Bible Lexicons

πρόσκομμα, προσκόμματος, τό (προσκόπτω), a stumbling-block, i. e. an obstacle in the way which if one strike his foot against he necessarily stumbles or falls; tropically, that over which the soul stumbles, i. e. by which it is impelled to sin: 1 Corinthians 8:9 (Sir. 17:25 (20); (Sir. 34:16); Sir. 39:24); τιθέναι πρόσκομμα τίνι, to put a stumblingblock in someone's way, i. e. tropically, to furnish one an occasion for sinning, Romans 14:13 (WH marginal reading omits); ὁ διά προσκόμματος ἐσθίων (A. V.) who eateth with offence (see διά, A. I. 2), by making no discrimination as to what he eats occasions another to act against his conscience, Romans 14:20; λίθος προσκόμματος (from Isaiah 8:14 for נֶגֶף אֶבֶן), properly, a stone against which the foot strikes (A. V. stone of stumbling), used figuratively of Christ Jesus, with regard to whom it especially annoyed and offended the Jews that his words, deeds, career, and particularly his ignominious death on the cross, quite failed to correspond to their preconceptions respecting the Messiah; hence, they despised and rejected him, and by that crime brought upon themselves woe and punishment: Romans 9:32, 33; 1 Peter 2:8 (7). (In the Sept. for מוקֵשׁ, Exodus 23:33; Exodus 34:12; (cf. Judith 8:22). a sore or bruise caused by striking the foot against any object, Athen. 3, p. 97 f.; a hindrance (?), Plutarch, mor., p. 1048 c. (i. e. de Stoic. repugn. 30, 8 at the end).)