Reference: Gate
American
The gates of eastern walled towns were usually of wood, Jg 16:3, often covered with thick plates of iron or copper, Ps 107:16; Isa 45:2; Ac 12:10, secured by bolts and bars, De 3:5; 1Ki 4:13, and flanked by towers, 2Sa 18:24,33. A city was usually regarded as taken when its gates were won, De 28:52; Jg 5:8. Hence "gate" sometimes signifies power, dominion; almost in the same sense as the Turkish sultan's palace is called the Porte, or Gate. God promises Abraham that his posterity shall possess the gates of their enemies- their towns, their fortresses, Ge 22:17. So too, "the gates of hell," that is, the power of hell, or hell itself.
In oriental cities there was always an open space or place adjacent to each gate, and these were at the same time the market places, and the place of justice, Ge 23:10-18; Ru 4:1-12; De 16:18; 21:19; 25:6-7; Pr 22:22; Am 5:10,12,15. There, too, people assembled to spend their leisure hours, Ge 19:1. Hence "they that sit in the gate" is put for idlers, loungers, who are coupled with drunkards, Ps 69:12. The woes of a city were disclosed in the mourning or loneliness of these places of resort, Isa 14:31; Jer 14:2. Here too the public proclamations were made, and the messages of prophets delivered, Pr 1:21; 8:3; Isa 29:21; Jer 17:19; 26:10. Near the gate of a city, but without it, executions took place, 1Ki 21:13; Ac 7:58; Heb 13:12. To exalt the gate of a house through pride, increased one's exposure to robbery, Pr 17:19. To open it wide and high was significant of joy and welcome, as when the Savior ascended to heaven, Ps 24:7,9; and the open gates of the new Jerusalem in contrast with those of earthly cities carefully closed and guarded at nightfall, indicate the happy security of that world of light, Re 21:25.
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And the two [heavenly] agents came to Sodom at evening, and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. And Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. And he bowed himself with his face to the earth,
that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies,
Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the sons of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying, No, my lord, hear me. I give thee the field. And the cave that is in it, I give it to thee. I give it to thee in the presence of the sons of my people. Bury thy dead. read more. And Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land. And he spoke to Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, But if thou will, I pray thee, hear me. I will give the price of the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there. And Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, My lord, hearken to me. A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and thee? Therefore bury thy dead. And Abraham hearkened to Ephron. And Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver that he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current [money] with the merchant. So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was in it, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the border of it round about, were made sure to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars; besides the un-walled towns a great many.
Thou shall make judges and officers for thee in all thy gates, which LORD thy God gives thee, according to thy tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
then his father and his mother shall lay hold on him, and bring him out to the elders of his city, and to the gate of his place.
And it shall be, that the first-born who she bears shall succeed in the name of his brother who is dead, that his name be not blotted out of Israel. And if the man does not want to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuses to raise up to his brother a name in Israel. He will not perform the duty
And they shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fortified walls come down, in which thou trusted, throughout all thy land. And they shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which LORD thy God ha
They chose new gods, then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and laid hold of the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and plucked them up, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mo
Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there. And, behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by, to whom he said, Such man, stay, turn aside. Sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down. read more. And he said to the near kinsman, Naomi, who has come again out of the country of Moab, sells the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's. And I thought to disclose it to thee, saying, Buy it before those who sit here, and before the elders of my people. If thou will redeem it, redeem it, but if thou will not redeem it, then tell me that I may know, for there is none Then Boaz said, That day thou buy the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. And the near kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself lest I mar my own inheritance. Take thou my right of redemption on thee, for I cannot redeem it. Now this was [the custom] in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: A man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor. And this was the [manner of] attestation in Israel. So the near kinsman said to Boaz, Buy it for thyself. And he drew off his shoe. And Boaz said to the elders, and to all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, from the hand of Naomi. Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead not be cut off from among his brothers, and from the gate of his plac And all the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. LORD make the woman that has come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, which two built the house of Israel, and do thou worthily in Ephrathah, an And let thy house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the seed which LORD shall give thee by this young woman.
Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof of the gate to the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, a man running alone.
And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!
And the two men, the base fellows, came in and sat before him. And the base fellows bore witness against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth cursed God and the king. Then they carried him forth o
Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates. Yea, lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory will come in.
Those who sit in the gate talk of me, and [I am] the song of the drunkards.
