Gate: 1. Of cities, as of Jerusalem
(Jeremiah 37:13; Nehemiah 1:3; 2:3; 3:3) of Sodom(Genesis 19:1) of Gaza
(Judges 16:3)
2. Of royal palaces
(Nehemiah 2:8)
3. Of the temple of Solomon
(1 Kings 6:34,35; 2 Kings 18:16)
4. Of the holy place
(1 Kings 6:31,32; Ezekiel 41:23,24)
5. Of the outer courts of the temple, the beautiful gate
(Acts 3:2)
6. Tombs
(Matthew 27:60)
7. Prisons
(Acts 12:10; 16:27)
8. Caverns
(1 Kings 19:13)
9. Camps
(Exodus 32:26,27; Hebrews 13:12) The materials of which gates were
made were,
a. Iron and brass
(Psalms 107:16; Isaiah 45:2; Acts 12:10)
b. Stones and pearls
(Isaiah 54:12; Revelation 21:21)
c. Wood
(Judges 16:3) probably.
At the gates of cities courts of justice were frequently held, and
hence "judges of the gate" are spoken of
(Deuteronomy 16:18; 17:8; 21:19; 25:6,7)
etc. At the gates prophets also frequently delivered their messages
(Proverbs 1:21; 8:3; Isaiah 29:21; Jeremiah 17:19,20; 26:10) Criminals were punished
without the gates
(1 Kings 21:13; Acts 7:59) By the "gates of righteousness"
we are probably to understand those of the temple
(Psalms 118:19) "The
gates of hell" (R.V., "gates of Hades")
(Matthew 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.
