Topical Bible: Door: Hinges For

◄ Door: Hinges For ►

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In biblical times, doors and their components, including hinges, played a significant role in the daily life and spiritual symbolism of the people. While the Bible does not provide detailed descriptions of door hinges, it does offer insights into the use and significance of doors, which implies the presence of hinges as functional elements.

Historical Context and Construction:

Doors in ancient Israel were typically made of wood, and their construction would have required some form of hinge mechanism to allow for opening and closing. Although the Bible does not explicitly mention hinges, archaeological findings and historical records from the surrounding regions suggest that hinges were likely made of wood, metal, or a combination of both. These hinges would have been essential for the operation of doors in homes, city gates, and sacred spaces.

Symbolic Significance:

Doors in the Bible often carry symbolic meanings, representing access, protection, and transition. For instance, in the account of the Passover in Exodus 12, the Israelites were instructed to mark their doorposts with the blood of a lamb, signifying protection from the plague. The door, therefore, served as a boundary between safety and danger, life and death.

In the New Testament, Jesus refers to Himself as the "door" in John 10:9 : "I am the door. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture." Here, the door symbolizes the means of salvation and entry into the kingdom of God, highlighting the spiritual significance of doors beyond their physical function.

Practical Applications:

The practical use of doors and their hinges is evident in various biblical narratives. For example, in Acts 12:13-16 , when Peter is miraculously freed from prison, he goes to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, and knocks on the door. The servant girl, Rhoda, recognizes Peter's voice but, in her excitement, forgets to open the door immediately. This passage illustrates the everyday use of doors and the expectation of their functional operation, which would have included the use of hinges.

Metaphorical Usage:

The concept of doors and their operation is also used metaphorically in Scripture. In Revelation 3:20 , Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me." This metaphorical door represents the heart of an individual, with the act of opening symbolizing the acceptance of Christ's presence and fellowship.

Conclusion:

While the Bible does not provide explicit details about the construction or materials of door hinges, the presence and function of doors in biblical narratives imply their use. Doors serve as powerful symbols of access, protection, and spiritual transition, underscoring their importance in both the physical and spiritual realms.

Nave's Topical Index

Proverbs 26:14
As the door turns on his hinges, so does the slothful on his bed.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

A Heart-Breaking Verse.
... And at first I wanted to take the door clear off of its hinges and stand it outside
against the bricks, and leave the whole door-space wide for Him. ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks on johns gospel/a heart-breaking verse.htm

Two Essential Things
... I compare them to a door and its post. Repentance is the door which shuts out
sin, but faith is the post upon which its hinges are fixed. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 35 1889/two essential things.htm

Dramatic Scenes at Falmouth
... coming up all together, set their shoulders to the inner door and cried out, "Avast,
lads, avast!" Away went all the hinges at once, and the door fell back ...
/.../wesley/the journal of john wesley/dramatic scenes at falmouth.htm

Concerning Festivals in Honour of Emperors, victories, and the ...
... of this world's literature, that there are among the Romans even gods of entrances;
Cardea (Hinge-goddess), called after hinges, and Forculus (Door-god) after ...
/.../tertullian/on idolatry/chapter xv concerning festivals in honour.htm

Why they Leave Us
... The prayer that swings to and fro like a door upon its hinges may admit to fellowship;
but that prayer is more after the divine pattern which, like a ladder ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 32 1886/why they leave us.htm

Third Address.
... and persistently indefinite. They go to and fro, like a door on its hinges,
and never get anything from the Lord. We want you absolutely ...
//christianbookshelf.org/booth/godliness/third address.htm

The Sluggard.
... soon! I must slumber again!" As the door on its hinges, so he on his bed,
Turns his sides, and his shoulders, and his heavy head. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watts/divine songs for children/the sluggard.htm

Song 1. The Sluggard.
... You have waked me too soon! I must slumber again!'. As the door on its hinges, so
he on his bead. Turns his sides, and his shoulders, and his heavy head. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watts/divine and moral songs/song 1 the sluggard.htm

The City of God
... Doubtless, Forculus all alone could not possibly look after threshold, door and
hinges." And if it is a case of a man and woman retiring to the bridal chamber ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/ii the city of god.htm

Delivered from Prison
... The second door, also guarded within and without, is reached. It opens as did
the first, with no creaking of hinges or rattling of iron bolts. ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 15 delivered from prison.htm