She cries in the chief place of concourse, at the entrance of the gates, in the city. She utters her words:
Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors, she cries aloud:
He loves transgression who loves strife. He who raises high his gate seeks destruction.
Do not rob a poor man, because he is poor, nor oppress an afflicted man in the gate.
Howl, O gate, cry, O city. Thou are melted away, O Philistia, all of thee. For there comes a smoke out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks.
who make a man an offender in [his] cause, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and turn aside the just with a thing of nothing.
I will go before thee, and make the rough places smooth. I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut apart the bars of iron.
Judah mourns, and the gates thereof languish. They sit in black upon the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem has gone up.
Thus LORD said to me, Go, and stand in the gate of the sons of the people, by which the kings of Judah come in, and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem.
And when the rulers of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the house of LORD, and they sat in the entry of the new gate of LORD's [house].
They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks uprightly.
For I know how manifold are your transgressions, and how mighty are your sins--ye who afflict the just man, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the gate [from their right].
Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate. It may be that LORD, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
And having expelled him out of the city, they stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments beside the feet of a young man called Saul.
And when they passed a first and a second watch, they came to the iron gate, the one leading to the city, which opened spontaneously to them. And after going out, they advanced one street. And straightaway the agent withdrew from h
Therefore Jesus also, so that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside the gate.
And the gates of it will, no, not be locked by day, for there will be no night there.
Easton
(1.) Of cities, as of Jerusalem (Jer 37:13; Ne 1:3; 2:3; 3:3), of Sodom (Ge 19:1), of Gaza (Jg 16:3).
(2.) Of royal palaces (Ne 2:8).
(3.) Of the temple of Solomon (1Ki 6:34-35; 2Ki 18:16); of the holy place (1Ki 6:31-32; Eze 41:23-24); of the outer courts of the temple, the beautiful gate (Ac 3:2).
(4.) Tombs (Mt 27:60).
(5.) Prisons (Ac 12:10; 16:27).
(6.) Caverns (1Ki 19:13).
(7.) Camps (Ex 32:26-27; Heb 13:12).
The materials of which gates were made were,
(1.) Iron and brass (Ps 107:16; Isa 45:2; Ac 12:10).
(2.) Stones and pearls (Isa 54:12; Re 21:21).
(3.) Wood (Jg 16:3) probably.
At the gates of cities courts of justice were frequently held, and hence "judges of the gate" are spoken of (De 16:18; 17:8; 21:19; 25:6-7, etc.). At the gates prophets also frequently delivered their messages (Pr 1:21; 8:3; Isa 29:21; Jer 17:19-20; 26:10). Criminals were punished without the gates (1Ki 21:13; Ac 7:59). By the "gates of righteousness" we are probably to understand those of the temple (Ps 118:19). "The gates of hell" (R.V., "gates of Hades") Mt 16:18, are generally interpreted as meaning the power of Satan, but probably they may mean the power of death, denoting that the Church of Christ shall never die.
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And the two [heavenly] agents came to Sodom at evening, and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. And Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. And he bowed himself with his face to the earth,
then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Whoever is on LORD's side, [come] to me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. And he said to them, Thus says LORD, the God of Israel, Put ye every man his sword upon his thigh, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man
Thou shall make judges and officers for thee in all thy gates, which LORD thy God gives thee, according to thy tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates, then thou shall arise, and get thee up to the plac
then his father and his mother shall lay hold on him, and bring him out to the elders of his city, and to the gate of his place.
And it shall be, that the first-born who she bears shall succeed in the name of his brother who is dead, that his name be not blotted out of Israel. And if the man does not want to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuses to raise up to his brother a name in Israel. He will not perform the duty
And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and laid hold of the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and plucked them up, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mo
And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and laid hold of the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and plucked them up, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of the mo
And for the entrance of the oracle he made doors of olive-wood. The lintel [and] door-posts were a fifth part [of the wall]. So [he made] two doors of olive-wood. And he carved upon them carvings of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold. And he spread the gold upon the cherubim, and upon the palm trees.
and two doors of fir-wood. The two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. And he carved [thereon] cherubim and palm trees and open flowers. And he overlaid them with gold fitted upon the graven work.
And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice to him, and said, What are thou doing here, Elijah?
And the two men, the base fellows, came in and sat before him. And the base fellows bore witness against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth cursed God and the king. Then they carried him forth o
And they said to me, The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. Also the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and the gates of it are burned with fire.
