In biblical terminology, the term "open place" often refers to a public area or space that is accessible and visible to all. These locations are typically characterized by their openness and lack of enclosure, making them suitable for gatherings, public discourse, and various communal activities. The concept of an "open place" is significant in the biblical narrative as it often serves as a setting for important events, teachings, and interactions.

Biblical References:

1. Genesis 38:14 · In the account of Tamar, the daughter-in-law of Judah, the "open place" is mentioned as a location where she positioned herself to be seen by Judah. The Berean Standard Bible states, "So she removed her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil to disguise herself, and sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up, but she had not been given to him as a wife." Here, the open place serves as a strategic location for Tamar to execute her plan.

2. Proverbs 1:20-21 · Wisdom is personified and described as crying out in the open places. The BSB reads, "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." The open place here symbolizes a public forum where wisdom is accessible to all who are willing to listen.

3. 2 Samuel 21:12 · The open place is also mentioned in the context of King David retrieving the bones of Saul and Jonathan. The BSB states, "he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hung them after they had struck down Saul at Gilboa." The public square, an open place, was where the bodies were displayed, signifying a place of public shame and later, honor through David's actions.

Cultural and Theological Significance:

In ancient Israelite society, open places such as city gates, squares, and marketplaces were central to community life. These areas were not only hubs of economic activity but also venues for legal proceedings, social interactions, and the dissemination of information. Theologically, open places can be seen as symbolic of transparency and accessibility, reflecting the biblical theme that God's wisdom and truth are available to all who seek them.

The use of open places in Scripture often underscores the public nature of certain events or messages. For instance, the proclamation of wisdom in Proverbs highlights the universal call to heed divine instruction, while the public display of Saul and Jonathan's bodies in 2 Samuel emphasizes the consequences of disobedience and the eventual restoration of honor through righteous leadership.

Conclusion:

The concept of an "open place" in the Bible serves as a powerful metaphor for the accessibility of divine wisdom and the public nature of God's dealings with humanity. These spaces, whether literal or figurative, remind believers of the importance of community, transparency, and the ever-present call to live according to God's statutes.Open Place

OPEN PLACE

(1) The "open place" of Genesis 38:14 the King James Version, in which Tamar sat, has come from a misunderstanding of the Hebrew, the translators having taken bephethach `enayim to mean "in an opening publicly," instead of "in an opening (i.e. a gate) of Enaim" (compare Proverbs 1:21 in the Hebrew). The Revised Version (British and American) has corrected; see ENAIM.

(2) In 1 Kings 22:10 parallel 2 Chronicles 18:9 the Revised Version (British and American) relates that Ahab and Jehoshaphat sat "each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in an open place (margin "Hebrew: a threshing-floor," the King James Version "a void place") at the entrance of the gate of Samaria." The Hebrew here is awkward, and neither the Septuagint nor the Syriac seems to have read the present text in 1 Kings 22:10, the former having "in arms, at the gate of Samaria," and the latter "in many-colored garments." Consequently various attempts have been made to emend the text, of which the simplest is the omission of beghoren, "in an open place." If, however, the text is right-as is not impossible-the open place is a threshing-floor close to the gate. See the commentaries.

Burton Scott Easton

5561. chora -- a space, place, land
... 5561 -- country-land (the ordinary word for ); a wide-open area; "a larger tract ...
word Definition a space, place, land NASB Word Usage country (15), fields (2 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5561.htm - 7k

4113. plateia -- a wide road, street.
... street. Feminine of platus; a wide "plat" or "place", ie Open square -- street.
see GREEK platus. (plateiais) -- 2 Occurrences. (plateias) -- 5 Occurrences. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4113.htm - 6k

2302. theatron -- a theater, a spectacle
... stone building, generally open to the sky, (b) a spectacle, show. Cognate: 2302
(the root of the English term, "theatre") -- a theatre; a place for public ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2302.htm - 7k

2048. eremos -- solitary, desolate
... an , place; a (deserted) area; (figuratively) a barren, solitary place that also ...
desolate NASB Word Usage desert (2), deserts (1), desolate (6), open pasture (1 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2048.htm - 8k

1327. diexodos -- to consider, reflect
... Definition: a meeting-place of roads, a public spot in a city. an outlet, a way
out From dia and exodos; an outlet through, ie Probably an open square (from ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1327.htm - 6k

697. Areios Pagos -- "the Hill of Ares," Areopagus, a hill in ...
... os) Short Definition: the Areopagus Definition: Areopagus, or Mar's Hill, an open
space on ... of war) and a derivative of pegnumi; rock of Ares, a place in Athens ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/697.htm - 6k

99. Adrias -- the Adriatic, the name of a sea
... Adriatic Sea, to which it properly belonged, but also to the open Mediterranean
to ... From Adria (a place near its shore); the Adriatic sea (including the Ionian ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/99.htm - 6k

5563. chorizo -- to separate, divide
... 5563 (from 5561 , "open, vacated space") -- properly, separate, divide ("put asunder"),
ie ... From chora; to place room between, ie Part; reflexively, to go away ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5563.htm - 8k

