In biblical literature, the term "extremities" can refer to the outermost parts or limits of something, often used metaphorically to describe the farthest reaches of the earth or the most distant places. This concept is frequently employed in Scripture to emphasize the vastness of God's creation, His omnipresence, and the universal scope of His sovereignty and salvation.

Geographical Extremities

The Bible often uses the concept of extremities to describe the geographical boundaries of the known world. In the Old Testament, the phrase "ends of the earth" is a common expression. For instance, in Psalm 2:8, God declares, "Ask Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance, the ends of the earth Your possession." This verse highlights the extent of the Messiah's dominion, reaching even to the most distant lands.

Similarly, Isaiah 45:22 states, "Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other." Here, the call to salvation is extended to all people, regardless of their location, underscoring the inclusivity of God's redemptive plan.

Metaphorical Extremities

Beyond geographical references, extremities are also used metaphorically to describe the limits of human experience or divine intervention. In Job 28:24, it is written, "For He looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens." This passage speaks to God's omniscience, His ability to perceive all things, even those at the farthest reaches of existence.

The New Testament continues this theme. In Acts 1:8, Jesus instructs His disciples, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." This commandment emphasizes the global mission of the Church, tasked with spreading the Gospel to every corner of the world.

Divine Sovereignty and Salvation

The use of extremities in Scripture often serves to highlight God's sovereignty and the comprehensive nature of His salvation. In Psalm 98:3, the psalmist proclaims, "He has remembered His love and faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God." This verse celebrates the revelation of God's salvation to all nations, affirming that His grace extends beyond the boundaries of Israel to encompass the entire world.

Furthermore, the prophetic vision in Isaiah 52:10 declares, "The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God." This imagery of God's "holy arm" signifies His power and intervention in history, ensuring that His redemptive work is visible to all peoples.

Conclusion

In summary, the concept of extremities in the Bible serves as a powerful reminder of God's omnipresence, His sovereign rule over creation, and the universal reach of His salvation. Whether referring to the physical boundaries of the earth or the metaphorical limits of human experience, extremities underscore the vastness of God's love and the inclusivity of His divine plan.(n.) Plural of Extremity.4994. sophronizo -- to recall one to his senses, admonish
... This radical-moderation requires a perspective that is eclectic, combining the
legitimate extremities of truth from both sides of a matter. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4994.htm - 8k

4993. sophroneo -- to be of sound mind, ie to be temperate
... For the believer, 4993 ("think shrewdly") reflects what . This perspective blends
the extremities of truth on both sides of a matter. See 4998 (). ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4993.htm - 7k

658a. ophes -- the two extremities (ie the soles of the feet or ...
... 658, 658a. ophes. 658b . the two extremities (ie the soles of the feet or
the ankles). Transliteration: ophes Short Definition: ankles. ...
/hebrew/658a.htm - 5k

658. Ephec Dammiym -- the two extremities (ie the soles of the ...
... the two extremities (ie the soles of the feet or the ankles). Transliteration: Ephec
Dammiym Phonetic Spelling: (eh'-fes dam-meem') Short Definition: dammim. ...
/hebrew/658.htm - 5k

Concerning the Passion of Christ, and Its Old Testament ...
... bull," by reason of each of His two characters,"to some fierce, as Judge; to others
gentle, as Saviour; whose "horns" were to be the extremities of the cross ...
/.../tertullian/an answer to the jews/chapter x concerning the passion of.htm

The Answer on the Threefold Movement of the Soul.
... of headache, but when it affects the ears or eyes, it passes into the malady of
earache or ophthalmia: when it spreads to the joints and the extremities of the ...
/.../cassian/the conferences of john cassian/chapter xv the answer on.htm

January 30. "Cast Down but not Destroyed" (ii. Cor. Iv. 9).
... If you will rise to meet it you will get such a hold upon Him that you will never
be in extremities again, or if you are, you will learn to call them not ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /january 30 cast down but.htm

