4350. proskoptó
Lexical Summary
proskoptó: To stumble, to strike against, to offend

Original Word: προσκόπτω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: proskoptó
Pronunciation: pros-KOP-to
Phonetic Spelling: (pros-kop'-to)
KJV: beat upon, dash, stumble (at)
NASB: strike, stumble, stumbles, slammed against, stumbled over
Word Origin: [from G4314 (πρός - against) and G2875 (κόπτω - mourn)]

1. to strike at, i.e. surge against (as water)
2. (specially) to stub on, i.e. trip up
{(specially) "stumble" literally or figuratively}

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
beat upon, dash, stumble

From pros and kopto; to strike at, i.e. Surge against (as water); specially, to stub on, i.e. Trip up (literally or figuratively) -- beat upon, dash, stumble (at).

see GREEK pros

see GREEK kopto

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from pros and koptó
Definition
to strike against, to stumble
NASB Translation
slammed against (1), strike (2), stumble (2), stumbled over (1), stumbles (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4350: προσκόπτω

προσκόπτω; 1 aorist προσεκοψα; to strike against (cf. πρός, IV. 4): absolutely of those who strike against a stone or other obstacle in the path, to stumble, John 11:9, 10; πρός λίθον τόν πόδα, to strike the foot against a stone, i. e. (dropping the figure) to meet with some harm, Matthew 4:6; Luke 4:11 (from Psalm 90:12 ()); to rush upon, beat against, οἱ ἄνεμοι τῇ οἰκία, Matthew 7:27 (L marginal reading προσερρηξαν, see προσρήγνυμι). ἐν τίνι, to be made to stumble by a thing, i. e. metaphorically, to be induced to sin, Romans 14:21 (cf. Winers Grammar, 583 (542); Buttmann, § 151, 23 d.). Since we are angry with an obstacle in our path which we have struck and hurt our foot against, one is tropically said προσκόπτειν, to stumble at, a person or thing which highly displeases him; thus the Jews are said προσκόψαι τῷ λίθῳ τοῦ προσκόμματος, i. e. to have recoiled from Jesus as one who failed to meet their ideas of the Messiah (see πρόσκομμα), Romans 9:32; the enemies of Christianity are said προσκόμματος ... τῷ λόγῳ, 1 Peter 2:8 (some (cf. R. V. marginal reading) take προσκόμματος here absolutely, and make τῷ λόγῳ depend on ἀπειθοῦντες, which see in a.). (Examples of this and other figurative uses of the word by Polybius, Diodorus, M. Antoninus are cited by Passow (Liddell and Scott), under the word and Fritzsche, Ep. ad Romans, ii., p. 362f.)

Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Thematic Range

Strong’s Greek 4350 describes the action of striking against an object and, by extension, experiencing a setback that may be moral, spiritual, or relational. The verb therefore moves from a concrete mishap (hitting one’s foot) to the figurative idea of stumbling in faith or conduct.

Occurrences and Literary Distribution

Eight New Testament verses employ the word, spanning Gospel narrative, Johannine discourse, Pauline instruction, and Petrine exhortation:

Matthew 4:6; Matthew 7:27; Luke 4:11; John 11:9; John 11:10; Romans 9:32; Romans 14:21; 1 Peter 2:8.

These passages fall naturally into two groups—literal danger and figurative offense—yet together they testify to a unified biblical doctrine of human frailty and divine preservation.

Literal Danger in the Temptation Accounts

Matthew 4:6 and Luke 4:11 quote Psalm 91:12: “they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.” Satan twists the promise of angelic care to entice Jesus into presumption. Christ refuses, thereby affirming that divine protection is never a license to abandon obedient trust. The wording highlights the ordinary hazard of Palestinian pathways while pointing to a deeper Messianic safeguarding.

Walking in Light: Johannine Imagery

In John 11:9-10 Jesus contrasts daylight with night: “If anyone walks in the daytime, he will not stumble … But if anyone walks at night, he will stumble, because there is no light.” The verb illustrates how spiritual illumination from Christ prevents moral missteps, whereas the absence of that light leaves a person exposed to ruin. The passage places stumbling within a worldview where revelation and obedience are inseparable.

Israel’s Misstep over the Messiah

Romans 9:32 laments Israel’s failure to attain righteousness: “They stumbled over the stumbling stone.” By approaching the law as a works-system, they collided with the very Rock who fulfills the law. The verse echoes Isaiah 8:14, demonstrating continuity between Old and New Testament witness: unbelief, not divine inconsistency, explains Israel’s fall.

Conscience and Christian Liberty

Romans 14:21 widens the application: “It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything to cause your brother to stumble.” Here the verb marks an avoidable injury within the body of Christ. Liberty must yield to love lest a weaker believer be hindered in discipleship.

