cornerstones and corners in the Bible
Cornerstones
Hebrew: פִנָּה —transliteration: pinnah —meaning: cornerstone or a corner
A cornerstone (Job 38:6; Isaiah 28:16) is a block of great importance in binding together the sides of a building.
The “head of the corner” (Psalm 118:22-23) denotes the coping, the “coign of vantage”, i.e., the topstone of a building.
Cornerstone person
The word “cornerstone” is sometimes used in Scripture to denote some key person of rank and importance (Isaiah 28:16).
Our Lord Jesus Christ is called the Cornerstone who was set in highest honor (Matthew 21:42). He is also called “the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6-8).
When the prophet 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 “cornerstone.”
More information
- What and who is CHRIST?
- What and who is Messiah?
- How do we know that Jesus was the Messiah? Answer
- List of Messianic prophecies fulfilled by Jesus Christ
- temple
- Solomon’s Temple
- Names of God
- Stone in the Bible
Corners in the Bible
Angle of a house (Job 1:19)
Angle of a street (Proverbs 7:8)
The “street corners” mentioned in Matthew 6:5 means the angles where streets meet so as to form a square or place of public congregation or rest.
“Corners” in Neh. 9:22 KJV denotes the various districts of the promised land allotted to the Israelites.
“The corners of Moab” in Numbers 24:17 KJV is better translated “the foreheads of Moab” or “the brow of Moab” modern translations: Num. 24:17 NIV; Numbers 24:17 NASB; Num. 24:17 NKJV.
The “corners of a field” (Leviticus 19:9 KJV; Lev. 23:22 KJV) are its extreme parts, which were not to be reaped.
The Israelites were prohibited from cutting the “corners” (i.e., the extremities) of their hair and beard running round the ears (Leviticus 19:27 KJV; Lev. 21:5 KJV).
The “four corners of the Earth” in Isaiah 11:12 and “four corners of land” in Ezek. 7:2 denotes the whole land.
The Corner Gate of Jerusalem (2 Kings 14:13 NKJV; 2 Chr. 26:9 NKJV) was on the northwest side of the city.
Hebrew words translated as “corner”
- Hebrew: פֵאָה —transliteration: peah —meaning: corner, side
- פֵאָה —transliteration: peah —meaning: corner, side
- פָנָה —transliteration: panah —meaning: to turn or corner
- זָוִית —transliteration: zavith —meaning: a corner
- כָּנָף —transliteration: kanaph —meaning: wing, extremity, edge, fold or corner
- פַעַם —transliteration: paam —meaning: a beat, foot, anvil, occurrence or corner
- פִנָּה —transliteration: pinnah —meaning: a corner or cornerstone
Greek: γωνία —transliteration; gónia —meaning: an angle, a corner
More information
- WALLS in the Bible
- temple
- Solomon’s Temple
- Stone in the Bible