gate, gate bar, gatekeeper, gatepost, gateway

Definition

The term “gate” refers to an access point in a fence, wall, or other kind of barrier that surrounds a house, property, city, etc.

• A city gate could be opened to allow people, animals, and cargo to travel in and out of the city.
• To protect the city, its walls and gates were thick and strong. Gates were closed and locked with a metal or wooden bar to prevent enemy soldiers from entering the city.
• A “bar” for a gate refers to a wood or metal bar that can be moved into place so that the doors of the gate cannot be opened from the outside.
• In Bible times, a city gate was often the social center for that town or city. It was a place where news of current events was exchanged between people, where business transactions occurred, and where civil judgments were made.

Translation Suggestions

• Depending on the context, other ways to translate “gate” could be “door” or “wall opening” or “barrier” or “entranceway.”
• The phrase “bars of the gate” could be translated as “gate bolts” or “wooden beams to lock the gate” or “metal locking rods of the gate.”

Bible References

• Acts 9:24
• Acts 10:18
• Deuteronomy 21:18-19
• Genesis 19:1
• Genesis 24:60
• Matthew 7:13

Word Data

• Strong’s: H1817, H5592, H6607, H8179, G23740, G44390, G44400