lithos · stone

What it means

lithos (λίθος) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “stone”.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. A piece of hard rock, loose or cut.
2. The Messiah as the main stone of the building; believers, as living stones.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

Stone: any stone, a building stone, the one that closes a tomb, precious stones. As an image, the Messiah as the stone at the head of the corner and the believers as living stones. Of the same group are λιθάζω (‘stone’, to throw stones) and λίθινος (‘of stone’).

• “The stone that the builders rejected” Mark 12:10Luke 20:17Acts 4:11
• The stone of the tomb Mark 15:46Mark 16:4John 11:39
• Bread or a stone; making bread out of stones Matthew 7:9Matthew 4:3
• Not one stone left on a stone Mark 13:2Luke 19:44
• “Living stones”; precious stones 1 Peter 2:5Revelation 21:19

How we translate it

Always “stone” (43 times) or “stones” (12), and “millstone” where the Greek says a millstone. In 1 Peter 2:4-8 and in the quotations of Psalm 118:22 the same word is kept, so that the chain of texts about the stone can be seen.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• stone ×43
• stones ×12
• another ×1
• jasper ×1
• millstone ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×11
• Mark×8
• Luke×14
• John×6
• Acts×2
• Romans×2
• 1 Corinthians×1
• 2 Corinthians×1
• 1 Peter×5
• Revelation×8

• Matthew 3:9

  and do not presume to say within yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

• Matthew 4:3

  And the one testing him came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”

• Matthew 4:6

  and says to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will lift you up, so that you do not strike your foot against a stone.’”

• Matthew 7:9

  Or which man is there among you whose son will ask him for bread— he will not give him a stone, will he?

• Matthew 21:42

  Jesus says to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone that the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner; this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

• Matthew 21:44

  And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and on whomever it falls, it will crush him.”

• Matthew 24:2

  But he answered them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I tell you, there will never be left here one stone upon another that will not be torn down.”

• Matthew 27:60

  and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock; and after rolling a large stone to the door of the tomb, he went away.

• Matthew 27:66

  And they went and made the grave secure, sealing the stone, with the guard.

• Matthew 28:2

  And look, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and was sitting on it.

• Mark 5:5

  And always, night and day, among the tombs and on the mountains he was crying out and cutting himself with stones.

• Mark 12:10

  Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘The stone that the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner;

• Mark 13:1

  And as he was going out of the temple, one of his disciples says to him, “Teacher, look, what stones and what buildings!”

• Mark 13:2

  And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will never be left here a stone on a stone that will not be torn down.”

• Mark 15:46

  And having bought a linen cloth, he took him down, wrapped him in the linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that had been hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.

• Mark 16:3

  And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”

• Mark 16:4

  And looking up, they see that the stone had been rolled away; for it was very large.

• Luke 3:8

  So produce fruits worthy of the change of mind, and do not begin to say within yourselves: We have Abraham as father. For I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

• Luke 4:3

  And the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

• Luke 4:11

  and: On their hands they will carry you, so that you do not strike your foot against a stone.”

• Luke 17:2

  It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.

• Luke 19:40

  And he answered and said, “I tell you that if these are silent, the stones will cry out.”

• Luke 19:44

  and they will dash you to the ground, and your children within you, and they will not leave stone upon stone in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

• Luke 20:17

  But he looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone that the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner’?

• Luke 20:18

  Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; and on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

• Luke 21:5

  And as some were speaking about the temple, that it was adorned with beautiful stones and votive offerings, he said,

• Luke 21:6

  “These things that you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left a stone upon a stone that will not be torn down.”

• Luke 22:41

  And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and kneeling down he was praying,

• Luke 24:2

  And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,

• John 8:59

  So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

• John 10:31

  The Jews again picked up stones to stone him.

• John 11:38

  So Jesus, again deeply moved in himself, comes to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.

• John 11:39

  Jesus says, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, says to him, “Lord, by now he stinks, for it is the fourth day.”

• John 11:41

  So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted his eyes upward and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me.

• John 20:1

  Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene comes early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and she sees the stone taken away from the tomb.

• Acts 4:11

  This one is the stone that was despised by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner.

• Acts 17:29

  Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine is like gold or silver or stone, a sculpture of human art and imagination.

• Romans 9:32

  Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if by works. They stumbled over the stone of stumbling,

• Romans 9:33

  as it is written: Look, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.

• 1 Corinthians 3:12

  Now if anyone builds on the foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

And 18 more times.