rocky grotto

πέτρα, ας, ἡ (Hom. [πέτρη as ‘massive stone’ Il. 15, 273; Od. 10, 87f]+; loanw. in rabb.).

① bedrock or massive rock formations, rock as distinguished from stones (s. 2 below)

ⓐ lit., of the rock in which a tomb is hewn (s. λατομέω 1) Mt 27:60; Mk 15:46. The rocks split apart during an earthquake Mt 27:51 (cp. PGM 12, 242). αἱ πέτραι w. τὰ ὄρη (PGM 13, 872; all the elements are in disorder) Rv 6:16; likew. vs. 15, where πέτρα rather takes on the mng. rocky grotto (as Il. 2, 88; 4, 107; Soph., Phil. 16 al.; Judg 15:13; 1 Km 13:6; Is 2:10; Pr 30:26. Cp. Diod S 5, 39, 5 ἐν ταῖς κοίλαις πέτραις καὶ σπηλαίοις). πέτρα rocky ground with a thin layer of topsoil Lk 8:6, 13 (Maximus Tyr. 20, 9g ἐπὶ πετρῶν σπείρεις; Pla., Leg. 8, 838e; Ael. Aristid. 46 p. 302 D.; PSI 433, 6 [260 B.C.] οὐκ ἐφυτεύθη ἐπὶ τῆς πέτρας). It forms a suitable foundation for the building of a house Mt 7:24f; Lk 6:48ab v.l.—Used w. an adj.: of Sinai π. ἔρημος a barren rock B 11:3 (Is 16:1). στερεὰ πέτρα 5:14; 6:3 (both Is 50:7; cp. En 22:1; 26:5; OdeSol 11:5). π. ἰσχυρά 11:5 (Is 33:16). π. ἀκίνητος IPol 1:1.—The rock in the vision of Hermas: Hs 9, 2, 1f; 9, 3, 1; 9, 4, 2; 9, 5, 3; 9, 9, 7; 9, 12, 1 (the interpretation); 9, 13, 5; 9, 14, 4.—The rock at various places in the desert fr. which Moses drew water by striking it (Ex 17:6; Num 20:8ff; Ps 77:15f, 20; Philo, Mos. 1, 210; Jos., Ant. 3, 86; Just., D. 86, 1; Mel.—Apollon. Rhod. 4, 1444–46: Heracles, when thirsty, struck a πέτρη at the suggestion of a divinity, and a great stream of water gushed forth at once). Paul calls it πνευματικὴ πέτρα 1 Cor 10:4a and identifies it w. the preexistent Christ vs. 4b (EEllis, JBL 76, ’57, 53–56; Philo, Leg. All. 2, 86 πέτρα = σοφία, Det. Pot. Ins. 118=λόγος θεῖος).

ⓑ in wordplay (as symbol of firmness Reader, Polemo p. 265) w. the name Πέτρος (GGander, RTP n.s. 29, ’41, 5–29). The apostle so named, or the affirmation he has just made, is the rock on which Christ will build his church (for the figure s. Od. 17, 463: Antinous fails to shake Odysseus, who stands firm as rock.—Arrian, Anab. 4, 18, 4ff; 4, 21, 1ff; 4, 28, 1ff πέτρα is a rocky district [so also Antig. Car. 165] as the foundation of an impregnable position or a rocky fortress; 4, 28, 1; 2 this kind of πέτρα could not be conquered even by Heracles.—Diod S 19, 95, 2 and 4; 19, 96, 1; 19, 97, 1 and 2; 19, 98, 1 al. ἡ πέτρα [always with the article] is the rock [Petra] that keeps the Nabataeans safe from all enemy attacks; Stephan. Byz. s.v. Στάσις: πόλις ἐπὶ πέτρης μεγάλης of a city that cannot be taken) Mt 16:18 (s. ADell, ZNW 15, 1914, 1–49; 17, 1916, 27–32; OImmisch, ibid. 17, 1916, 18–26; Harnack, SBBerlAk 1918, 637–54; 1927, 139–52; RBultmann, ZNW 19, 1920, 165–74, ThBl 20, ’41, 265–79; FKattenbusch, Der Quellort der Kirchenidee: Festgabe für Harnack 1921, 143–72, Der Spruch über Pt. u. d. Kirche bei Mt: StKr 94, 1922, 96–131; SEuringer, D. Locus Classicus des Primates: AEhrhard Festschr. 1922, 141–79; HDieckmann, Die Verfassung der Urkirche 1923; JJeremias, Αγγελος II 1926, 108–17; ECaspar, Primatus Petri 1927; KGoetz, Pt. als Gründer u. Oberhaupt der Kirche 1927; JGeiselmann, D. petrin. Primat (Mt 16:17ff) 1927; BBartmann, ThGl 20, 1928, 1–17; HKoch, Cathedra Petri 1930; TEngert, ‘Tu es Pt’: Ricerche relig. 6, 1930, 222–60; FSeppelt, Gesch. d. Papsttums I ’31, 9–46; JTurmel, La papauté ’33, 101ff; VBurch, JBL 52, ’33, 147–52; JHaller, D. Papsttum I ’34, 1–31; ACotter, CBQ 4, ’42, 304–10; WKümmel, Kirchenbegr. u. Gesch.-bewusstsein in d. Urgem. u. b. Jesus: SymbBUps 1, ’43; OSeitz, JBL 69, ’50, 329–40. OCullmann, TManson mem. vol., ’59, 94–105; OBetz, ZNW 48, ’57, 49–77; cp. 1QH 6:26–28; HClavier, Bultmann Festschr., ’54, 94–107.—OCullmann, TW VI 94–99: πέτρα. S. also the lit. under Πέτρος, end).

② a piece of rock, rock (in an OT quot., where πέτρα is used in parallelism w. λίθος) π. σκανδάλου Ro 9:33; 1 Pt 2:8 (both Is 8:14).—B. 51. DELG. M-M. TW.