--- # Walls and Gates Study ## Background - ## Questions - What does the Bible say about: - walls - [[H2346]] - [[G5038]] - gates - [[H8179]] - [[G4440]] - Does a "gate" imply some sort of wall or barrier? ## ToDo - Passages to study - Joshua 6.1-27 - Nehemiah ## Takeaways - ## Notes ### General Notes - First Occurrences of the various study words - [[H1817]] - First occurrence: [[Genesis_19|Genesis 19.6]] - Translation: door - Total occurrences: 88 - [[H2346]] - First occurrence: [[Exodus_14|Exodus 14.22]] - Translation: walls - Total occurrences: 133 - [[H8179]] - First occurrence: [[Genesis_19|Genesis 19.1]] - Translation: gateway - Total occurrences: 374 - [[G4439]] - First occurrence: [[Matthew_07|Matthew 7.13]] - Translation: gate - Total occurrences: 10 - [[G4440]] - First occurrence: [[Matthew_26|Matthew 26.71]] - Translation: gate - Total occurrences: 18 - [[G5038]] - First occurrence: [[Acts_09|Acts 9.25]] - Translation: wall - Total occurrences: 9 ### Notes on Specific Passages --- #### [[Genesis_19|Genesis 19]] 2024.02.03 {1, 3, 6} - The first occurrence of [[H8179]] is translated "gateway" in **Genesis 19.1**. Although there is no mention of a "wall" around the city of Sodom, since Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city, it seems reasonable to assume there was some sort of barrier around the perimeter of the city {1} - The first occurrence of [[H1817]] is translated "door" in **Genesis 19.6**. **Verse 3** says that the angels followed Lot into his house. Then, **verse 6** says he (Lot) went outside to meet them (the men of the town) and he (Lot) shut the door behind him. Much like my assumption about the wall around the city, it seems reasonable to assume Lot's house had some sort of walls that formed a barrier --- #### [[Exodus_14|Exodus 14]] 2024.02.03 {22} - The first occurrence of [[H2346]] is translated "walls" in **Exodus 14.22**. In this example, the Israelites passed through the Red Sea with "walls of water on their right and on their left". In one respect, these walls are completely different than hard walls made of stone. On the other-hand, they were similar in that the walls formed a barrier; in this case a barrier from tons (literally) of water. --- #### [[Matthew_07|Matthew 7]] 2024.02.03 {13, 14} - The first occurrence of [[G4439]] is translated "gate" in **Matthew 7.13**. The word occurs a total of three times in this chapter; twice in verse 13 and once in **verse 14**. Each occurrence is translated into some form of gate. In these verses, Jesus tells a parable exhorting us to enter through the narrow gate instead of the wide gate. In this parable, Jesus does not discuss a wall or any sort of barrier. However, I can't imagine the need for a narrow / wide gate unless there is some sort of barrier blocking entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven (see **verse 21**). --- #### [[Matthew_26|Matthew 26]] 2024.02.03 {57, 69, 71} - The first occurrence of [[G4440]] is translated "gateway in **verse 71**." In **verse 69**, Peter was sitting in the courtyard. Then he went out to the gateway. Although not stated, it like seems reasonable assumption that since there was a "gateway", there must be some sort of barrier around the house of Caiaphas (see **verse 57**.) --- #### [[Acts_09|Acts 9]] 2024.02.03 {23-25} - After Saul / Paul saw Jesus on the road to Damascus, he began to preach which caused the Jews to conspire to kill him. - Day and night they watched the city "gates" in order to kill him. {24, [[G4439]]} - However, Saul's disciples lowered him in a basket through a window in the "wall" {25, [[G5038]]} - Two of the key words are in this section. - It seems clear that there was some sort of wall between the outside and those living in the inside --- #### [[Revelation_21|Revelation 21]] 2024.02.03 {9-27} - One of the seven angels showed John a vision of the New Jerusalem. {9-10} - Although lots of questions remain, these 18 verses provide a lot of details about our future home. Furthermore, they provide lots of fodder for this study on walls (6-occurrences) and gates (6-occurrences). {9-27} - Walls {[[G5038]]} - The city had a great and high wall {12} - The wall of the city had twelve foundations {14} - The angel measured the gates and walls {15} - he measured its wall to be 144 cubits (approximately 216 feet or 65.8 meters). It's not clear if the wall is 216 feet thick or high. However, since the city is a cube with a height of 1380 miles, a wall of 216 feet seems silly {17} - The wall was made of jasper {18} - The foundations of the city walls were adorned with every kind of precious stone {19} - Gates {[[G5038]]} - The city had a great and high wall with twelve gates {12} - and twelve angels at the gates {12} - There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south, and three on the west. {13} - The angel who spoke with me had a golden measuring rod to measure the city and its gates and walls. {15} - And the twelve gates were twelve pearls {21} - each gate consisting of a single pearl {21} - Its gates will never be shut at the end of the day, because there will be no night there. {25}