πέτρα

πέτρα — pétra

πέτρα, πέτρας, ἡ, from Homer down; the Sept. for סֶלַע and צוּר; a rock, ledge, cliff;

a. properly: Mat 7:24; Mat 27:51; Mat 27:60; Mar 15:46; Luk 6:48; 1Co 10:4 (on which see πνευματικός, 3 a.); a projecting rock, crag, Rev 6:15 f, rocky ground, Luk 8:6; Luk 8:13.

b. a rock, large stone: Rom 9:33; 1Pe 2:8 (7).

c. metaphorically, a man like a rock, by reason of his firmness and strength of soul: Mat 16:18 (some interpretations regard the distinction (generally observed in classic Greek; see the commentaries and cf. Schmidt, Syn., chapter 51, §§ 4-6) between πέτρα, the massive living rock, and πέτρος, a detached but large fragment, as important for the correct understanding of this passage; others explain the different genders here as due first to the personal then to the material reference. Cf. Meyer, Keil, others; Green, Critical Note on Joh 1:43).