And I said to the king, Let the king live forever. Why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchers, lays waste, and the gates of it are consumed with fire?
and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the castle which appertains to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And
And the sons of Hassenaah built the fish gate. They laid the beams of it, and set up the doors of it, the bolts of it, and the bars of it.
Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will enter into them. I will give thanks to LORD.
She cries in the chief place of concourse, at the entrance of the gates, in the city. She utters her words:
Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors, she cries aloud:
who make a man an offender in [his] cause, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and turn aside the just with a thing of nothing.
I will go before thee, and make the rough places smooth. I will break in pieces the doors of brass, and cut apart the bars of iron.
And I will make thy pinnacles of rubies, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy border of precious stones.
Thus LORD said to me, Go, and stand in the gate of the sons of the people, by which the kings of Judah come in, and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem. And say to them, Hear ye the word of LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter in by these gates.
And when the rulers of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the house of LORD, and they sat in the entry of the new gate of LORD's [house].
And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah. And he laid hold on Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou are falling away to the Chaldeans.
And the temple and the sanctuary had two doors. And the doors had two leaves [apiece], two turning leaves, two for the one door, and two leaves for the other.
And I also say to thee, that thou are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
and laid it in his own new sepulcher, which he hewed out in the rock. And having rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher, he departed.
And a certain man, being lame from his mother's belly, was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple, called Beautiful, to ask charity from those who entered into the temple,
And they stoned Stephen, who was calling and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
And when they passed a first and a second watch, they came to the iron gate, the one leading to the city, which opened spontaneously to them. And after going out, they advanced one street. And straightaway the agent withdrew from h
And when they passed a first and a second watch, they came to the iron gate, the one leading to the city, which opened spontaneously to them. And after going out, they advanced one street. And straightaway the agent withdrew from h
And the jailor, who became awake and who saw the prison doors opened, having drawn out a sword was going to kill himself, supposing the prisoners to have fled.
Therefore Jesus also, so that he might sanctify the people through his own blood, suffered outside the gate.
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls apiece, each one of the gates was of one pearl. And the thoroughfare of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
Fausets
The oriental resort for business, converse, bargaining, and news (Ge 19:1; 23:10; Ps 69:12), for addresses and reading the law (2Ch 32:6; Ne 8:1,3; Pr 1:21; Jer 17:19), or administering justice (Jos 20:4; Ru 4:1; De 16:18; 21:19). Pr 22:22, "neither oppress the afflicted in the gate," i.e. in the place of justice, in lawsuits. Ps 69:12, "they that sit in the gate speak against Me (Messiah), and I was the song of the drunkards," i.e., not only among drunken revelers, but in the grave deliberations of the judges in the place of justice I was an object of obloquy. Am 5:12, "they turn aside the poor in the gate," i.e. they refuse them their right in the place of justice; (Am 5:10) "they hate him that rebuketh in the gate," namely, the judge who condemns them (Zec 8:16).
Isa 29:21, "they lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate," i.e., they try by bribes and misrepresentations to ensnare into a false decision the judge who would in public court reprove them for their iniquity, or to ensnare the prophet who publicly reproves them (Jer 7:2). "The Sublime Porte," the title for the Sultan of Turkey, is derived from the eastern usage of dispensing law in the gateway. The king's or chief's place of audience (1Ki 22:10; 2Sa 19:8; Job 29:7; La 5:14). The object of a foe's attack and therefore strengthened especially (Jg 5:8; Ps 147:18), shut at nightfall (De 3:5; Jos 2:5,7; 1Sa 23:7). The market place for country produce (2Ki 7:1; Ne 13:16-19). The open spaces near the gates were used for pagan sacrifices (Ac 14:13; 2Ki 23:8).
Josiah defiled "the high places of the gates in the entering in of the gate." The larger gates had two valves, and were plated with metal and secured with locks and bars. Those without iron plating were easily set on fire (Jg 9:52). Sentences of the law were inscribed on and above them, to which allusion occurs De 6:9; an usage followed by Muslims in modern times. Some gates were of solid stones (Re 21:21; Isa 54:12). Massive stone doors are found in ancient houses of Syria, single slabs, several inches thick, 10 ft. high, turning on stone pivots above and below. The king's principal gate at Ispahan afforded sanctuary to criminals (Chardin, 7:368). In Esther's time "none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth" (Es 4:2). "The Beautiful Gate" of Herod's temple (Ac 3:2) was the outer one, made of Corinthian brass, surpassing in costliness even nine others of the outer court, which were covered with gold and silver.
