What does שַׁעַר (šaʿar) mean in the Bible?
H8179, šaʿar, is a Hebrew masculine noun for a gate or public entrance. It can name an opening in a city wall, the gate of a palace or sanctuary, or the broader public place associated with that entrance.
Hebrew · H8179
שַׁעַר
An opening , i.e. door or gate
Reading a lexicon entry
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שַׁעַרH8179
Pronunciationšaʿar
What does שַׁעַר (šaʿar) mean in the Bible?
H8179, šaʿar, is a Hebrew masculine noun for a gate or public entrance. It can name an opening in a city wall, the gate of a palace or sanctuary, or the broader public place associated with that entrance.
Reader summary
Full entry for שַׁעַר (H8179) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H8179?
The BSB source-word alignment has 374 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include gate (92), the gate (32), the gates (25), at the gate (17), of the gate (16).
Where does שַׁעַר (šaʿar) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 19:1. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (99), Nehemiah (41), Deuteronomy (34), Jeremiah (28).
What This Word Actually Means
H8179, šaʿar, is a Hebrew masculine noun for a gate or public entrance. It can name an opening in a city wall, the gate of a palace or sanctuary, or the broader public place associated with that entrance. Because a city's gates gathered elders, officials, witnesses, traders, travelers, and vulnerable petitioners, the word can also be rendered town or refer to the civic community represented there.
Deuteronomy 16 locates judges in Israel's gates, Ruth 4 places a witnessed redemption transaction at Bethlehem's gate, and Proverbs 22 forbids crushing an afflicted person there. These passages make the gate a visible place of accountable public action, but the noun itself does not establish one timeless court system or certify every decision made by officials.
Psalm 24 addresses the gates poetically as the King of Glory enters, while Zechariah 8 joins restored communal life to truthful speech and sound judgments in the gates. Neither text turns every doorway into a mystical portal or grants religious leaders control over access. H8179 helps readers see how boundaries, welcome, protection, worship, commerce, testimony, and justice meet in public space.
A gate can protect a community, admit worshipers, expose corruption, host lawful witness, or become the place where the poor are denied justice. Its moral significance comes from who governs the entrance, what happens there, and whether God's truth and neighbor love shape that action. Churches and leaders may learn to make access clear, safe, accessible, and accountable, but they must not transfer ancient Israel's civic arrangements directly onto a modern congregation, nation, property policy, or immigration claim.
source_lexicongrammaticalBook contextPassage contextCanonical parallelPastoral application
How the Bible Uses It
H8179 appears throughout the Old Testament for city, palace, sanctuary, and figurative gates, often extending from the physical entrance to the public life conducted there. Its contexts range from defense and worship to legal witness, economic exchange, oppression, praise, and restored justice. The gate's meaning remains concrete even when poetry or metonymy gives it wider civic or theological weight.
- Deut.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.
The BSB renders the gate expression as every town because judges and officials are stationed throughout Israel's local civic communities to render righteous judgment.
- 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.
Boaz sits at Bethlehem's gate and deliberately gathers the nearer redeemer and elders, making the entrance a public setting for witnessed legal action.
- Prov.22.22
Do not rob a poor man because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate,
The warning forbids exploiting a poor or afflicted person at the gate, where public judgment should protect rather than crush the vulnerable.
- Ps.24.7
Lift up your heads, O gates! Be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may enter!
The psalm summons the ancient gates to rise for the King of Glory, using the entrance poetically within worship of the Lord's sovereign arrival.
