Gate

(1.) Of cities, as of Jerusalem (Jer 37:13 ; Neh 1:3 ; 2:3; 3:3), of Sodom (Gen 19:1 ), of Gaza (Judg 16:3 ).

(2.) Of royal palaces (Neh 2:8 ).

(3.) Of the temple of Solomon (1Kings 6:34; 6:35; 2Kings 18:16); of the holy place (1Kings 6:31; 6:32; Ezek 41:23 ; 41:24); of the outer courts of the temple, the beautiful gate (Acts 3:2 ).

(4.) Tombs (Matt 27:60 ).

(5.) Prisons (Acts 12:10 ; 16:27).

(6.) Caverns (1Kings 19:13).

(7.) Camps (Ex 32:26 ; 32:27; Heb 13:12 ).

The materials of which gates were made were,

(1.) Iron and brass (Ps 107:16 ; Isa 45:2 ; Acts 12:10 ).

(2.) Stones and pearls (Isa 54:12 ; Rev 21:21 ).

(3.) Wood (Judg 16:3 ) probably.

At the gates of cities courts of justice were frequently held, and hence "judges of the gate" are spoken of (Deut 16:18 ; 17:8; 21:19; 25:6; 25:7), etc. At the gates prophets also frequently delivered their messages (Prov 1:21 ; 8:3; Isa 29:21 ; Jer 17:19 ; 17:20; 26:10). Criminals were punished without the gates (1Kings 21:13; Acts 7:59 ). By the "gates of righteousness" we are probably to understand those of the temple (Ps 118:19 ). "The gates of hell" (R.V., "gates of Hades") (Matt 16:18 ), are generally interpreted as meaning the power of Satan, but probably they may mean the power of death, denoting that the Church of Christ shall never die.

EBD - Easton's Bible Dictionary