Gates

How Nave’s arranged it

• Of citiesDeuteronomy 3:5Joshua 6:261 Samuel 23:72 Samuel 18:242 Chronicles 8:5
• Made of ironActs 12:10
• Made of woodNehemiah 1:3
• Made of brassPsalms 107:16Isaiah 45:2
• Double doorsIsaiah 45:1Ezekiel 41:24
• The open square of, a place for idlersGenesis 19:11 Samuel 4:18Psalms 69:12Proverbs 1:21Jeremiah 17:19Jeremiah 17:20
• Religious services held atActs 14:13
• The law read atNehemiah 8
• The place for the transaction of public business, announcement of legal transactionsGenesis 23:10Genesis 23:16
• Conferences on public affairsGenesis 34:20
• Holding courts of justiceDeuteronomy 16:18Deuteronomy 21:19Deuteronomy 22:15Joshua 20:4Ruth 4:12 Samuel 15:2Proverbs 22:22Zechariah 8:16
• Place for public concourseGenesis 23:10Proverbs 1:21Proverbs 8:3Jeremiah 14:2Jeremiah 22:2

The passages, in Bible order (63)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 16 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Genesis 19:1

   Now the two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When Lot saw them, he got up to meet them, bowed facedown,

   ›Commentary on Genesis 19:12 voices

   “For (as we have seen) one of the messengers held the principal place, as being superior to the others in dignity. Now, although Christ was always the Mediator, yet, because he manifested himself more obscurely to Lot than he did to Abraham, the two angels only came to Sodom.

   “Lot was not inside Sodom "but at the gate." I might have said, just as Abraham was sitting outside his tent, out of hospitality, even at an inconvenient time (for it was the middle of the day) on the lookout for travelers, so his relative and the imitator of his morality "was sitting at the gate" ready to invite those passing through the land, even though evening had now come. For he surely knew the impiety of the Sodomites and that there was no rest for the stranger in that place.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 19:1→

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2. Genesis 23:10

   Now Ephron was sitting among the sons of Heth. So in the presence of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham,

   ›Commentary on Genesis 23:101 voice

   “And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth - And Ephron ישב yosheb, was sitting among the children of Heth, but, as was before conjectured, was personally unknown to Abraham; he therefore answered for himself, making a free tender of the field, etc., to Abraham, in the presence of all the people, which amounted to a legal conveyance of the whole property to the patriarch.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 23:10→

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3. Genesis 23:16

   Abraham agreed to Ephron’s terms and weighed out for him the price he had named in the hearing of the Hittites: four hundred shekels of silver, according to the standard of the merchants.

   ›Commentary on Genesis 23:162 voices

   “Abraham weighed . . . the silver--The money, amounting to £50 was paid in presence of the assembled witnesses; and it was weighed. The practice of weighing money, which is often in lumps or rings, each stamped with their weight, is still common in many parts of the East; and every merchant at the gates or the bazaar has his scales at his girdle.

   “Current with the merchant - עבר לסחר ober lassocher, passing to or with the traveler - such as was commonly used by those who traveled about with merchandise of any sort. The word signifies the same as hawker or peddler among us.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 23:16→

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4. Genesis 28:17

   And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven!”

   ›Commentary on Genesis 28:171 voice

   “He was afraid - So far was he from being puffed up. The more we see of God, the more cause we see for holy trembling and blushing before him. Those whom God is pleased to manifest himself to, are laid and kept very low in their own eyes, and see cause to fear even the Lord and his goodness, Hosea iii, 5.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 28:17→

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5. Genesis 34:20

   So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city and addressed the men of their city:

   ›Commentary on Genesis 34:202 voices

   “Hamor and Shechem . . . came unto the gate of their city--That was the place where every public communication was made; and in the ready obsequious submission of the people to this measure we see an evidence either of the extraordinary affection for the governing family, or of the abject despotism of the East, where the will of a chief is an absolute command.

