20:18

In 20:17 Jesus compared himself as the Messiah to a stone that was rejected by the builders. Here in 20:18 Jesus continued to compare himself to a stone, but he referred to different verses in the Old Testament. He probably alluded to Isaiah 8:14–15 and Daniel 2:34–35, 44–45, but he did not quote them exactly.

Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed: Here Jesus used two comparisons to describe what will happen to people who reject him as the Messiah. The two comparisons have the same meaning: people who reject Jesus will be destroyed. They will be like a person who falls on a large stone or like someone on whom the stone falls.

In some languages it may be helpful to use a simile and make the meaning more explicit. For example:

A person ⌊who rejects the Messiah⌋ is like someone who falls on a ⌊huge⌋ stone. He will be broken to pieces. Or he is like a person on whom the ⌊huge⌋ stone falls. He will be completely crushed.

It may also be helpful to include a footnote. For example:

Here the stone represents Jesus. Jesus was saying that the people who reject him will be destroyed.

20:18a

Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces: This clause refers to what happens to a person who falls on the stone. The clause is a metaphor. It indicates that if a person rejects the Messiah, the person will be completely destroyed. In some languages it is not natural to speak of a person being broken to pieces. Some other ways to translate this are:

• Use a more general expression. For example:

The man who falls on that stone will be broken (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

• Refer more specifically to the person’s body. For example:

If a person falls on that stone, his body/bones will be completely broken up
-or-
All those who fall on this stone their bodies will be crumbled

Translate the metaphor in a way that is natural in your language.

will be broken to pieces: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will be broken to pieces is passive. In some languages it may be more natural use an active verb here. For example:

the stone will break/shatter him into pieces.

20:18b

but he on whom it falls will be crushed: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but introduces a situation that is different from the one in 20:18a, but it has a similar result. In some languages it may be more natural to use a conjunction like “and.” For example:

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken, and the person on whom it falls, that person will be crushed! (New Century Version)

In some languages a conjunction is not needed. For example:

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken. If that stone falls on anyone, it will crush that person. (God’s Word)

he on whom it falls will be crushed: In Greek this clause literally says “when it falls on anyone, it crushes him.” Notice that the Berean Standard Bible translated the verb “crush” with a passive verb. In many languages it is natural to translate it as active. See the examples in the preceding note.

The verb “crush” indicates here that the stone will smash or flatten the person. It may imply that it will completely grind the person to dust. For example:

that person will be crushed to dust (Good News Translation)

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