2. Properly what is in front of one, or a country that is before or
in front of another; the rendering of the word kedem. In
pointing out the quarters, a Hebrew always looked with his face
toward the east. The word kedem is used when the four quarters
of the world are described
(Genesis 13:14; 28:14) and mizrah when the
east only is distinguished from the west
(Joshua 11:3; Psalms 50:1)
(Psalms 103:12) etc. In
(Genesis 25:6) "eastward" is literally "unto the
land of kedem;" i.e., the lands lying east of Palestine, namely,
Arabia, Mesopotamia, etc.