It was so heavy that twenty men were required to close it, but it was found open unexpectedly shortly before the overthrow of Jerusalem (Josephus, B. J., 5:5, sec. 3; 6: 5, sec. 3; contra Apion, 2:9). The doorway consisted of lintel, threshold, and side-posts (Ex 12:7,22). In Ge 22:17, "thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies," the sense is, shall sit in judgment on them, as in the Assyrian sculptures the king is represented sitting in judgment upon prisoners. Thus the Persian satrap in the Lycian Xanthus monument sits at the gate dictating terms to the Greek ambassadors, and Sennacherib, at his tent door, gives judgment on the Jews taken at Lachish (British Museum, 59). In front of the larger edifices in the remains at Persepolis and Nineveh (Khorsabad) are propylaea, or "porches," like that "for Solomon's throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment, covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other" (1Ki 7:7).
The threshold in the Assyrian palaces is one slab of gypsum with cuneatic inscriptions; human-headed bulls with eagles' wings guard the portals, like and probably borrowed from the cherubim which guarded the gate of Eden; besides there are holes 12 in. square, lined round with tiles, with a brick to cover them above and containing small baked clay idols with lynx head and human body, or human head and lion's body, probably like the teraphim, from Arabic tarf "a boundary," and akin to the Persian "telifin" talismans. (See TERAPHIM.) Thus the place of going out and coming in was guarded, as especially sacred, from all evil by the inscriptions, the compound figured gods outside, and the hidden teraphim. Daniel "sat in" such a "gate" before the palace of Babylon as "ruler over the whole province of Babylon" (Da 2:48-49) The courtiers of Ahasuerus attended him "in the gate" similarly (Es 3:2).
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And the two [heavenly] agents came to Sodom at evening, and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. And Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. And he bowed himself with his face to the earth,
that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies,
Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the sons of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,
And they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts and on the lintel upon the houses in which they shall eat it.
And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side-posts with the blood that is in the basin, and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the mo
All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars; besides the un-walled towns a great many.
Thou shall make judges and officers for thee in all thy gates, which LORD thy God gives thee, according to thy tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
then his father and his mother shall lay hold on him, and bring him out to the elders of his city, and to the gate of his place.
And it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I know not. Pursue after them quickly, for ye will overtake them.
And the men pursued after them the way to the Jordan to the fords, and as soon as those who pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
And he shall flee to one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his case in the ears of the elders of that city. And they shall take him into the city to them, and give him a place, th
They chose new gods, then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
And Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it, and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there. And, behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by, to whom he said, Such man, stay, turn aside. Sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
And he made the porch of the throne where he was to judge, even the porch of judgment. And it was covered with cedar from floor to floor.
Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets were prophesying before them.
And Elisha said, Hear ye the word of LORD. Thus says LORD, Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour shall be [sold] for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.
And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the broad place at the gate of the city, and spoke encouragingly to them, saying,
And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the broad place that was before the water gate. And they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which LORD had commanded to Israel.
And he read in it before the broad place that was before the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were [attentive] t
There dwelt men of Tyre also in it who brought in fish, and all manner of wares, and sold on the Sabbath to the sons of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the ranking men of Judah, and said to them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath day? read more. Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath. And it came to pass that, when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut, and commanded that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath. And I set some of my servant
And all the king's servants, who were in the king's gate, bowed down, and did reverence to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down, nor did him reverence.
And he came even before the king's gate, for none might enter inside the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.
when I went forth to the gate to the city, when I prepared my seat in the street.
Those who sit in the gate talk of me, and [I am] the song of the drunkards.
Those who sit in the gate talk of me, and [I am] the song of the drunkards.
He sends out his word, and melts them. He causes his wind to blow, and the waters flow.
She cries in the chief place of concourse, at the entrance of the gates, in the city. She utters her words:
Do not rob a poor man, because he is poor, nor oppress an afflicted man in the gate.
who make a man an offender in [his] cause, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and turn aside the just with a thing of nothing.
And I will make thy pinnacles of rubies, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy border of precious stones.
Stand in the gate of LORD's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of LORD, all ye of Judah, who enter in at these gates to worship LORD.
Thus LORD said to me, Go, and stand in the gate of the sons of the people, by which the kings of Judah come in, and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem.
The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music.
Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon. And Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon, but Daniel was in the gate of the king.
They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks uprightly.
For I know how manifold are your transgressions, and how mighty are your sins--ye who afflict the just man, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the gate [from their right].
These are the things that ye shall do: Speak ye every man the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates.
And a certain man, being lame from his mother's belly, was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple, called Beautiful, to ask charity from those who entered into the temple,
And the priest of Zeus, being in front of their city, after bringing oxen and garlands to the gates, wanted to sacrifice with the multitudes.
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls apiece, each one of the gates was of one pearl. And the thoroughfare of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
Hastings
Morish
Beside the ordinary use of gates for the protection of a city, 'in the gate' was the place where many important things were transacted. When Boaz wanted the question settled respecting Ruth and the inheritance, he went up to the gate: the subject was debated with a nearer relative, then concluded, and witnessed by the elders. Ru 4:1-12; cf. Jos 20:4; 1Sa 4:18; 2Sa 15:2; Ac 14:13. To 'sit in the gate' was a place of honour: "they that sit in the gate speak against me." Ps 69:12. It should have been the place of true judgement and justice, but was not always so. Isa 29:21; Am 5:10,12; Zec 8:16. It was, at least at times, the king's chief place of audience. 2Sa 19:8; 1Ki 22:10; Job 29:7; La 5:14. From this it would be a symbol of power: thus the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church which Christ builds. Mt 16:18.
The gates of cities were of wood cased with iron to strengthen them and prevent them being burnt with fire. cf. Jg 9:52. The prison at Jerusalem had an outer gate of iron, the only iron one we read of. Ac 12:10.
Doubtless the gates of Solomon's temple were adorned to agree with the rest of the work. In the N.T. we read of THE BEAUTIFUL GATE of the temple, Ac 3:10; and Josephus relates that Herod made an outer gate of Corinthian brass, costing more than those adorned with gold and silver. The gates of the New Jerusalem are described as pearls: "every several gate was of one pearl," Re 21:12-25: the entrances must be in keeping with the rest of the city. The pearls represent the glories of Christ as seen in the church: cf. Mt 13:46.
The gate is used symbolically as the entrance both to life and to destruction: the former is narrow and the way straitened, and alas, there are but few that find it; whereas for the latter the gate is wide and the way is broad, and many there are that enter through it. Mt 7:13-14.
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And he shall flee to one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his case in the ears of the elders of that city. And they shall take him into the city to them, and give him a place, th
And Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it, and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there. And, behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by, to whom he said, Such man, stay, turn aside. Sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down. read more. And he said to the near kinsman, Naomi, who has come again out of the country of Moab, sells the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's. And I thought to disclose it to thee, saying, Buy it before those who sit here, and before the elders of my people. If thou will redeem it, redeem it, but if thou will not redeem it, then tell me that I may know, for there is none Then Boaz said, That day thou buy the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. And the near kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself lest I mar my own inheritance. Take thou my right of redemption on thee, for I cannot redeem it. Now this was [the custom] in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: A man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor. And this was the [manner of] attestation in Israel. So the near kinsman said to Boaz, Buy it for thyself. And he drew off his shoe. And Boaz said to the elders, and to all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, from the hand of Naomi. Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead not be cut off from among his brothers, and from the gate of his plac And all the people who were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. LORD make the woman that has come into thy house like Rachel and like Leah, which two built the house of Israel, and do thou worthily in Ephrathah, an And let thy house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the seed which LORD shall give thee by this young woman.
Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told to all the people, saying, Behold, the king is sitting in the gate. And all the people came before the king. Now Israel had fled every man to his tent.
when I went forth to the gate to the city, when I prepared my seat in the street.
Those who sit in the gate talk of me, and [I am] the song of the drunkards.
who make a man an offender in [his] cause, and lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, and turn aside the just with a thing of nothing.
The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music.
They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks uprightly.
For I know how manifold are your transgressions, and how mighty are your sins--ye who afflict the just man, who take a bribe, and who turn aside the needy in the gate [from their right].
These are the things that ye shall do: Speak ye every man the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates.
Enter ye in by the narrow gate, because wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many are they who enter through it. How narrow is the gate, and restricted the way, that leads to life, and few are those who find it.
