Psalm 118:22-24 is a song of thanksgiving in which the psalmist celebrates how God takes what people have discarded and makes it the foundation of something new. The passage ends with a call to rejoice in the day the LORD has made. These verses belong to a liturgical hymn of thanksgiving, likely sung as worshipers entered the temple gates during a festival such as Passover or the dedication of the altar.
22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This is the LORD’s doing. It is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!
Psalm 118:22-24 (WEB)
Psalm 118:22-24 Summary
The passage moves in three short steps. First, it describes a stone that the builders threw aside but that ends up as the cornerstone, the stone that holds the whole building in alignment. Then it names the reversal as the work of the LORD and says it is wonderful to behold. Finally, it looks at the whole day as something God has made, and it invites the people to rejoice and be glad in it.
Taken together, the verses turn a moment of surprise into a settled conviction. What looked like rejection turned out to be the place where God was building. The psalmist does not explain every detail, but he is confident that the reversal belongs to God and is cause for joy.
Context of Psalm 118:22-24
Psalm 118 is one of the Hallel psalms, a group of praise songs traditionally sung at major Jewish feasts. Its author is not named, and tradition has associated it with King David or with a later liturgical setting. The psalm was sung by a congregation and probably included a procession and a call and response between the leader and the people.
The verses just before this passage describe the worshiper asking for the gates of righteousness to be opened, and the verses that follow ask God to save and to bless those who come in his name. Verses 22-24 sit at the heart of that movement. They explain why the worshipers can enter with confidence: God has turned a rejection into a victory, and that victory is worth celebrating.
Psalm 118:22-24 Verse by Verse
1 Peter 2:7
For you who believe therefore is the honor, but for those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected, has become the chief cornerstone,”
(WEB)
Peter applies the cornerstone image directly to Jesus, showing how early believers read Psalm 118 as a description of God’s work through the one who was rejected. The verse helps you see the psalm’s picture in its fullest New Testament setting.
Romans 8:28
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.
(WEB)
Paul’s assurance that God works all things together for good echoes the psalm’s confidence that God turns rejection into a foundation. The verse gives a wider frame for trusting God’s purposes in hard seasons.
A Prayer Based on Psalm 118:22-24
Lord, you are the one who takes what people set aside and builds something lasting from it. I bring you the places in my life where I feel rejected, unused or overlooked. Show me where you are laying a cornerstone that I cannot yet see. Teach me to recognize your work as marvelous, even when I do not understand it. Thank you for making this day, and help me to rejoice and be glad in it, trusting that you are present in every hour. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the rejected stone in Psalm 118:22 mean?
The rejected stone is a building image describing something the builders discarded that God later made central to the structure. Many readers see in it a picture of Israel and, in the New Testament, a picture of Jesus. The core idea is that God can turn what people reject into a foundation.
Why does Psalm 118 say the day is one the LORD has made?
The phrase presents each day as a gift shaped by God’s active purpose rather than only by chance or human planning. It invites the worshiper to receive the day with gratitude and to look for God’s work within it. The response is rejoicing rooted in trust.
Is Psalm 118:22 quoted in the New Testament?
Yes, several New Testament writers refer to this image of the rejected cornerstone, including Jesus in the Gospels and the apostles Peter and Paul in their letters. They apply it to Jesus as the one rejected by many yet central to God’s plan. The connection helps explain how early Christians read the psalm.