   “(Chapter 34, Verse 20) And Emor and his son Sichem came to the gate of their city, and they spoke to the men of the city, saying, these men are peaceful with us. Where now the Septuagint translated it as 'peaceful', Aquila interpreted it as 'consummated' or 'perfected', for which in Hebrew it is read () Salamim. From this it is clear that what we said above about Salem is true.

   Everything gathered on Genesis 34:20→

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6. Deuteronomy 3:5

   All these cities were fortified with high walls and gates and bars, and there were many more unwalled villages.

   ›Commentary on Deuteronomy 3:52 voices

   “All these cities were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars,.... That is, all the cities in the kingdom of Bashan; and though they were, it hindered not their falling into the hands of the Israelites; and this might serve to encourage them against those fears they were possessed of by the spies, with respect to the cities in the land of Canaan; see Num 13:28. besides unwalled towns a great many; small towns and villages adjacent to the several cities, as is common.

   “Gates, and bars - literally, “Double gates and a bar.” The stone doors of Bashan, their height pointing to a race of great stature, and the numerous cities (deserted) exist to illustrate the statements of these verses.

   Everything gathered on Deuteronomy 3:5→

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7. Deuteronomy 16:18

   You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.

   ›Commentary on Deuteronomy 16:182 voices

   “Judges and officers shalt thou make--These last meant heralds or bailiffs, employed in executing the sentence of their superiors. in all thy gates--The gate was the place of public resort among the Israelites and other Eastern people, where business was transacted and causes decided.

   “Judges and officers shalt thou make - Judges, שפטים shophetim, among the Hebrews, were probably the same as our magistrates or justices of the peace. Officers, שטרים shoterim, seem to have been the same as our inquest sergeants, beadles, etc., whose office it was to go into the houses, shops, etc., and examine weights, measures, and the civil conduct of the people. When they found any thing amiss, they brought the person offending before the magistrate, and he was punished by the officer on the spot. They seem also to have acted as heralds in the army, Deu 20:

   Everything gathered on Deuteronomy 16:18→

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8. Deuteronomy 17:5

   you must bring out to your gates the man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you must stone that person to death.

   Verse page →Original language →

9. Deuteronomy 21:19

   his father and mother are to lay hold of him and bring him to the elders of his city, to the gate of his hometown,

   ›Commentary on Deuteronomy 21:191 voice

   “And it cannot reasonably be supposed that both would agree without the son's abominable and incorrigible wickedness, in which case it seems a righteous law, because the crime of rebellion against his own parents did so fully signify what a pernicious member he would be in the commonwealth of Israel, who had dissolved all his natural obligations.

   Everything gathered on Deuteronomy 21:19→

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10. Deuteronomy 22:15

    Then the young woman’s father and mother shall bring the proof of her virginity to the city elders at the gate

    ›Commentary on Deuteronomy 22:151 voice

    “Tokens of the damsel’s virginity - This was a perfectly possible case in all places where girls were married at ten, twelve, and fourteen years of age, which is frequent in the East. I have known several instances of persons having had two or three children at separate births before they were fourteen years of age. Such tokens, therefore, as the text speaks of, must be infallibly exhibited by females so very young on the consummation of their marriage.

    Everything gathered on Deuteronomy 22:15→

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11. Joshua 2:5

    At dusk, when the gate was about to close, the men went out, and I do not know which way they went. Pursue them quickly, and you may catch them!”

    ›Commentary on Joshua 2:52 voices

    “This was the case with Rahab. Scripture not only recalls nothing virtuous about her but even speaks of her immorality. Yet for her lie alone, whereby she chose to conceal the spies rather than betray them, she deserved to share an eternal blessing with the people of God.

    “When it was dark - So it appears that it was after night that the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, ordering her to produce the persons who lodged with her. The season itself was friendly to the whole plot: had these transactions taken place in daylight, it is scarcely possible that the spies could have escaped. But this is no excuse for the woman’s prevarication, for God could have saved his messengers independently of her falsity. God never says to any, Do evil that good may come of it. See at the end of the chapter, Jos 2:24 (note).

