cornerstone

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Bawm build with bamboo and thatch in their mountainous forests. They made the apostles and prophets become the roof ridge pole and Jesus the central uprights which support it. I asked why not the corner uprights since Greek has a term that is translated in English as ‘cornerstone.’ Bawm translators responded that the central uprights are more important than the corner ones, and Greek refers to the most important stone. (“Corner uprights” used in 1Tim 3:15.) (Source: David Clark)

In Mono, translators used “main post,” in Martu Wangka “two forked sticks with another long strong stick laid across” (see also 1 Peter 2:6-7.), and in Arrernte, the translation in 1Pet 2:7 (in English translation: “the stone . . . became the very cornerstone”) was rendered as “the foundation… continues to be the right foundation.” (Source for this and two above: Carl Gross)

Likewise, in Uripiv it also is the “post” (source: Ross McKerras) as well as in Sabaot (source Jim Leonhard in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 50)

In Ixcatlán Mazatec it is translated with a term denoting the “the principal part of the ‘house’ (or work)” (Source: Robert Bascom), in Enlhet as “like the house-root” (source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. ), in Q’anjob’al it is translated with with the existing idiom “ear of the house.” (Source: Newberry and Kittie Cox in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff. ), in Desano as “main support of the house,” and in Tataltepec Chatino as “the best stone” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.).

Shuar translates as “that stone was placed to the main house pole.” The Shuar use stones in house building either at the bottom of the posthole as a base for the house pole to rest on, or as chocking material around the post to hold it firm. Either function is acceptable here particularly as applied to the main house-pole. In Ocotlán Zapotec it is “master stone of the house.” This is a special stone they put into the foundation as sort of a guide stone of how the foundation is to true up. (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)

See also rock / stone, foundation on rock, and foundation.

Translation commentary on Psalm 118:22 - 118:23

Verses 22-25 were probably spoken or sung by the choir or the congregation as the procession filed into the Temple.

It is difficult to understand the meaning of verse 22 in this context; some suggest it was a proverbial saying which is here applied to the king. He had been near defeat and death, but now Yahweh has granted him victory and success. If a translator accepts this interpretation, then the saying may be enclosed within quotation marks, to show it is a proverbial saying. Others take the stone to represent Israel, rejected as unimportant by the great empires (see Dahood). In later times Judaism applied this verse not only to the king but also to the expected Messiah, an interpretation adopted by the Christian church. Verse 22 is applied to Jesus in Luke 20.17; Acts 4.11; 1 Peter 2.7; and it is perhaps alluded to in Ephesians 2.20; and verses 22-23 are quoted in Matthew 21.42 and Mark 12.10-11. There is no sure way of identifying the builders, and the proverbial nature of the saying must be preserved in translation. The stone which the builders rejected clearly refers to a stone used in construction of buildings, but in languages where the use of stones for construction purposes is unknown, it may be necessary to say “The stone used in building a house, and which the builders refused to use…” or “… considered to be worthless.”

Has become (or Good News Translation “turned out to be”) indicates the change in the opinion of the builders. The stone itself did not change, but the builders’ evaluation of it did. Originally they thought it was worthless, but when the building was being finished, they discovered it was the cornerstone (or capstone).

The Hebrew phrase the head of the corner probably refers to the large stone placed at the corner of the foundation, where two rows came together (see Isa 28.16); some think it would be the keystone (or, capstone) which completed the arch of the structure. New Jerusalem Bible and New English Bible have “chief cornerstone,” and New International Version “capstone.” Good News Translation is not specific: “the most important of all” (similarly Biblia Dios Habla Hoy); Bible en français courant has “the most important one, the cornerstone.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “The stone which the builders had thrown away now crowns the whole building.”

Verse 23a means that it was Yahweh who had brought about this unexpected change of events. The original readers (or hearers) of the psalm would know what This refers to; it is no longer the figurative stone and building, but the event which the figure represented. And verse 23b it is marvelous in our eyes can be represented simply by “how wonderful (or, marvelous) it is”; see Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “we are amazed.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “The Lord has accomplished this wonderful thing and we have seen it.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .