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Matthew 21:44
ESV And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
NIV Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.'
NASB And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and on whomever it falls, it will crush him.'
CSB Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will shatter him."
NLT Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on. '
KJV And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

What does Matthew 21:44 mean?

Jesus has quoted from Psalm 118:22–23 and has applied it to Himself. He is the stone that the builders of Israel, her leaders, rejected. The Lord, however, has made Jesus the cornerstone of the house of God (Matthew 21:42–43).

Now Jesus references Isaiah 8:14–15. Those who do not accept Him as the cornerstone will be broken or crushed by it. Isaiah put it this way, "And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken."

In other words, those who do not come to God by way of the cornerstone Jesus will be broken by the cornerstone Jesus (John 3:16–18). It is impossible to go around (John 14:6). All must go through Him to reach the Father or reject Him and be crushed (John 3:36).
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