Christ the Cornerstone and Scandal

1 Peter 2:8 weaves prophecy and pastoral exhortation: “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” To the obedient, Christ is “precious,” yet to the disobedient He becomes the very obstacle that exposes unbelief. The verb underlines divine sovereignty—“to this they were appointed”—while still holding individuals responsible for rejecting the Word.

Matthean Warning of Structural Collapse

Matthew 7:27, within the Sermon on the Mount, closes the parable of the two builders. Though the form differs slightly, the idea of colliding with destructive forces remains: the house without a firm foundation meets unyielding reality and falls. The theme parallels the other uses—misplaced confidence leads to ruin.

First-Century Background

Travelers on uneven Roman roads and rocky village streets knew the pain of a bruised foot. Builders likewise dreaded structural failure. Scripture harnesses these everyday dangers to depict higher stakes: the peril of unbelief, reckless testing of God, careless use of freedom, and disregard of divine light.

Ministry Significance

• Guarding against presumption—leaders must trust God’s promises without manipulating them (Matthew 4:6).
• Walking in the light—discipleship flourishes under the continual gaze of Christ’s revelation (John 11:9-10).
• Proclaiming Christ faithfully—He remains the fixed Stone; preaching must reveal both His saving and offending dimensions (Romans 9:32; 1 Peter 2:8).
• Protecting the weak—spiritual maturity expresses itself in self-denial to keep others from stumbling (Romans 14:21).

Hebrew Parallels

Psalm 91:12 and Isaiah 8:14 form the primary Old Testament backdrop, employing the imagery of stone and stumbling to portray God’s protective care and, conversely, the hazard of rejecting His chosen foundation.

Theological Reflection

Stumbling illustrates the intersection of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. God appoints Christ as both cornerstone and potential offense; humanity decides whether that Stone supports or shatters. The verb thus invites sober self-examination and confident reliance on God’s enabling grace.

Conclusion

Strong’s 4350 unites practical caution with theological depth. From the wilderness temptation to apostolic instruction, Scripture warns against testing God, walking in darkness, pursuing works righteousness, and flaunting liberty. At the same time it promises sustaining grace: those who build on and walk with the true Cornerstone “will never be put to shame.”

Forms and Transliterations
προσεκοψαν προσέκοψαν προσκοπτει προσκόπτει προσκόπτονται προσκόπτουσι προσκοπτουσιν προσκόπτουσιν προσκόψαι προσκόψει προσκόψη προσκοψης προσκόψης προσκόψῃς προσκρούσει prosekopsan prosékopsan proskópseis proskópsēis proskopses proskopsēs proskoptei proskóptei proskoptousin proskóptousin
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Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 4:6 V-ASA-2S
GRK: μή ποτε προσκόψῃς πρὸς λίθον
NAS: YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT
KJV: lest at any time thou dash thy
INT: lest ever you strike against a stone

Matthew 7:27 V-AIA-3P
GRK: ἄνεμοι καὶ προσέκοψαν τῇ οἰκίᾳ
NAS: blew and slammed against that house;
KJV: blew, and beat upon that house;
INT: winds and beat upon house

Luke 4:11 V-ASA-2S
GRK: μή ποτε προσκόψῃς πρὸς λίθον
NAS: YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT
KJV: lest at any time thou dash thy
INT: lest ever you strike against a stone

John 11:9 V-PIA-3S
GRK: ἡμέρᾳ οὐ προσκόπτει ὅτι τὸ
NAS: in the day, he does not stumble, because
KJV: in the day, he stumbleth not, because
INT: day not he stumbles because the

John 11:10 V-PIA-3S
GRK: τῇ νυκτί προσκόπτει ὅτι τὸ
NAS: in the night, he stumbles, because
KJV: the night, he stumbleth, because
INT: the night he stumbles because the

Romans 9:32 V-AIA-3P
GRK: ἐξ ἔργων προσέκοψαν τῷ λίθῳ
NAS: [it were] by works. They stumbled over the stumbling
KJV: For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
INT: by works they stumbled at the stone

Romans 14:21 V-PIA-3S
GRK: ἀδελφός σου προσκόπτει
NAS: your brother stumbles.
KJV: thy brother stumbleth, or is offended,
INT: brother of you stumbles

1 Peter 2:8 V-PIA-3P
GRK: σκανδάλου οἳ προσκόπτουσιν τῷ λόγῳ
NAS: OF OFFENSE; for they stumble because they are disobedient
KJV: [even to them] which stumble at the word,
INT: of offense who stumble at the word

Strong's Greek 4350
8 Occurrences


προσέκοψαν — 2 Occ.
προσκόψῃς — 2 Occ.
προσκόπτει — 3 Occ.
προσκόπτουσιν — 1 Occ.

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