WG: Gate — Entries and Openings¶
Overview¶
The NT gate/door concept uses three Greek words with overlapping but distinct semantic ranges. All three translate Hebrew "gate/door" words in the LXX but divide the concept along architectural lines: πύλη is the city or camp gate, πυλών is the gateway or porch structure, and θύρα is the door of a house or room.
Word Group Members¶
| Strong's | Word | Transliteration | POS | Occurrences | Role in Concept | Library Entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G4439 | πύλη | pyle | f. noun | 9v | The gate proper — city gate, camp gate, metaphorical gate | G4439-pyle.md |
| G4440 | πυλών | pylon | m. noun | 12v | The gateway structure — porch, vestibule, entrance passage | TODO(need G4440 study) |
| G2374 | θύρα | thyra | f. noun | 37v | The door — household, room, or figurative entrance | TODO(need G2374 study) |
Relationships¶
Shared Roots¶
- πύλη (G4439) and πυλών (G4440) — cognates; pylon derives from pyle, adding the gateway/porch structure sense
Co-occurrence (appear in same verses)¶
| Word A | Word B | Shared Verses | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| πυλών (G4440) | θύρα (G2374) | 1v | Acts 12:13 — "knocked at the door of the gate" — both in one spatial description |
| πύλη (G4439) | πυλών (G4440) | 0v | Never co-occur in the same verse |
| πύλη (G4439) | θύρα (G2374) | 0v | Never co-occur in the same verse |
The lack of co-occurrence between πύλη and its cognate πυλών suggests they function as complementary distribution — writers use one or the other, not both together. Acts 12:13 is the sole verse distinguishing θύρα (the door at which Peter knocks) from πυλών (the outer gate of the property).
LXX Overlaps — Shared Hebrew Sources¶
| Hebrew Word | Strong's | pyle (G4439) | pylon (G4440) | thyra (G2374) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| שַׁעַר (sha'ar) | H8179 | 220x | 5x | 25x | The dominant OT "gate" — pyle gets the overwhelming share |
| פֶּתַח (pethach) | H6607 | 27x | 13x | 95x | "Opening/entrance" — thyra dominates, but all three translate it |
| דֶּלֶת (deleth) | H1817 | 20x | — | 59x | "Door-leaf" — thyra dominates for physical doors |
| בְּרִיחַ (beriyach) | H1280 | 14x | — | 11x | "Bar/bolt" — gate-fastening context |
Pattern: sha'ar → pyle (civic/monumental gate); pethach → thyra (general opening/entrance); deleth → thyra (physical door-leaf). The LXX translators consistently matched the Hebrew gate/door distinction to the Greek gate/door distinction.
Roles in the Concept¶
- Monumental Entry: πύλη (pyle) — the gate of a city, camp, or sacred precinct; the boundary between public and private, inside and outside, sacred and profane
- Gateway Structure: πυλών (pylon) — the architectural passage or porch through which one walks; the vestibule space between outside and inside
- Household Entry: θύρα (thyra) — the door of a building, room, or enclosure; smaller scale, domestic or figurative ("I am the door," John 10:7, 9)
Key Passages Where Multiple Group Words Appear Together¶
- Acts 12:10-13 — Peter escapes through the "iron gate" (πύλη, v.10) of the prison, arrives at Mary's house and knocks at "the door of the gate" (θύρα τοῦ πυλῶνος, v.13) — all three words in a single narrative, each with distinct architectural reference
Differentiation Summary¶
| Feature | πύλη (pyle) | πυλών (pylon) | θύρα (thyra) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scale | Large — city/camp | Medium — gateway passage | Small — room/house |
| Focus | The gate-leaf itself | The gateway structure/vestibule | The door-panel or opening |
| Metaphorical use | Gate of life/death, gates of Hades | Rarely metaphorical | "I am the door" (John 10); door of faith (Acts 14:27) |
| Hebrew primary source | sha'ar (H8179) | pethach (H6607) | deleth (H1817), pethach (H6607) |
Generated from: gather_word_group_data.py, search_strongs.py (--lxx-map, --hebrew-source) Last updated: 2026-05-03