- Zech.8.16
These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another, render true and sound judgments in your gates,
Within God's promised restoration of Jerusalem, truthful speech and sound judgments in the gates become concrete covenant obligations for renewed community life.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itgate92×Genesis 34:24, Joshua 8:29, Joshua 20:4, Judges 9:35
the gate32×Genesis 34:20, Exodus 27:16, Deuteronomy 21:19, Deuteronomy 22:24
the gates25×Genesis 22:17, Genesis 24:60, 1 Samuel 17:52, 1 Chronicles 9:23
at the gate17×Numbers 4:26, Deuteronomy 22:15, Ruth 4:11, 2 Kings 7:1
of the gate16×Judges 9:40, Judges 18:16, Judges 18:17, 1 Samuel 21:13
within your gates14×Deuteronomy 5:14, Deuteronomy 12:12, Deuteronomy 12:17, Deuteronomy 12:18
gates12×2 Samuel 18:24, Proverbs 1:21, Jeremiah 7:2, Jeremiah 17:19
of the gateway11×2 Samuel 18:24, Ezekiel 40:8, Ezekiel 40:9, Ezekiel 40:11
. . .9×Exodus 38:15, Ruth 3:11, 1 Chronicles 26:13, 2 Chronicles 8:14
at the gates7×2 Chronicles 31:2, Nehemiah 11:19, Nehemiah 12:25, Proverbs 31:31
in the gate7×2 Samuel 19:8, Job 31:21, Jeremiah 7:2, Amos 5:10
through the gates6×Isaiah 38:10, Isaiah 62:10, Jeremiah 17:21, Jeremiah 17:24
your gates6×Exodus 20:10, Deuteronomy 17:5, Deuteronomy 28:55, Isaiah 54:12
and the gate5×Ezekiel 46:12, Ezekiel 48:31, Ezekiel 48:32, Ezekiel 48:33
gateway5×Ezekiel 40:19, Ezekiel 40:23, Ezekiel 40:27, Ezekiel 40:40
the gateway5×1 Samuel 9:18, 2 Samuel 3:27, Ezekiel 40:13, Ezekiel 40:32
in the gateway4×Genesis 19:1, 2 Kings 7:17, 2 Kings 7:20, Ezekiel 40:3
of the gates4×Deuteronomy 15:7, 2 Kings 23:8, Jeremiah 1:15, Ezekiel 40:18
and its gates3×Nehemiah 1:3, Nehemiah 2:3, Nehemiah 2:17
for the entrance3×Exodus 38:18, Exodus 40:8, Exodus 40:33
near the gate3×2 Samuel 23:15, 2 Samuel 23:16, 1 Chronicles 11:17
to the gate3×Genesis 23:10, Genesis 23:18, Ruth 4:1
-2×Ezekiel 40:9, Ezekiel 43:1
and on your gates2×Deuteronomy 6:9, Deuteronomy 11:20
at each gate2×2 Chronicles 8:14, 2 Chronicles 35:15
for the gate2×Exodus 35:17, Exodus 39:40
her gates2×Lamentations 1:4, Lamentations 2:9
in your gates2×Psalms 122:2, Zechariah 8:16
is the gate2×Genesis 28:17, Psalms 118:20
its gate2×Exodus 38:31, Isaiah 24:12
O gates2×Psalms 24:7, Psalms 24:9
of the city gate2×2 Samuel 10:8, 2 Kings 7:3
of the towns2×Deuteronomy 16:5, Deuteronomy 17:2
of your gates2×Deuteronomy 12:15, Psalms 147:13
the city gate2×1 Samuel 4:18, Lamentations 5:14
their cities2×1 Kings 8:37, 2 Chronicles 6:28
town2×Deuteronomy 16:18, Deuteronomy 18:6
[its]1×Ezekiel 40:15
[the distance] from gateway1×Ezekiel 40:27
a gateway1×Ezekiel 40:24
also had a gate1×Ezekiel 40:27
among you1×Deuteronomy 16:14
and her gates1×Jeremiah 14:2
and the gates1×Nehemiah 2:13
and your gates1×Isaiah 60:18
as those of the gate1×Ezekiel 40:22
at the city gate1×Deuteronomy 25:7
at the city gates1×Proverbs 31:23
at the entrance1×Exodus 32:26
began to fall on the gates1×Nehemiah 13:19
but the gate1×Ezekiel 46:2
by the Gate1×Nehemiah 8:16
came to their gates1×Judges 5:8
even to the gate1×Micah 1:12
for each gate1×1 Chronicles 26:13
from gate1×Exodus 32:27
from gateway1×Ezekiel 40:23
from the gates1×Psalms 9:13
gate, however1×Esther 5:9
Have the gates1×Job 38:17
his gate1×Obadiah 1:11
His gates1×Psalms 100:4
in court1×Job 5:4
in each of the inner gateways1×Ezekiel 40:38
in its gates1×Jeremiah 17:27
in one of your towns1×Deuteronomy 24:14
in the gates1×Nehemiah 6:1
in the meeting place1×Proverbs 24:7
it within your gates1×Deuteronomy 12:21
