πυλών (pulōn)
pulōn
gate
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 12 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun pylōn refers to a large gate or gateway, specifically the entrance structure of a walled city or the porch leading into a house. In the New Testament, it appears twelve times, often marking significant transitions in narrative or vision. For instance, Acts 12:13-14 describes Peter arriving at this outer door after his miraculous release from prison, while Revelation uses the term to depict the twelve gates of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:12, 21).
This word distinguishes the substantial entranceway from the smaller inner door (thyra). It evokes the imagery of fortified city entrances or the vestibule of a palace, serving as a threshold between the outside world and the protected interior. The sources note its frequent use in the Septuagint for Hebrew terms like sha’ar, linking it to ancient urban architecture where gates were centers of legal and social activity.
Its presence in Revelation 21 highlights its theological weight as a symbol of access and security. Unlike a simple door, a pylōn implies strength and permanence, framing the holy city as an impenetrable sanctuary open only to those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 21:27).
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word pylōn describes a substantial gateway, far more than a simple door. In ancient cities, these entrances were places of safety, legal judgment, and community gathering. When you encounter this term in Scripture, it points to significant transitions—moving from the outside world into protected space or approaching a place of divine authority.
For your faith life, this imagery reminds us that God provides secure access to His presence. The New Jerusalem’s gates, made of pearl and standing open day and night, symbolize an invitation that never closes. You are invited to enter with confidence, knowing that the way is prepared by grace rather than earned by effort.
Even in everyday moments, like Peter arriving at a servant’s gate after his release, we see how these thresholds mark divine interventions. They remind us that God often meets us at the boundaries of our circumstances, turning fear into freedom and isolation into community.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 12 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- gates10×
- gate3×
- porch1×
- gates [were]1×
- gate;1×
- gate.1×
- [were] gates1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- πυλῶνες6×
- πυλῶνας3×
- πυλῶνα3×
- πυλῶσιν2×
- πυλῶνος.1×
- πυλῶνος1×
- πυλῶνα·1×
- πυλώνων1×
Key Verses
-
Revelation of John 21:21
The twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was made of one pearl. The street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
This verse reveals the gates as single pearls, emphasizing that access to God’s presence is precious and divinely crafted rather than human-made.
-
Acts 12:13
When Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer.
Peter standing at this gate highlights a moment of miraculous transition from imprisonment to freedom, showing how God opens unexpected ways for His people.
-
Revelation of John 21:25
Its gates will in no way be shut by day (for there will be no night there),
The fact that these gates will never be shut signifies eternal security and the permanent removal of fear or danger in God’s kingdom.