Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Peter 2:4

"unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious," — 1 Peter 2:4 (ASV)

This section is connected to the previous one by the relative clause “As you come to him,” by the continued use of Ps 34, and by the concept of Christians’ finding in Christ great value. But the figure changes, for Peter now presents Christ as a rock or a stone. The “rock-stone” imagery is common in Scripture: see the stumbling stone of Isa 8:14, the foundation-stone of Isa 28:16, the parental rock of Isa 51:1–2, the rejected stone of Ps 118:22, the supernatural stone of Da 2:34, and the burdensome stone of Zec 12:3. “Rock/Stone” was an accepted messianic title among the Jews as well as among Christians.

“As you come to him” probably reflects “come to him” in v.5 of the Greek translation of Ps 34 (LXX). Christians have “come” to Christ in salvation, but their continual “coming” is also required. Jesus Christ is identified as the “living Stone,” a word that refers to his stability as the risen Lord. God’s raising of Jesus from the dead shows his value and God’s choice of him. The “rejected” Christ is the rejection of Jesus by the Jewish nation (Matthew 26:14–15; Acts 2:22–24; Acts 3:13–15; Acts 4:10–11), as well as the current rejection of him by the disobedient in every land.