Who, having found one very valuable pearl, after departing, sold all, as many things as he had, and bought it.
And I also say to thee, that thou are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
and they recognized him, that this was the man who sat for charity at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. And they were filled of astonishment and amazement at that which happened to him.
And when they passed a first and a second watch, they came to the iron gate, the one leading to the city, which opened spontaneously to them. And after going out, they advanced one street. And straightaway the agent withdrew from h
And the priest of Zeus, being in front of their city, after bringing oxen and garlands to the gates, wanted to sacrifice with the multitudes.
which has a great and high wall having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve agents, and names inscribed, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel: from the east, three gates, and from the north, three gates, and from the south, three gates, and from the west, three gates. read more. And the wall of the city having twelve foundations, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he who spoke with me had a measure, a golden reed, so that he might measure the city, and the gates of it, and the walls of it. And the city lies foursquare, and the length of it is as great as the breadth. And he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs, the length and the breadth and the height of it being equal. And he measured the wall of it, a hundred and forty-four forearms, a measure of a man, that is, of a heavenly agent. And the structure of its wall was jasper. And the city was pure gold, similar to clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city adorned with every precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second, sapphire, the third, chalcedony, the fourth, emerald, the fifth, sardonyx, the sixth, sardius, the seventh, chrysolite, the eighth, beryl, the ninth, topaz, the tenth, chrysoprase, the eleventh, jacinth, the twelfth, amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls apiece, each one of the gates was of one pearl. And the thoroughfare of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. And I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty is the temple of it, and the Lamb. And the city has no need of the sun, nor of the moon, so that they might shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the light of it is the Lamb. And the nations will walk by the light of it. And the kings of the earth bring to them the splendor and worth of the nations into it. And the gates of it will, no, not be locked by day, for there will be no night there.
Smith
Gate.
The gate and gateways of eastern cities anciently held and still hold an important part, not only in the defence but in the public economy of the place. They are thus sometimes taken as representing the city itself.
Ge 22:17; 24:60; De 12:12; Jg 5:8; Ru 4:10; Ps 87:2; 122:2
Among the special purposes for which they were used may be mentioned.
1. As places of public resort.
Ge 19:1; 23:10; 34:20,24; 1Sa 4:18
etc.
2. Places for public deliberation, administration of Justice, or of audience for kings and rulers or ambassadors.
De 16:18; 21:19; 25:7; Jos 20:4; Jg 9:35
etc.
3. Public markets.
In heathen towns the open spaces near the gates appear to have been sometimes used as places for sacrifice.
comp 2Kin 23:8 Regarded therefore as positions of great importance, the gates of cities were carefully guarded, and closed at nightfall.
They contained chambers over the gateway.
The doors themselves of the larger gates mentioned in Scripture were two leaved, plated with metal, closed with locks and fastened with metal bars.
De 3:6; Ps 107:16; Isa 46:1-2
Gates not defended by iron were of course liable to be set on fire by an enemy.
The gateways of royal palaces and even of private houses were often richly ornamented. Sentences from the law were inscribed on and above the gates.
The gates of Solomon's temple were very massive and costly, being overlaid with gold and carving.
Those of the holy place were of olive wood, two-leaved and overlaid with gold; those of the temple of fir.
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And the two [heavenly] agents came to Sodom at evening, and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. And Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. And he bowed himself with his face to the earth,
that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies,
Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the sons of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,
And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, Our sister, be thou [the mother] of thousands of ten thousands, and let thy seed possess the gate of those who hate them.
And Hamor and Shechem his son came to the gate of their city, and conversed with the men of their city, saying,
And all who went out of the gate of his city hearkened to Hamor and to Shechem his son, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.
All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates, and bars; besides the un-walled towns a great many. And we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying every inhabited city, with the women and the little ones.
And ye shall rejoice before LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your men-servants, and your maid-servants, and the Levite who is within your gates--inasmuch as he has no portion nor inheritance with you.
Thou shall make judges and officers for thee in all thy gates, which LORD thy God gives thee, according to thy tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
then his father and his mother shall lay hold on him, and bring him out to the elders of his city, and to the gate of his place.
And if the man does not want to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuses to raise up to his brother a name in Israel. He will not perform the duty
And it came to pass about the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I know not. Pursue after them quickly, for ye will overtake them.
