The angle of a house (Job 1:19) or a street (Pr 7:8). "Corners" in Ne 9:22 denotes the various districts of the promised land allotted to the Israelites. In Nu 24:17, the "corners of Moab" denotes the whole land of Moab. The "corner of a field" (Le 19:9; 23:22) is its extreme part, which was not to be reaped. The Jews were prohibited from cutting the "corners," i.e., the extremities, of the hair and whiskers running round the ears (Le 19:27; 21:5). The "four corners of the earth" in Isa 11:12; Eze 7:2 denotes the whole land. The "corners of the streets" mentioned in Mt 6:5 means the angles where streets meet so as to form a square or place of public resort.

The corner gate of Jerusalem (2Ki 14:13; 2Ch 26:9) was on the north-west side of the city.

Corner-stone (Job 38:6; Isa 28:16), a block of great importance in binding together the sides of a building. The "head of the corner" (Ps 118:22-23) denotes the coping, the "coign of vantage", i.e., the topstone of a building. But the word "corner stone" is sometimes used to denote some person of rank and importance (Isa 28:16). He is also styled "the chief corner stone" (Eph 2:20; 1Pe 2:6-8). When Zechariah (Zec 10:4), speaking of Judah, says, "Out of him came forth the corner," he is probably to be understood as ultimately referring to the Messiah as the "corner stone." (See Temple, Solomon's.)

A merciful provision of the law left the grainers of the fields and whatever crop was on them to be enjoyed by the poor (Le 19:9). So also gleanings of fields and fruit trees (Le 23:22; De 24:19-21). Such regulations diminished, much the amount of poverty. In David's time only 500 or 600 in debt or distress joined him out of all Judaea (1Sa 21:11). Later the prophets constantly complain of the rich defrauding the poor (Isa 3:14-15; 10:2; Am 5:11).

Corner.

The "corner" of the field was not allowed,

Le 19:9

to be wholly reaped. It formed a right of the poor to carry off what was so left, and this was a part of the maintenance from the soil to which that class were entitled. Under the scribes, minute legislation fixed one-sixtieth as the portion of a field which was to be left for the legal "corner." The proportion being thus fixed, all the grain might be reaped, and enough to satisfy the regulation subsequently separated from the whole crop. This "corner" was, like the gleaning, tithe-free.

CORNER. Am 3:12. Sitting in the corner is a stately attitude. The place of honour is the corner of the room, and there the master of the house sits and receives his visitants.