שַׁ֫עַר (sha.ar)
sha.ar
gate
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 233 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun sha`ar primarily denotes a gate, but its meaning extends far beyond a simple physical barrier. In the ancient Near East, the gate was the center of civic life, serving as the place where legal disputes were settled and commercial transactions took place. This is why the text often uses the phrase "at the gate" to describe court proceedings or public assemblies, such as when Boaz conducts his business with a kinsman-redeemer in Ruth 4:1.
The word carries significant social weight because it represents authority and community identity. Elders sat at the city gates to judge cases (Deuteronomy 25:7), making the gate a symbol of justice and order. It also functions as a metonym for the entire town or city itself, as seen in Genesis 23:18 where Abraham buys a field near the city gate, effectively securing his place within the community.
Its usage spans various structures, from military camps to royal palaces and even the temple courts. This versatility highlights its role as a threshold between the sacred and the secular, or the inside and the outside. Translators sometimes render it as "city" when the context emphasizes the people gathered there rather than the structure itself, reflecting its deep integration into the social fabric of Israel.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sha’ar points to more than just a physical entrance. In ancient Israel, the city gate was the heart of public life. It was where elders judged disputes, merchants made deals, and the community gathered as one body. To sit at the gate meant sharing in the authority and responsibility of the town. This imagery reminds us that our faith is not a private matter but something lived out in community, where justice and care for others take center stage.
Scripture also uses this word to describe spiritual thresholds. When Jacob fled from home, he encountered God at Bethel and declared it was the gate of heaven. This suggests that ordinary places can become sacred when we meet with God. Whether you are navigating legal challenges or seeking peace in a chaotic world, remember that God meets us at our boundaries. He invites us to find safety and direction in His presence, turning everyday moments into encounters with the divine.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 233 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] gate of64×
- the/ gate18×
- gates/ your12×
- at/ [the] gate of12×
- [the] gates of12×
- in the/ gate11×
- in/ gates/ your10×
- in/ [the] gate of10×
- in/ [the] gates of9×
- the/ gates8×
- [is] in/ gates/ your8×
- in the/ gates7×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- שַׁ֣עַר29×
- שַׁ֥עַר19×
- בְּ/שַׁ֣עַר10×
- שַֽׁעַר\־9×
- בְּ/שַׁ֥עַר8×
- שַׁ֤עַר7×
- שְׁעָרֶ֔י/ךָ6×
- שַׁ֨עַר5×
- לְ/שַׁ֣עַר5×
- הַ/שָּׁ֑עַר5×
- וּ/שְׁעָרֶ֖י/הָ4×
- הַ/שַּׁ֔עַר4×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 19:1
The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. He bowed himself with his face to the earth,
This verse establishes the gate as the seat of civic authority, showing how Lot’s position there highlighted his role in a corrupt society.
-
Genesis 28:17
He was afraid, and said, “How awesome this place is! This is none other than God’s house, and this is the gate of heaven.”
Here the gate symbolizes a spiritual threshold, marking Bethel as a place where heaven and earth intersect through divine encounter.
-
Exodus 32:26
then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on Yahweh’s side, come to me!” All the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.
Moses stands at the camp gate to call for loyalty, using the location to mobilize the tribe of Levi during a moment of national crisis.
-
Deuteronomy 5:14
but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God, in which you shall not do any work—neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your livestock, nor your stranger who is within your gates; that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.
The Sabbath command extends rest to those within the gates, emphasizing that community justice includes caring for strangers and servants.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word sha’ar mean?
Why is the gate important in the Old Testament?
How is sha’ar used metaphorically?
Every Occurrence (233 verses across 26 books)
Genesis 8 verses
The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. He bowed…
Genesis 22:17that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your offspring greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the…
Genesis 23:10Now Ephron was sitting in the middle of the children of Heth. Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the…
Genesis 23:18to Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.
Genesis 24:60They blessed Rebekah, and said to her, “Our sister, may you be the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your…
Genesis 28:17He was afraid, and said, “How awesome this place is! This is none other than God’s house, and this is the gate of…
Genesis 34:20Hamor and Shechem, his son, came to the gate of their city, and talked with the men of their city, saying,
Genesis 34:24All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor, and to Shechem his son; and every male was circumcised, all…