν  stumble  at 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: προσκόπτω  
Sense: to strike against.
τῷ  to  the 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
λόγῳ  word 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: λόγος  
Sense: of speech.
ἀπειθοῦντες  being  disobedient 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀπειθέω  
Sense: not to allow one’s self to be persuaded.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
ἐτέθησαν  they  were  appointed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Plural
Root: τίθημι  
Sense: to set, put, place.