Nehemiah 9:22 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

Into corners, or, into a corner. But the singular number is very commonly put for the plural. This is understood, either,

1. Of the Israelites, to whom God divided by lot the kingdoms and nations last mentioned, and gave them all the corners, or sides, or quarters (for all these the word signifies) of their land. Or rather,

2. Of the heathen nations, whom God in a great measure destroyed, and the remainders of them he dispersed into corners; that whereas before the Israelites came they had large habitations and dominions, now they were cooped up into corners, some of them into one town or city, and some into another, in the several corners of their land, as indeed we find them afterward; whilst thee Israelites dwelt in a large place, and had the possession of their whole land, some few and small parcels excepted. Compare Deuteronomy 32:26, where the like phrase is used in the same sense.

Nehemiah 9:22

22 Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.