leading to the city gate1×2 Samuel 15:2
O gate1×Isaiah 14:31
of the gate [to be]1×Ezekiel 40:6
of the gate’s1×Ezekiel 40:40
of the gateway was [fourteen cubits and its sidewalls were]1×Ezekiel 40:48
of the gateways1×1 Chronicles 22:3
or from the gate1×Ruth 4:10
so that the gates1×Isaiah 45:1
that within the gates1×Psalms 9:14
the cities1×Deuteronomy 28:52
The gateway [extended]1×Ezekiel 40:14
the gateways1×Ezekiel 40:18
the south gate1×Ezekiel 40:44
the town1×Deuteronomy 23:16
their gates1×Ezekiel 21:15
There was a gate1×Ezekiel 40:23
through the gate1×Jeremiah 39:4
to gate1×Exodus 32:27
to the gates1×Judges 5:11
vvv1×Genesis 34:24
were stationed at the gate1×1 Chronicles 16:42
when the gate1×Joshua 2:5
your cities1×Deuteronomy 28:52
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 19:1בְּשַֽׁעַר־toin the gatewayPreposition-b | Noun - masculine singular constructGenesis 22:17שַׁ֥עַרtothe gatesNoun - masculine singular constructGenesis 23:10שַֽׁעַר־toto the gateNoun - masculine singular constructGenesis 23:18שַֽׁעַר־toto the gateNoun - masculine singular constructGenesis 24:60שַׁ֥עַרtothe gatesNoun - masculine singular constructGenesis 28:17שַׁ֥עַרtois the gateNoun - masculine singular constructGenesis 34:20שַׁ֣עַרtothe gateNoun - masculine singular constructGenesis 34:24שַׁ֣עַרtogateNoun - masculine singular constructGenesis 34:24שַׁ֥עַרtovvvNoun - masculine singular constructExodus 20:10בִּשְׁעָרֶֽ֔יךָ׃toyour gatesPreposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 19:1
Aligned rows374
Books represented29
Genesis9Exodus12Numbers1Deuteronomy34Joshua5Judges9Ruth41 Samuel42 Samuel121 Kings22 Kings181 Chronicles92 Chronicles19Nehemiah41Esther11Job5Psalms13Proverbs7Song Of Solomon1Isaiah12Jeremiah28Lamentations4Ezekiel99Amos3Obadiah2Micah3Nahum2Zephaniah1Zechariah4
Source forms
שַׁ֣עַר42xša·‘arGenesis 34:20, Genesis 34:24, Exodus 38:31, Exodus 40:33
שַׁ֥עַר22xša·‘arGenesis 22:17, Genesis 24:60, Genesis 28:17, Genesis 34:24
הַשַּׁ֔עַר14xhaš·ša·‘arJudges 18:17, 1 Samuel 21:13, 2 Samuel 3:27, 2 Samuel 18:4
שַׁ֤עַר14xša·‘arExodus 38:18, 2 Kings 23:8, Nehemiah 3:26, Jeremiah 31:40
בְּשַׁ֣עַר11xbə·ša·‘arExodus 32:26, Judges 16:2, 2 Kings 11:6, 2 Chronicles 23:5
שַֽׁעַר־9xša·‘ar-Genesis 23:10, Genesis 23:18, Judges 16:3, 2 Chronicles 23:15
בְּשַׁ֥עַר8xbə·ša·‘ar2 Kings 7:1, 2 Kings 23:8, 1 Chronicles 9:18, 2 Chronicles 24:8
הַשַּׁ֖עַר8xhaš·ša·‘ar2 Samuel 18:33, 2 Kings 10:8, Ezekiel 40:9, Ezekiel 40:11
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular construct93xGenesis 22:17, Genesis 23:10, Genesis 23:18, Genesis 24:60
Article | Noun - masculine singular58xJoshua 2:5, Joshua 7:5, Judges 9:40, Judges 18:16
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct30xGenesis 19:1, Exodus 32:26, Judges 16:2, 2 Kings 7:1
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular20xRuth 4:11, 2 Samuel 19:8, 2 Samuel 23:15, 2 Samuel 23:16
Noun - masculine singular17x2 Kings 25:4, 2 Chronicles 25:23, Nehemiah 12:39, Job 29:7
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular17xExodus 20:10, Deuteronomy 5:14, Deuteronomy 12:17, Deuteronomy 12:18
Noun - masculine plural construct16x1 Samuel 17:52, 2 Chronicles 23:19, Nehemiah 2:8, Nehemiah 7:3
Article | Noun - masculine plural11x2 Samuel 18:24, 2 Kings 23:8, 1 Chronicles 9:23, 1 Chronicles 22:3
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Build public and church processes with clear reasons, impartial review, disability access, language access, safeguarding, and accountable decision makers.
