In ancient biblical times, city gates were not merely entry and exit points but served as significant social and administrative centers. The gates of a city were often accompanied by an open square, which functioned as a communal space for various activities, including trade, legal proceedings, and social gatherings. This area was also known to be a place where idlers, or those without immediate purpose or employment, would congregate.

Biblical Context and Function

The gates of a city were central to its life and governance. They were places where elders and leaders would sit to administer justice and conduct business. For instance, in the Book of Ruth, Boaz goes to the town gate to settle the matter of redeeming Ruth (Ruth 4:1-11). The gates were thus a place of authority and decision-making.

However, the open square at the gates also attracted those who were idle. In Proverbs, the gates are depicted as places where wisdom calls out, contrasting the idleness and folly of those who ignore her voice: "Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square; in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech" (Proverbs 1:20-21). This passage highlights the presence of idlers who are within earshot of wisdom's call but often choose to remain in their folly.

Cultural and Social Implications

The presence of idlers at the gates can be understood in the context of the social and economic structures of ancient cities. The gates were a hub of activity, and those without work or purpose might gather there in hopes of finding employment or simply to pass the time. This is reflected in the parable of the workers in the vineyard, where the landowner finds laborers standing idle in the marketplace and hires them for work (Matthew 20:1-7).

The idlers at the gates also serve as a metaphor for spiritual complacency and the dangers of neglecting one's duties. In the New Testament, Jesus warns against idleness and the failure to be vigilant, as seen in the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). The wise virgins are prepared and active, while the foolish ones are idle and unprepared.

Moral and Spiritual Lessons

The biblical portrayal of gates as places for idlers carries moral and spiritual lessons. It serves as a reminder of the importance of diligence, purpose, and the pursuit of wisdom. The idlers at the gates symbolize those who are spiritually complacent, failing to heed the call of wisdom and righteousness. The scriptures encourage believers to be active in their faith, to seek wisdom, and to avoid the pitfalls of idleness.

In summary, the gates and their open squares were multifaceted spaces in biblical times, serving as centers of commerce, justice, and social interaction. While they were places of authority and decision-making, they also attracted those who were idle, providing a backdrop for biblical teachings on wisdom, diligence, and spiritual readiness.Genesis 19:1
And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
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1 Samuel 4:18
And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck broke, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
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Psalm 69:12
They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.
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Proverbs 1:21
She cries in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she utters her words, saying,
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Jeremiah 17:19,20
Thus said the LORD to me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;
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A Discourse of the Building, Nature, Excellency, and Government of ...
... he doth his stones and timber square, Affections knit in ... The pomegranates at all
her gates do grow, Mandrakes ... Sincerity seeks not an open place, To do, tho' it ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a discourse of the building.htm

Sargon of Assyria (722-705 BC )
... King of Dilmun, who lived isolated in the open sea, "as ... gates, two on each side of
the square, each of ... cool under the archway in summer; the gates served as ...
/.../chapter iiisargon of assyria 722-705.htm

The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
... thy people in the midst of thee are women; the gates of thy land are set wide open
unto thine ... when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not ...
/.../chapter iiithe medes and the.htm

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