October 31. "My Grace is Sufficient for Thee; for My Strength is ...
... Nothing but the extremities in which Paul was constantly placed could ever have
taught him, and taught the church through him, the full meaning of the great ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /october 31 my grace is.htm

"But," it is Said, "This Change in Our Body by Birth is a Weakness ...
... a more general scale as it were [1984] , conjoined the intellectual to the sentient
nature, the new principle freely progressing to the extremities by natural ...
/.../gregory/gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/chapter xvi but it is.htm

2 Cor. Iv. 8, 9
... Being scourged, being persecuted, suffering ten thousand extremities. ... By faith, by
hope, by a forward will, finally, by braving those extremities. ...
/.../homilies on the epistles of paul to the corinthians/homily ix 2 cor iv.htm

Of the Soul and the Body, and of their Union and Separation and ...
... For, since it is contained in the material of the blood, as light is in the oil,
that material being consumed by the heat of fevers, the extremities of the ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xii of the soul and.htm

The Conquest of Babylon.
... In the outer walls of the city, at the extremities of all these streets, were massive
gates of brass, with hinges and frames of the same metal. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter viii the conquest of.htm

On Daniel. Iii. Scholia on Daniel.
... as the prophet saw the division of the ten horns of the last beast, and three horns
broken by one; so the king, in like manner, saw in the extremities of the ...
/.../the extant works and fragments of hippolytus/on daniel iii scholia on.htm

Ancient Chaldaea
... Cut short the life of Tiamat, and let the wind carry her blood to the hidden
extremities of the universe."* He equipped himself carefully for the struggle. ...
/.../chapter iancient chaldaea.htm

Extremities (6 Occurrences)
...Extremities (6 Occurrences). ... Yea, surely, Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
and their words to the extremities of the habitable world. (DBY). ...
/e/extremities.htm - 8k

Corners (56 Occurrences)
... Standard Bible Encyclopedia EARTH, CORNERS OF THE. The "corners" or "ends" of the
earth are its "wings" (kanephoth ha-'arets), ie its borders or extremities. ...
/c/corners.htm - 25k

Earth (10501 Occurrences)
... Alfred Ely Day. EARTH, CORNERS OF THE. The "corners" or "ends" of the earth are
its "wings" (kanephoth ha-'arets), ie its borders or extremities. ...
/e/earth.htm - 26k

Extremity (46 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) The farthest or remotest part; as, the
extremities of a country. 2. (n.) One of locomotive appendages ...
/e/extremity.htm - 22k

Jeroboam (96 Occurrences)
... He at once adopted means to perpetuate the division thus made between the two parts
of the kingdom, and erected at Dan and Bethel, the two extremities of his ...
/j/jeroboam.htm - 62k

Lop (2 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To cut off as the top or extreme part of anything; to show/ -- by cutting
off the extremities; to cut off, or remove as superfluous parts; as, to lop a ...
/l/lop.htm - 7k

Wing (18 Occurrences)
... sides. In a fleet, one of the extremities when the ships are drawn up
in line, or when forming the two sides of a triangle. 19. ...
/w/wing.htm - 15k

Finger (35 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) One of the five terminating members of the hand; a digit; esp., one
of the four extremities of the hand, other than the thumb. ...
/f/finger.htm - 22k

Fathom (5 Occurrences)
... Gr. orguia (from orego, "I stretch"), the distance between the extremities
of both arms fully stretched out. Noah Webster's Dictionary. ...
/f/fathom.htm - 9k

End (3706 Occurrences)
... "Ends of the earth" is the translation of 'ephec, "extremities" (Deuteronomy
33:17 Psalm 22:27), also of kanaph, "wing" (Job 37:3; Job 38:13). ...
/e/end.htm - 17k

What does the Bible mean when it refers to the corners of the earth? | GotQuestions.org

Extremities: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus