“The Rock” in Scripture
Posted by Tony Listi on August 11, 2008
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus designates Peter as “the Rock” upon which he will build His Church. Protestants, so reverent of Scripture in all other cases, seem to blithely dismiss this title of Peter as of little significance.
But what exactly does the word “rock” mean in a Jewish/Scriptural context? After careful Scriptural study, Protestants might want to think twice before ignoring the preeminent authority that Scripture confers upon Peter. For in Scripture, “the Rock” is identified with shelter/refuge, strength, security, the foundation of an altar to God, the place of sacrifice to God, a stumbling block to the stubborn and disobedient, life-giving water (foreshadowing baptism?), the source of life and existence, salvation, the divine, Yahweh Himself, and Christ Himself.
“Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.”
-Exodus 17:6 (KJV)
“Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.”
- Numbers 20:8
“And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.”
-Numbers 24:21
“He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”
-Deut 32:4
“How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up? For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.”
-Deut 32:30-31
“And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted….”
-Deut 32:37
“But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.”
-Deut 32:15
“Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.”
-Deut 32:18
“And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.”
-Judges 6:26
“So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD: and the angel did wonderously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.”
-Judges 13:19
“And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them.”
-Judges 20:45
“There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.”
-1 Sam 2:2
“And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; the God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.”
-2 Sam 22:2-3
“For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?”
-2 Sam 22:32
“The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.”
-2 Sam 22:47
“The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.”
-2 Sam 23:3
“And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.”
-Nehemiah 9:15
“They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.”
-Job 24:8
“Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high? She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock, and the strong place.”
-Job 39:28
“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”
-Psalm 18:2
“For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?”
-Psalm 18:31
“The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.”
-Psalm 18:46
“For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.”
-Psalm 27:5
“Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.”
-Psalm 28:1
“Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me. For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.”
-Psalm 31:2-3
“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”
-Psalm 40:2
“I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
-Psalm 42:9
“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”
-Psalm 61:2
“He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.”
-Psalm 62:2 & 6
“In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.”
-Psalm 62:7
“Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.”
-Psalm 71:3
“He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.”
-Psalm 78:16
“Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?”
-Psalm 78:20
“And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.”
-Psalm 78:35
“He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.”
-Psalm 89:26
“To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.”
-Psalm 92:15
“But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.”
-Psalm 94:22
“O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.”
-Psalm 95:1
“He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.”
-Psalm 105:41
“Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty.”
-Isaiah 2:10
“Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips….”
-Isaiah 17:10
“And they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts: he caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them: he clave the rock also, and the waters gushed out.”
-Isaiah 48:21
“Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.”
-Isaiah 51:1
“O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole’s mouth.”
-Jeremiah 48:28
What else does the Gospel of Matthew say about rocks?
“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”
-Mt 7:24-25
What else does the New Testament say?
“He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.”
-Luke 6:48
“And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”
- 1 Cor 10:4
“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.”
-1 Pet 2:8
Search Bible Gateway for yourself: http://www.biblegateway.com
This entry was posted on August 11, 2008 at 2:09 am and is filed under Catholicism vs. Protestantism, Religion and Theology, Written by Me. Tagged: authority, Catholic Church, Catholicism, cornerstone, foundation, infallibility, papacy, papal authority, Peter, pope, Rock of the Church, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholicism, the Rock. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
A Catholic Reading of the Book of Matthew « Conservative Colloquium said
[...] is the gospel in which Peter is given the keys of the kingdom and named the Rock of the Church, a title of power and Scriptural significance, facts that Protestants fail to adequately account for in their own doctrine and practice. This [...]
