Boyd’s Bible Dictionary:
(through). [GATE.]
Concise Bible Dictionary:
Besides the common use of the door as the means of entrance into a house, and of enclosing those within when shut, it is used in scripture symbolically for the way of entrance into blessing. The Lord said, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.” Salvation is only by Him. He also said that as the true Shepherd He entered into the sheepfold by the door, that is, though Son of God, He entered as obedient by God’s appointed means, being circumcised, presented in the temple, and baptized (John 10:1-9). God opened “the door of faith” to the Gentiles by Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:27). Opportunities for service are called opened doors (1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3; Rev. 3:8).
When the church is represented as in a Laodicean state the Lord is outside knocking for admission at the door of the assembly, so that the individual may hear, with a promise of blessing to those who open to Him (Rev. 3:20).
Doors in the East are usually made of wood; but in the deserted cities of Bashan doors are found cut out of stone, with a projection top and bottom which served as pivots on which the door turned.
From Manners and Customs of the Bible:
Proverbs 17:19. He that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.
In the open country where the houses are exposed to the depredations of wandering Arabs the gates are made very low, so as to prevent the marauders from riding through the porch into the court. A high gate would be an invitation to enter. Even in cities the gates of houses are often made low and unattractive in appearance, affording no indication of the wealth which may be within, lest the cupidity of wicked rulers should be attracted. Travelers speak of house-gates as low as three feet from the ground. In Persia a lofty gate is one of the signs of royalty, which some of the subjects, in their vanity, imitate as far as they dare.
Anderson says: “The house in which I dwelt in Jerusalem had an arch, or gateway, a few yards from the door, which was so low that a person on horseback could not pass under it. It was evidently built for the sake of security” (Bible Light from Bible Lands, p. 329).
The meaning of the text undoubtedly is, He who has a high gate to his house invites the robber by a show of prosperity and by affording facility of entrance. He thus “seeketh destruction.”
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