- CORNELIUS a centurion whose history is narrated in Acts 10. He was a
“devout man,” and like the centurion of Capernaum, believed in the God of
Israel. His residence at Caesrea probably brought him into contact with
Jews who communicated to him their expectations regarding the Messiah;
and thus he was prepared to welcome the message Peter brought him. He
became the first fruit of the Gentile world to Christ. He and his family
were baptized and admitted into the Christian church (Acts 10:1, 44-48).
(See CENTURION.) - CORNER The angle of a house (Job 1:19) or a street (Proverbs 7:8).
“Corners” in Nehemiah 9:22 denotes the various districts of the promised
land allotted to the Israelites. In Numbers 24:17, the “corners of Moab”
denotes the whole land of Moab. The “corner of a field” (Leviticus 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 (Leviticus 19:27; 21:5). The “four corners
of the earth” in Isaiah 11:12 and Ezekiel 7:2 denotes the whole land. The
“corners of the streets” mentioned in Matthew 6:5 means the angles where
streets meet so as to form a square or place of public resort.
The corner gate of Jerusalem (2 Kings 14:13; 2 Chronicles 26:9) was on the
north-west side of the city.
Corner-stone (Job 38:6; Isaiah 28:16), 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. But the word “corner stone” is sometimes used to denote some
person of rank and importance (Isaiah 28:16). It is applied to our Lord,
who was set in highest honour (Matthew 21:42). He is also styled “the
chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6-8). When Zechariah
(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.)
- CORNET Hebrews shophar, “brightness,” with reference to the clearness
of its sound (1 Chronicles 15:28; 2 Chronicles 15:14; Psalm 98:6; Hos.
5:8). It is usually rendered in the Authorized Version “trumpet.” It
denotes the long and straight horn, about eighteen inches long. The words
of Joel, “Blow the trumpet,” literally, “Sound the cornet,” refer to the
festival which was the preparation for the day of Atonement. In Daniel