(Judaism) Why does the Tanakh refer to the 'four corners of the earth'...
Meaning
All parts of the Earth.
Origin
From the Miles Coverdale's Version of the Bible, Revelation 7-1:
And after that sawe I foure angels stode on ye foure corners of the earth, holdinge ye foure wyndes of ye earth, yt ye wyndes shulde not blowe on ye earth, nether on ye see, nether on eny tree.
And in 'modern' English from the King James Version:
And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
A similar expression is found in Isaiah 11-12:
And he shal set vp a toke amonge the Gentiles, and gather together ye dispersed of Israel, yee and the outcastes of Iuda from the foure corners of ye worlde.
And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
The reference to four corners does not imply that the writers of these texts believed that the Earth was flat (although they may well have done). the first citation above suggests more that the four corners were the four compass points.
May God bless you as you study His Word
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King James Bible
All parts of the Earth.
Origin
From the Miles Coverdale's Version of the Bible, Revelation 7-1:
And after that sawe I foure angels stode on ye foure corners of the earth, holdinge ye foure wyndes of ye earth, yt ye wyndes shulde not blowe on ye earth, nether on ye see, nether on eny tree.
And in 'modern' English from the King James Version:
And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
A similar expression is found in Isaiah 11-12:
And he shal set vp a toke amonge the Gentiles, and gather together ye dispersed of Israel, yee and the outcastes of Iuda from the foure corners of ye worlde.
And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
The reference to four corners does not imply that the writers of these texts believed that the Earth was flat (although they may well have done). the first citation above suggests more that the four corners were the four compass points.
May God bless you as you study His Word
<
))><King James Bible