2411. hieron -- temple.
... temple, either the whole building, or specifically the outer courts, open to
worshippers ... Neuter of hieros; a sacred place, ie The entire precincts (whereas naos ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2411.htm - 6k

1722. en -- in, on, at, by, with
... A primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and
(by ... to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1722.htm - 8k

7339. rechob -- a broad open place, plaza
... 7338, 7339. rechob or rechob. 7340 . a broad open place, plaza. Transliteration:
rechob or rechob Phonetic Spelling: (rekh-obe') Short Definition: square. ...
/hebrew/7339.htm - 6k

4725. maqom -- a standing place, place
... where* (1), wherever (1), wherever* (2). country, home, open, place, room,
space, whithersoever. Or maqom {maw-kome'}; also (feminine ...
/hebrew/4725.htm - 6k

4800. merchab -- a broad or roomy place
... From rachab; enlargement, either literally (an open space, usually in a good sense),
or figuratively (liberty) -- breadth, large place (room). ...
/hebrew/4800.htm - 6k

1637. goren -- threshing floor
... From an unused root meaning to smooth; a threshing- floor (as made even); by analogy,
any open area -- (barn, corn, threshing-)floor, (threshing-, void) place. ...
/hebrew/1637.htm - 6k

1542. Giloh -- a city in Judah
... Giloh. Or (fully) Giyloh {ghee-lo'}; from galah; open; Giloh, a place in Palestine --
Giloh. see HEBREW galah. 1541, 1542. Giloh. 1543 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/1542.htm - 6k

3317. Yiphtach-el -- "God opens," a valley between Zebulun and ...
... Jiphthah-el. From pathach and 'el; God will open; Jiphtach-el, a place in Palestine --
Jiphthah-el. see HEBREW pathach. see HEBREW 'el. 3316, 3317. ...
/hebrew/3317.htm - 6k

5414. nathan -- to give, put, set
... marry off (1), offer (2), offered (4), Oh* (13), open* (1), over (1), paid (7),
pay (6), performed (1), permit (2), pierce (1), pitch (1), place (13), placed ...
/hebrew/5414.htm - 9k

3316. Yiphtach -- "He opens," a Gileadite, also a city of Judah
... Jephthah, Jiphtah. From pathach; he will open; Jiphtach, an Israelite; also a place
in Palestine -- Jephthah, Jiphtah. see HEBREW pathach. 3315, 3316. ...
/hebrew/3316.htm - 6k

3027. yad -- hand
... 4), order (1), ordination* (1), part (1), parts (2), paw (2), place (4), pledged ...
A primitive word; a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc ...
/hebrew/3027.htm - 8k

The Church, the Place of Worship
... But to all, whatever their circumstances, the open church offers opportunities not
afforded at ... a few moments of prayer, and to use it also as a place of refuge ...
/.../regester/the worship of the church/the church the place of.htm

A Sermon to Open Neglecters and Nominal Followers of Religion
... fourth day of March, may the Lord bring you in this very place may the Lord lead
you to say silently, "By the grace of God I will not be an open pretender any ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 13 1867/a sermon to open neglecters.htm

Early Life the Place of Paul +The Man
... There is no doubt about the place in which Paul was born. ... training of the Jew boy
accentuated in his case, in all probability, by the open iniquity which was ...
/.../sell/bible studies in the life of paul/study i early life the.htm

Making the Best of Trouble
... David said to Achish, "If now you will grant me the favor, give me a place in one
of the towns in the open country, that I may live there; for why should your ...
/.../sherman/the childrens bible/making the best of trouble.htm

Building for Community Service
... The traditional village and open country church was a one-room structure erected
for the sole purpose of providing a place for worship. ...
/.../vogt/church cooperation in community life/chapter v building for community.htm

How to Use the Prayer-Book
... into their hands." That can be best done, with reverence and care, if, when the
Bread is {99} delivered, the person receiving will place the open right hand ...
/.../regester/the worship of the church/how to use the prayer-book.htm

The Rent Veil
... fear and trembling, and with blood and holy incense he passed into the immediate
presence of Jehovah; but the tearing of the veil laid open the secret place. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 34 1888/the rent veil.htm

Elisha's Way of Treating Enemies
... are hiding there." So the ruler of Israel sent soldiers to the place of which ... than
they who are with them." And Elisha prayed and said, "Jehovah open his eyes ...
/.../sherman/the childrens bible/elishas way of treating enemies.htm

What the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven Be, and what their Power.
... with a power to open, and shut the gates of both. And this power lyeth partly in
their spirituall calling (whether it be their office, or their place & order ...
/.../the keyes of the kingdom of heaven and power thereof/chap i what the keyes.htm

Communion Again Broken --Restoration
... We are not told of the steps that led to her failure; of how self again found place
in her heart. ... Open to Me, My sister, My love, My dove, My undefiled: ...
/.../taylor/union and communion/section iv communion again brokenrestoration.htm

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