And the men pursued after them the way to the Jordan to the fords, and as soon as those who pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
And he shall flee to one of those cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city, and declare his case in the ears of the elders of that city. And they shall take him into the city to them, and give him a place, th
They chose new gods, then war was in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?
And Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. And Abimelech rose up, and the people who were with him, from the ambushment.
And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even to the entrance of the gate.
And Abimelech, and the companies who were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city, and the two companies rushed upon all who were in the field, and smote them.
And Abimelech came to the tower, and fought against it, and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire.
Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead not be cut off from among his brothers, and from the gate of his plac
Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof of the gate to the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, a man running alone.
And for the entrance of the oracle he made doors of olive-wood. The lintel [and] door-posts were a fifth part [of the wall]. So [he made] two doors of olive-wood. And he carved upon them carvings of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold. And he spread the gold upon the cherubim, and upon the palm trees.
and two doors of fir-wood. The two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.
and two doors of fir-wood. The two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding. And he carved [thereon] cherubim and palm trees and open flowers. And he overlaid them with gold fitted upon the graven work.
And Elisha said, Hear ye the word of LORD. Thus says LORD, Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour shall be [sold] for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.
And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba. And he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the ga
Bel bows down, Nebo stoops, their idols are upon the beasts, and upon the cattle. The things that ye carried about are made a load, a burden to the weary [beast]. They stoop, they bow down together. They could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.
Will thou restrain thyself for these things, O LORD? Will thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very severely?
And the temple and the sanctuary had two doors. And the doors had two leaves [apiece], two turning leaves, two for the one door, and two leaves for the other.
And the priest of Zeus, being in front of their city, after bringing oxen and garlands to the gates, wanted to sacrifice with the multitudes.
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls apiece, each one of the gates was of one pearl. And the thoroughfare of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
Watsons
GATE is often used in Scripture to denote a place of public assembly, where justice was administered, De 17:5,8; 21:19; 22:15; 25:6-7, &c. One instance of these judgments appears in that given at the gate of Bethlehem, between Boaz and a relation of Naomi, on the subject of Ruth, Ru 4:2; another in Abraham's purchase of a field to bury Sarah, Ge 23:10,18. The gate of judgment is a term still common to the Arabians to express a court of justice, and even introduced by the Saracens into Spain. "I had several times," says Jacob, "visited the Alhambra, the ancient palace and fortress of the Moorish kings: it is situated on the top of a hill, overlooking the city, and is surrounded by a wall of great height and thickness. The entrance is through an archway, over which is carved a key, the symbol of the Mohammedan monarchs. This gate, called the gate of judgment, according to eastern forms, was the place where the kings administered justice." In Morocco, the gate is still the place where judgment is held. "All complaints," says Host, "are brought, in the first instance, to the cadi, or governor, who, for that purpose, passes certain hours of the day in the gate of the city, partly for the sake of the fresh air, and partly to see all those who go out; and, lastly, to observe a custom which has long prevailed, of holding judgment there. The gate is contrived accordingly, being built like a square chamber, with two doors, which are not directly opposite to each other, but on two adjoining sides, with seats on the other sides. In this manner David sat between two gates," 2Sa 18:24. Gate sometimes signifies power, dominion, almost in the same sense as the Turkish emperor's palace is called the Porte. God promises Abraham that his posterity shall possess the gates of their enemies, their towns, their fortresses, Ge 22:17. Jesus Christ says to Peter, "Thou art Peter; and on this rock will I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," Mt 16:18. This may mean either the powers of hell, or invisible spirits; or simply death,
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that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the seashore, and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies,
Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the sons of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,
to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the sons of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
then thou shall bring forth that man or that woman, who has done this evil thing, to thy gates, even the man or the woman, and thou shall stone them to death with stones.
If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates, then thou shall arise, and get thee up to the plac
then his father and his mother shall lay hold on him, and bring him out to the elders of his city, and to the gate of his place.
then the father of the damsel, and her mother, shall take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity to the elders of the city in the gate.
And it shall be, that the first-born who she bears shall succeed in the name of his brother who is dead, that his name be not blotted out of Israel. And if the man does not want to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuses to raise up to his brother a name in Israel. He will not perform the duty
And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
Now David was sitting between the two gates. And the watchman went up to the roof of the gate to the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, a man running alone.
And I also say to thee, that thou are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.