Topical Bible: Gates: Holding Courts of Justice

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In ancient Israel, city gates were not merely entry and exit points but served as central hubs for social, economic, and judicial activities. The gates of a city were often the location where elders and leaders gathered to administer justice, resolve disputes, and make important community decisions. This practice is well-documented in the Bible and reflects the integral role that gates played in the civic and judicial life of the Israelites.

Judicial Function of City Gates

The city gates were the primary venue for legal proceedings and the administration of justice. This is evident in several biblical passages where legal matters are addressed at the gates. For instance, in Deuteronomy 16:18, the Israelites are instructed to appoint judges and officials for each of their tribes in every town, who would judge the people fairly. The gates were the logical place for such activities, as they were accessible to all and served as a public forum.

In the book of Ruth, Boaz goes to the city gate to settle the matter of redeeming Ruth and the property of her deceased husband. Ruth 4:1-2 states, "Meanwhile Boaz went to the gate and sat down there. Soon the kinsman-redeemer of whom Boaz had spoken came along. Boaz said, 'Come over here, my friend, and sit down.' So he went over and sat down. Then Boaz took ten of the elders of the city and said, 'Sit here,' and they did so." This passage illustrates how the city gate functioned as a place where legal transactions and decisions were made in the presence of witnesses.

Role of Elders and Leaders

The elders of the city played a crucial role in the judicial processes conducted at the gates. They were respected leaders who were responsible for interpreting and applying the law. Their presence at the gates ensured that justice was administered fairly and in accordance with the Mosaic Law. Proverbs 31:23 highlights the esteem of a husband whose wife is virtuous, stating, "Her husband is known at the city gate, where he sits among the elders of the land." This indicates the honor and responsibility associated with being an elder who sits at the gate.

Public Nature of Justice

The public nature of the judicial proceedings at the gates ensured transparency and accountability. The open setting allowed for community involvement and observation, which helped to maintain the integrity of the legal process. In Amos 5:15 , the prophet calls for justice to be upheld, saying, "Hate evil and love good; establish justice in the gate. Perhaps the LORD, the God of Hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph." This exhortation underscores the importance of justice being visibly and righteously administered at the gates.

Symbolic Significance

The gates also held symbolic significance as places of authority and power. They were often the site where kings and leaders would make proclamations or where prophets would deliver messages from God. In 2 Samuel 19:8 , we see King David taking his seat at the gate to address the people: "So the king got up and took his seat in the gateway. When all the people were told, 'Look, the king is sitting in the gateway,' they all came before him."

In summary, the gates of ancient Israelite cities were central to the administration of justice and the governance of the community. They served as the venue for legal proceedings, the gathering of elders, and the public administration of justice, reflecting their vital role in the social and judicial fabric of biblical society.

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Deuteronomy 16:18
Judges and officers shall you make you in all your gates, which the LORD your God gives you, throughout your tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.
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Deuteronomy 21:19
Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out to the elders of his city, and to the gate of his place;
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Deuteronomy 22:15
Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity to the elders of the city in the gate:
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Joshua 20:4
And when he that does flee to one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city to them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.
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Ruth 4:1
Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by; to whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.
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2 Samuel 15:2
And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called to him, and said, Of what city are you? And he said, Your servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.
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Proverbs 22:22
Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:
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Zechariah 8:16
These are the things that you shall do; Speak you every man the truth to his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:
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Library

Last Things
... nigh the door of her house, for her gates lead down ... seems to me a fitting occasion
for holding up this ... you" you may be more accustomed to courts of justice ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/last things.htm

A Supplementary Chapter to the Bible in Spain
... considered that the latter was merely holding the command ... meetings, no quarter-sessions,
no courts of justice ... walls, which extend between the gates of Carmona ...
/.../a supplementary chapter to the.htm

Conflicts of the Church with Public Wrongs.
... were sentenced to death by Georgia courts and hung ... The gates of hell triumphed for
a time with a ... fellowship with slave-holders," and "Slave-holding always and ...
/.../bacon/a history of american christianity/chapter xvi conflicts of the.htm

St. Gregory the Great.
... he who day by day guarded the gates of defenceless ... Holding one faith, and educated
in the law of the ... They placed her bishops in their courts of justice, in ...
/.../allies/the formation of christendom volume vi/chapter v st gregory the.htm

Introductory
... of being an open, roomy vessel for holding things, it ... do not escape; ecclesiastics
and Church courts are quite ... moment you leave these college gates behind, you ...
/.../stalker/the preacher and his models/lecture i introductory.htm

God Hath Made Manifest
... have had birth, since their time, holding opinions opposed ... us then mark her foundations,
her gates consisting of ... market-place, and the royal courts; for there ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily i god hath made.htm

Jeremiah
... ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship ... he proclaimed as he stood in
the temple courts in the ... What a lesson is this to men holding positions of ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 34 jeremiah.htm

The Revelation
... in the Lord's house, the true warden of the temple courts. ... Christ is represented
as holding the seven stars in His ... great and high, and had twelve gates, and at ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 57 the revelation.htm

Causes of the Reformation
... abuses which flourished at the very gates of their ... of accepting appeals in the Roman
Courts, even when ... a rule, the duties of visitation, of holding synods, and ...
/.../chapter i causes of the.htm

Order and Argument in Prayer
... wise God; he would appeal from the lower courts, where his ... ram, with which we may
open the gates of heaven. ... He was holding God to his word: "Thou saidst." The ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 12 1866/order and argument in prayer.htm