    Everything gathered on Joshua 2:5→

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12. Joshua 2:7

    So the king’s men set out in pursuit of the spies along the road to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as they had gone out, the gate was shut.

    ›Commentary on Joshua 2:72 voices

    “The first and second immediately below the sea of Galilee; the third and fourth immediately above and below the pilgrims' bathing-place, opposite Jericho. as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate--This precaution was to ensure the capture of the spies, should they have been lurking in the city. THE COVENANT BETWEEN HER AND THEM.

    “The sense is, that “they pursued along the way which leads to Jordan and across the fords;” probably those described in Jdg 3:28.

    Everything gathered on Joshua 2:7→

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13. Joshua 6:26

    At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.”

    ›Commentary on Joshua 6:262 voices

    “It is said of the time when Ahab reigned, "In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho; he laid its foundations in Abiram, his firstborn; and he set up its gates in Segub, his youngest son." The apparent sense is that when the above-mentioned city's …

    “Joshua adjured them at that time--that is, imposed upon his countrymen a solemn oath, binding on themselves as well as their posterity, that they would never rebuild that city. Its destruction was designed by God to be a permanent memorial of His abhorrence of idolatry and its attendant vices.

    Everything gathered on Joshua 6:26→

    Verse page →Original language →

14. Joshua 20:4

    When someone flees to one of these cities, stands at the entrance of the city gate, and states his case before its elders, they are to bring him into the city and give him a place to live among them.

    ›Commentary on Joshua 20:42 voices

    “If found guilty, the manslayer was surrendered to the blood-avenger; if extenuating circumstances appeared, he was to remain in the city of refuge, where he would be safe from the vindictive feelings of his pursuers; but he forfeited the privilege of immunity the moment he ventured beyond the walls.

    “As soon as the manslayer presented himself at the city of refuge, the elders of the city were to hold an inquiry, and receive him provisionally into the city. Afterward, when the avenger of blood should have tracked his victim to the city, and appear to claim him, a more formal and thorough investigation Jos 20:6 was to be made. Consult the marginal references.

    Everything gathered on Joshua 20:4→

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15. Ruth 4:1

    Meanwhile, Boaz went to the gate and sat down there. Soon the kinsman-redeemer of whom he had spoken came along, and Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

    ›Commentary on Ruth 4:12 voices

    “Then went Boaz up to the gate of the city--a roofed building, unenclosed by walls; the place where, in ancient times, and in many Eastern towns still, all business transactions are made, and where, therefore, the kinsman was most likely to be found.

    “The gate is the place of concourse, of business, and of justice in Oriental cities (see Jdg 19:15 note; Gen 34:20; Deu 16:18). Ho, such a one! - Indicating that the name of the kinsman was either unknown or purposely concealed 1Sa 21:2; 2Ki 6:8.

    Everything gathered on Ruth 4:1→

    Verse page →Original language →

16. 1 Samuel 4:18

    As soon as the ark of God was mentioned, Eli fell backward from his chair by the city gate, and being old and heavy, he broke his neck and died. And Eli had judged Israel forty years.

    ›Commentary on 1 Samuel 4:182 voices

    “The calamities announced to Samuel as about to fall upon the family of Eli [1Sa 2:34] were now inflicted in the death of his two sons, and after his death, by that of his daughter-in-law, whose infant son received a name that perpetuated the fallen glory of the church and nation [1Sa 4:19-22]. The public disaster was completed by the capture of the ark.

    “Thus was the wickedness of those sons of his, whom he had indulged, his ruin. Thus does God sometimes set marks of his displeasure on good men, that others may hear and fear. Yet we must observe, it was the loss of the ark that was his death, and not the slaughter of his sons.

    Everything gathered on 1 Samuel 4:18→

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