Topical Bible: Gates: Punishment of Criminals Outside of

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In ancient Israelite society, the gates of a city held significant importance not only as points of entry and exit but also as central locations for legal and civic activities. The gates served as places where justice was administered, and they were often the sites where punishment for criminals was carried out. This practice is rooted in the cultural and legal traditions of the Israelites, as outlined in the Old Testament.

The city gates were more than just physical structures; they were symbolic of authority and governance. Elders and judges would gather at the gates to hear cases and render judgments. This is evident in several biblical passages, such as in the book of Deuteronomy, where it is instructed that certain judicial proceedings take place at the gates. Deuteronomy 21:19 states, "his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his city."

Punishment outside the gates was a practice that underscored the separation of the community from the sin or crime committed. The gates marked the boundary between the sanctity of the city and the outside world, which was often associated with impurity and exile. Executing punishment outside the gates symbolized the removal of evil from the midst of the people, in accordance with the law of God.

One of the most notable examples of punishment outside the gates is the stoning of criminals. In Leviticus 24:14 , the Lord commands Moses, "Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire congregation is to stone him." This directive highlights the communal aspect of justice and the necessity of purging sin from the community.

The New Testament also reflects this practice, particularly in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 13:12 states, "And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate, to sanctify the people by His own blood." This act fulfilled the typology of the Old Testament sacrifices and punishments, emphasizing the ultimate atonement for sin through Christ's sacrifice.

The practice of punishing criminals outside the gates served as a powerful reminder of the holiness required within the community and the need to maintain purity according to God's commandments. It reinforced the idea that sin must be dealt with decisively and that justice must be visible and communal, reflecting the divine order established by God for His people.

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Deuteronomy 17:5
Then shall you bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, to your gates, even that man or that woman, and shall stone them with stones, till they die.
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Jeremiah 20:2
Then Pashur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.
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Acts 7:58
And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
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Hebrews 13:12
Why Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
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Library

On Our Lord's Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension
... death more disgraceful"making Him equal to common criminals. ... God bears to it," from
the punishment He inflicted ... pass through closed doors or gates, and even ...
/.../kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 8 on our lords.htm

The Song of a City, and the Pearl of Peace
... Whisper it at the gates, and in the hostelries, that ... is not sent as a legal punishment,
but only as ... and punishments such as judges award to criminals, but such ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 31 1885/the song of a city.htm

Crucified, Dead, and Buried. '
... 6045] The place where criminals were stoned ... Avowedly, the punishment was invented
to make death as painful and ... mystery have closed the two-leaved gates of brass ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xv crucified dead and.htm

The Morning of Good Friday.
... some soldiers who had guarded the gates of Jerusalem ... probably scarcely one out of
many criminals but would ... to submit Jesus to the cruel punishment of scourging ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xiv the morning of.htm

The Sixth Book
... control, and in these they are criminals; they yield to ... You would have thought that
the punishment intended to ... when the enemy were actually entering the gates. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/salvian/on the government of god/the sixth book.htm

The Procession of Sorrow
... unusual for the Romans thus to conduct criminals to the ... fact that Jesus was conducted
without the gates of the ... which was our sin and its punishment, rested on ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 9 1863/the procession of sorrow.htm

Caesar Fell Down.
... emperor that he would bring to punishment Timotheus the ... should never be overcome
by the gates of hell ... The incensed emperor punished the criminals, and charged ...
/.../allies/the formation of christendom volume vi/chapter ii caesar fell down.htm

Egypt
... Three days later Memphis opened its gates, and Taharka ... and its priesthood, therefore,
the punishment had to ... The mines and quarries were worked by criminals. ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter v egypt.htm

Conclusion --Repent Ye, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand.
... now ill-treated, those who now command their punishment would not ... sends the army
to war and orders criminals to be ... Toula, I saw once again at the gates of the ...
/.../the kingdom of god is within you/chapter xii conclusionrepent ye for.htm

The Letter of the Church of Rome
... hope on him, but delivers to punishment and torment ... it." [115] ?^4While there are
many gates open, the ... to spectacles in the arena where criminals were forced ...
/.../richardson/early christian fathers/the letter of the church.htm