four corners of the earth, the

Idioms and Phrases

The far ends of the world; all parts of the world. For example, Athletes came from the four corners of the earth to compete in the Olympics . This expression appeared in the Bible (Isaiah 11:12): “And gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.” Although the idea that the earth is a flat plane with actual corners has long been discarded, the term has survived.