- Distinguish protective boundaries from arbitrary exclusion by examining who bears the cost, who may appeal, and whose testimony is heard.
- When applying gate imagery to leadership, begin with the leader's accountability before using it to demand another person's compliance.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that H8179 creates a divinely mandated modern court, church polity, border regime, or access policy.
- Do not claim that an open gate always shows God's approval or that a closed gate always shows unbelief.
- Do not claim that gate authority permits leaders to conceal decisions, ignore appeals, or crush vulnerable petitioners.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Gate as locus of authority, judgment, and covenant transaction in ancient Israel's social order
Source Gloss
an opening , i.e. door or gate
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Gate as locus of authority, judgment, and covenant transaction in ancient Israel's social order
an opening, i.e. door or gate BDB: gate Usage: city, door, gate, port (× -er).
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
City gates as places of public activity and Sabbath observance
Named gates of Jerusalem's walls, architectural features of city fortification
Gate as gathering place for justice and legal proceedings
Gates as public places where a woman's reputation and commerce are known
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 375 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
שַׁעַר is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Deuteronomy 16:18 places H8179 inside a command for distributed public justice. The gate is not merely where a wall opens; it is where decisions affecting neighbors become observable and answerable. Ruth 4 shows elders and townspeople witnessing a redemption transaction there. Proverbs 22 exposes the opposite possibility: the same public venue can become a place where poverty is exploited and the afflicted are crushed.
Psalm 24 then lifts gate language into worship, summoning the ancient entrances before the Lord, the King of Glory, while Zechariah 8 makes truthful speech and sound judgment marks of restored communal life. Together these uses resist both cynicism and romanticism. Structures, offices, meeting places, and admission policies are not holy merely because they belong to a religious community, yet bounded space is not inherently inhospitable.
Faithful gatekeeping protects people from violence and disorder, gives honest reasons for decisions, provides accessible ways to be heard, and refuses bribery or partiality. It also recognizes that public accountability must include those most likely to be ignored at the entrance. For churches, the application concerns transparent processes, safe facilities, disability access, fair hearing, and responsible stewardship, not a claim to inherit Israel's municipal courts.
H8179 teaches that what happens at a community's threshold reveals how its power is being used.
Anchor passage
Deut.16.18
Doctrinal connections
- Deuteronomy 16:18-20 joins local gate administration to impartial judgment, refusal of bribery, and the pursuit of justice.
- Ruth 4:1-12 places redemption, inheritance, covenant kindness, and public witness together at Bethlehem's gate.
- Proverbs 22:22-23 warns that the Lord Himself takes up the case of people crushed at the gate.
- Psalm 24:7-10 addresses the gates within worship of the Lord as the sovereign King of Glory.
- Zechariah 8:14-17 makes truthful speech and sound gate judgments fruits of God's restoring purpose for Jerusalem.
- Greek G4439 and G4440 continue gate imagery in distinct New Testament settings without erasing H8179's Hebrew civic and sanctuary range.
H8179 is a masculine noun occurring in singular and plural, absolute and construct forms. A plural gate expression can stand metonymically for towns or civic jurisdictions because public business occurred at their entrances, so translation and context must be read together.
From Old to New Testament
Old Testament gates organize city defense, sanctuary service, public witness, legal judgment, lament, and praise. New Testament gate terms can carry literal access, moral choice, death, exclusion, and new-creation hope, but Greek G4439 and G4440 must be interpreted in their own passages rather than treated as automatic equivalents of every H8179 use.
Canonical parallelPastoral application