City gateways among the Greeks and Romans in later days appear to have been principally used for making secure the city, but in early times among the Greeks and at all times in Syria they have been used for many public purposes, and were important positions m the economy of the state. Jerome says that as the Hebrews were for the most part employed in labouring in the field, it was wisely provided that assemblies should be held at the city gates, and justice administered there in a summary manner, that those labouring men who were busy at their work might lose no time, and that the country people might not be obliged to enter and spend tneir time there (Cruden, Cone. s. 'Gate').
GATE
GATE
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Tlie gate of the city in the early dawii of civilization was the ordinary jilace of puLilic re- sort for tlie transaction of business and adminis- tration of justice, and for discussing tlie news, just as the doorway of the house was the place where iirivate business was despatched and friendly greetings exchanged. It was also the place of the markets, where goods were exposed for sale.
Gesenius gives the foil, explanation («.«. "H'p). 'At the gates of cities there was the forum {2m), where trials were held, and the citizens assembled, some of them for business and some to sit at leisure to look on and converse (Gn 19', Ru 4", Pr SI*', La I'') ; whence "in the gate," often for "in the forum," "in judgment," Dt 25', Job 5* 3\-\ Ps 127', Pr 22-2, ig 29-', Am 5'»- '2- 's.' Cf. further Driver on Am 5"*. The word z'rn is rendered by Gesenius — (1) a street, (2) ojucn place, fonan, i.e. an ample space at the gate of Oriental cities where trials were held, and wares set forth for sale, 2 Ch 32" ; cf. Neh 8'- '■ '9, Ezr 10». In RV ' broad place ' has been substituted in several instances for ' street ' ; the tr° proposed in QPB is ' public place.'
In the earliest days the city gate is mentioned as the place of public resort, where people met for business and to discuss news. Gn 19' ' And Lot sat in the gate of Sodom ' j Gn 23'° ' Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth at the gate of his city ' ; Gn 34=» ' And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their citj-, and communed with the men of their city ' ; 1 S 4" ' Eli sat upon his seat by the Bide of the gate watching the way ' ; 2 S 15'- ' ' Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel at the gate of the city ' ; Neh 8' ' Ezra the scribe read the law to the people gathered together into the broad place {forum) before the water gate.'
The gate was also used for administration of
i'uslice, deliberation, and audience for kings, etc. )t 21" the stubborn and rebellious son is to be brought before the elders of the city at the gate ; Dt2o' if the man does not like to take his brother's wife, she shall go up to the gate unto the elders ; Jos 20'' the manslayer shall declare his cause before the elders of the city of refuge at the enter- ing in of the gate ; Ru 4' Boaz consulted the elders at the gate concerning Ruth's property ; 2 S 19* king David sat in the gate, and the people came oefore him ; 1 K 22"> the kings of Israel and Judah sat in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the propliits prophesied before them ; Jer 38' king Zedekiah sat in the gate of Benjamin ; La S" ' The elders have ceased from the gate ' ; Am 5'" ' Ye that afHict the just, that take a bribe, and that turn aside the needy in the gate from their right' ; Zee 8" 'Judge truth and the judgment of peace in your gates ' ; Ps 69'^ ' They that sit irj the gate speak against me.'
Until the battering-ram was perfected with its machinery, so as to be serviceable against heavy etone walls, the gate was the only point in a well- built city wall where a successful assault could lie made, and there is constant reference in the Bible to ' war in the gates ' (Jg 5"), and to them that turn the battle to the gate (Is 28*), and shall speak with the enemies in the gate (Ps 127°, where, however, the enemies are perhaps only forensic).
In the account of the assault on Abel-beth- inaac^h in the time of David, EV says that the people that were with Joab ' battered the wall to throw it down ' (2 S 20") ; but the meaning of the Hebrew nc'inn Vsn^ o-n'nf.p is doubtful. See Driver, Text of Sam. 265. Mention is made in Deuter- onomy (20"") of building bulwarks ("I'ls?, lit. ' siege,' i.e. siegeworks) again.st a city in war ; yet, even as late as the final taking of Jerusalem by the Assyrians (B.C. 688), the battering-ram was used
against the gates (Ezk 21=^), though Ezekiel (4») also appears to speak of the ram being used round about, against the walls. Among the Mace- donians the ram lirst became an important mili- tary engine in the time of Philip and Alexander the Great (cf. Time. ii. 76).