Corner, Corner-Stone
Corner, Corner-Stone
CORNER, CORNER-STONE.1. The special sanctity which in the Hebrew mind attached to corners is to be regarded as an inheritance from certain primitive and widely-spread animistic conceptions. Several of these were taken up and, so to say, regularized in the later legislation (cf. the remarks on Azazel under Atonement [Day of]). Examples will be found in the ideas associated with the corners of the altar (Zec 9:15), usually termed the horns (Altar, 7), the unreaped corners of the field (Lev 19:9; Agriculture, 3), the corners of the beard and head-hair (Lev 19:27) and of the upper garment or cloak (Fringes).
2. Another illustration is found in the importance attached among many peoples to the corner-stone in the foundation course of every important building, which was laid with religious rites, including, in early times, the burial beneath it of a human victim (see House, 3). The corrected text of Isa 28:16 speaks of a precious foundation corner-stone, which is neither Zion (as usually interpreted), nor the future Messiah, but a calm trust in J [Note: Jahweh.] ; hence the prophet adds he that trusts shall not be moved or put to shame (LXX [Note: Septuagint.] , cf. 1Pe 2:6 and Kittel, Bib. Heb.). Jer 51:26 and Job 38:6 both associate the corner-stone with the foundations. Hence the figurative use of the word for the chief men of the State, as its corners, i.e. supports and defences (Jdg 20:2, 1Sa 14:38 [cf. marg.], Isa 19:13 RV [Note: Revised Version.] , Zec 10:4). On the other hand, the stone of Psa 118:22 which became the head of the corner (RV [Note: Revised Version.] )the reference is to Zionis understood by many to be the corner-stone of the topmost course. (cf. the head stone of Zec 4:7, which is different from the foundation of Zec 4:9). In NT this passage and Isa 28:16 receive a Messianic application, Jesus Christ being both the foundation and the head of His Church (Mat 21:42 ||, Act 4:11, 1Pe 2:6 f.).
A. R. S. Kennedy.