שַׁ֫עַר
sha.ar
gate
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# The Hebrew Word שַׁעַר (Gate) The Hebrew term *sha'ar* refers to a gate and appears 348 times throughout the biblical text, making it a frequently used word for a fundamental architectural and social feature of ancient life. A gate served as the primary entrance and exit point for walled cities, towns, and important structures, functioning as both a practical barrier and a controlled passage point. The high frequency of this term reflects how central gated entrances were to the organization and security of ancient settlement patterns. Beyond its basic architectural meaning, the prevalence of *sha'ar* in biblical literature—occurring in nearly one-third of Old Testament books—suggests that gates held significance beyond mere physical structures. They were locations where important social, legal, and commercial activities took place, as evidenced by their repeated mention in narrative and legal contexts throughout scripture. The word's consistent use across different literary genres indicates that gates were understood as important features worthy of detailed description and reference. The 348 occurrences of *sha'ar* demonstrate that biblical writers considered gates significant enough to mention frequently and across diverse contexts. Whether describing the literal gates of cities, temples, or other fortified structures, the word carries straightforward denotative meaning while reflecting the practical importance of controlled access points in ancient Near Eastern urban life.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
348 total occurrences across the text — showing 50
A third part shall be at the king’s house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation. All the people will be in the courts of Yahweh’s house.
2 Chronicles 23:15So they made way for her. She went to the entrance of the horse gate to the king’s house; and they killed her there.
2 Chronicles 23:19He set the gatekeepers at the gates of Yahweh’s house, that no one who was unclean in anything should enter in.
2 Chronicles 23:20He took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from Yahweh’s house. They came through the upper gate to the king’s house, and set the king on the throne of the kingdom.
2 Chronicles 24:8So the king commanded, and they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of Yahweh’s house.
2 Chronicles 25:23Joash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth Shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
2 Chronicles 25:23Joash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth Shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
2 Chronicles 26:9Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.
2 Chronicles 26:9Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.
2 Chronicles 27:3He built the upper gate of Yahweh’s house, and he built much on the wall of Ophel.
2 Chronicles 31:2Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites after their divisions, every man according to his service, both the priests and the Levites, for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of Yahweh’s camp.
2 Chronicles 32:6He set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the wide place at the gate of the city, and spoke encouragingly to them, saying,
2 Chronicles 33:14Now after this, he built an outer wall to David’s city, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance at the fish gate. He encircled Ophel with it, and raised it up to a very great height; and he put valiant captains in all the fortified cities of Judah.
Nehemiah 13:19It came to pass that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut, and commanded that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. I set some of my servants over the gates, so that no burden should be brought in on the Sabbath day.
Nehemiah 13:22I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember to me, my God, this also, and spare me according to the greatness of your loving kindness.
2 Chronicles 35:15The singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers were at every gate. They didn’t need to depart from their service, because their brothers the Levites prepared for them.
2 Chronicles 35:15The singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun the king’s seer; and the gatekeepers were at every gate. They didn’t need to depart from their service, because their brothers the Levites prepared for them.
Nehemiah 1:3They said to me, “The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”
Nehemiah 2:3I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why shouldn’t my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates have been consumed with fire?”
Nehemiah 2:8and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple, for the wall of the city, and for the house that I will occupy.” The king granted my requests, because of the good hand of my God on me.
Nehemiah 2:13I went out by night by the valley gate, even toward the jackal’s well, then to the dung gate, and inspected the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and its gates were consumed with fire.
Nehemiah 2:13I went out by night by the valley gate, even toward the jackal’s well, then to the dung gate, and inspected the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and its gates were consumed with fire.
Nehemiah 2:13I went out by night by the valley gate, even toward the jackal’s well, then to the dung gate, and inspected the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and its gates were consumed with fire.
Nehemiah 2:14Then I went on to the spring gate and to the king’s pool, but there was no place for the animal that was under me to pass.
Nehemiah 2:15Then I went up in the night by the brook, and inspected the wall; and I turned back, and entered by the valley gate, and so returned.
Nehemiah 2:17Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come, let’s build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we won’t be disgraced.”
Nehemiah 3:1Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the sheep gate. They sanctified it, and set up its doors. They sanctified it even to the tower of Hammeah, to the tower of Hananel.
Nehemiah 3:3The sons of Hassenaah built the fish gate. They laid its beams, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars.
Nehemiah 3:6Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the old gate. They laid its beams, and set up its doors, and its bolts, and its bars.
Nehemiah 3:13Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the valley gate. They built it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and one thousand cubits of the wall to the dung gate.
Nehemiah 3:13Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the valley gate. They built it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and one thousand cubits of the wall to the dung gate.
Nehemiah 3:14Malchijah the son of Rechab, the ruler of the district of Beth Haccherem repaired the dung gate. He built it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars.
Nehemiah 3:15Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of the district of Mizpah repaired the spring gate. He built it, and covered it, and set up its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and the wall of the pool of Shelah by the king’s garden, even to the stairs that go down from David’s city.
Nehemiah 3:26(Now the temple servants lived in Ophel, to the place opposite the water gate toward the east, and the tower that stands out.)
Nehemiah 3:28Above the horse gate, the priests made repairs, everyone across from his own house.
Nehemiah 3:29After them, Zadok the son of Immer made repairs across from his own house. After him, Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the east gate made repairs.
Nehemiah 3:31After him, Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths to the house of the temple servants, and of the merchants, made repairs opposite the gate of Hammiphkad, and to the ascent of the corner.
Nehemiah 3:32Between the ascent of the corner and the sheep gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants made repairs.
Nehemiah 6:1Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, and to Geshem the Arabian, and to the rest of our enemies, that I had built the wall, and that there was no breach left in it (though even to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates)
Nehemiah 7:3I said to them, “Don’t let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut the doors, and you bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, everyone in his watch, with everyone near his house.”
Nehemiah 8:1All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the wide place that was in front of the water gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which Yahweh had commanded to Israel.
Nehemiah 8:3He read from it before the wide place that was in front of the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those who could understand. The ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.
Nehemiah 8:16So the people went out, and brought them, and made themselves temporary shelters, everyone on the roof of his house, in their courts, in the courts of God’s house, in the wide place of the water gate, and in the wide place of Ephraim’s gate.
Nehemiah 8:16So the people went out, and brought them, and made themselves temporary shelters, everyone on the roof of his house, in their courts, in the courts of God’s house, in the wide place of the water gate, and in the wide place of Ephraim’s gate.
Nehemiah 11:19Moreover the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their brothers, who kept watch at the gates, were one hundred seventy-two.
Nehemiah 12:25Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were gatekeepers keeping the watch at the storehouses of the gates.
Nehemiah 12:30The priests and the Levites purified themselves; and they purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.
Nehemiah 12:31Then I brought up the princes of Judah on the wall, and appointed two great companies who gave thanks and went in procession. One went on the right hand on the wall toward the dung gate;
Nehemiah 12:37By the spring gate, and straight before them, they went up by the stairs of David’s city, at the ascent of the wall, above David’s house, even to the water gate eastward.
Nehemiah 12:37By the spring gate, and straight before them, they went up by the stairs of David’s city, at the ascent of the wall, above David’s house, even to the water gate eastward.