The Meaning of City Gate in the Bible

What is the significance of a city gate in the Bible?

Not only did city gates act as a mechanism for protection, in the Bible the city gate was a central location for the societal activity. Important business transactions were made, courts were convened, and public announcements were often heralded at the city gate.


Clearly, the city gate was an important cultural hub of society and the Bible speaks about it often. Proverbs 1:21 says, “She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words….” In order to speak wisdom to the masses, words were spoken loudly at the city gate.

The Bible first discusses the city gate in Genesis 19:1. At the gate of Sodom, Lot, Abraham’s nephew, greeted the angelic visitors to his city.

In Ruth 4:1-11, Boaz officially claimed the position of kinsman-redeemer by meeting with the city elders at the gate of Bethlehem. It was at the city gate that the legal matters concerning his marriage to Ruth were resolved.

Likewise, in Deuteronomy 21:18-21, the Bible speaks of the parents of a rebellious son who were told to bring the boy to the city gate, where the elders of the city would examine the evidence and pass judgment on him.

1 Samuel 4:18 says that when Israel battled with the Philistines, the priest, Eli, waited at the city gate for news about the ark and to hear how his sons fared in battle.

King David, as the ruler of Israel, stood before his troops and gave instructions from the city gate (2 Samuel 18:1-5). When David’s son Absalom died, David returned to the city gate along with his people (2 Samuel 19:1-8). King David’s appearance at the gate signaled that the time of mourning was over and the king was once again back to governing.

Controlling the gates of a conquered enemy was a symbol of defeating that enemy. Part of Abraham’s blessing from the Lord was the promise that “your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies” (Genesis 22:17).

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus declared that “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Jesus’s statement made clear that the evil plans of Satan, which would take place at the gates, would not destroy the church that God ordained.

Conclusion

In the Bible, the city gate represents a place of great significance. It was a place where kings gave decrees to the people, armies were commanded for war, and important governmental and societal business took place. In essence, the city gate was the “town square” of culture in Biblical times.

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