Charlotte said
Great post by the way. I sincerely hope that you don’t mind but today I included a reference link to this article on my blog titled: “A Letter From Sendai”
The English translation for the capital city of Sendai actually means “A Thousand Generations”
“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.” Deuternomy 7:9
This Japanese city (9.0 earthquake) also has the nickname “City of Trees” because they have planted 60 zelkova trees on Jōzenji Street and Aoba Street. Zelkova Trees in the Georgian translation actually means “ROCK” …
For more details please go to:
http://pixtalpeep.blogspot.com/2011/03/letter-from-sendai.html
RICH FITZKAM said
WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD FOR OUR ACTIONS …… OUR GOOD OR BAD ACTIONS CAUSE REPORCATIONS …… SOME INSTANTLY AND SOME MANY MANY YEARS LATER IN ANOTHER TIME FRAME OR GENERATION …… THE TWO ATOMIC BOMBS DROPPED ON JAPAN …… ONLY STOPPED THE WAR …… THE FALSE RELIGIOUS SPIRITS CAUSED THE LEADERS OF JAPAN TO ATTACK AMERICA …… THE FUTURE PROMISE LAND …… CHOEN AND ANOINTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT …… THEIR ATTACK WAS A DIRECT ATTACK AGAINST GOD AND HIS PLAN FOR HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE …… THAT HAS CAUSED THIS REPORCATION IN MARCH 1 1 TH …… 2 0 1 1 …… IN JESUS NAME AMEN
RICH FITZKAM
Wilburn Jenkins said
“He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.”-Psalm 62:2 & 6
This clearly shows that G-d/Jesus alone is the rock, Not Peter!. Peters confession That Jesus was the only begotten Son of the living G-d was the rock upon which Christ built his Church, Peter was no pope and Jesus is the only mediator for the abolition of ones sins.
Tony Listi said
The earliest Christians interpretted Peter as being the Rock of the Church, the Rock on whom the Church was built. This interpretation is the literal and most obvious interpretation of Jesus’ words, especially since the name “Peter” that Jesus gives Simon means “rock”!! Are Jesus’ words not enough for you that you must search the Old Testament for seemingly contradictory statements? Jesus conferred great dignity upon Peter and his successors. Peter and his successors share in the Rock-like character of God (in preserving the doctrinal purity and unity of the Church) because Jesus wanted it to be that way.
“…I think it my duty to consult the chair of Peter, and to turn to a church whose faith has been praised by Paul…The fruitful soil of Rome, when it receives the pure seed of the Lord, bears fruit an hundredfold…My words are spoken to the successor of the fisherman, to the disciple of the cross. As I follow no leader save Christ, so I communicate with none but your blessedness, that is with the chair of Peter. For this, I know, is the rock on which the church is built! This is the house where alone the paschal lamb can be rightly eaten. This is the ark of Noah, and he who is not found in it shall perish when the flood prevails.” Jerome, To Pope Damasus, Epistle 15:1-2 (A.D. 375).
“Number the bishops from the See of Peter itself. And in that order of Fathers see who has succeeded whom. That is the rock against which the gates of hell do not prevail” Augustine, Psalm against the Party of Donatus, 18 (A.D. 393).
“Wherefore the most holy and blessed Leo, archbishop of the great and elder Rome, through us, and through this present most holy synod together with the thrice blessed and all-glorious Peter the Apostle, who is the rock and foundation of the Catholic Church, and the foundation of the orthodox faith, hath stripped him of the episcopate, and hath alienated from him all hieratic worthiness. Therefore let this most holy and great synod sentence the before mentioned Dioscorus to the canonical penalties.” Council of Chalcedon, Session III (A.D. 451).
“For the solidity of that faith which was praised in the chief of the Apostles is perpetual: and as that remains which Peter believed in Christ, so that remains which Christ instituted in Peter…The dispensation of Truth therefore abides, and the blessed Peter persevering in the strength of the Rock, which he has received, has not abandoned the helm of the Church, which he undertook. For he was ordained before the rest in such a way that from his being called the Rock, from his being pronounced the Foundation, from his being constituted the Doorkeeper of the kingdom of heaven, from his being set as the Umpire to bind and to loose, whose judgments shall retain their validity in heaven, from all these mystical titles we might know the nature of his association with Christ. And still to-day he more fully and effectually performs what is entrusted to him, and carries out every part of his duty and charge in Him and with Him, through Whom he has been glorified. And so if anything is rightly done and rightly decreed by us, if anything is won from the mercy of God by our daily supplications, it is of his work and merits whose power lives and whose authority prevails in his See.” Pope Leo the Great [regn. A.D.440-461], Sermon 3:2-3 (A.D ante 461).