How many times is gate mentioned in the Bible?
The word gate appears 275 times in the King James Version, in 220 verses. Counting every form (gate, gates), it appears 419 times in 342 verses across 35 of the 66 books. The World English Bible uses gate 273 times (416 with every form).
Where the KJV says porter for the men who kept the gates (39 uses), the World English Bible usually says gatekeeper; neither word is counted here.
Gate in the King James Version and the World English Bible
Each form of gate counted in each translation.
| Form | KJV | WEB |
|---|---|---|
| gate | 275 | 273 |
| gates | 144 | 143 |
| Total | 419 | 416 |
Which books mention gate most
Gate appears in 35 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Ezekiel has the most (102), then Nehemiah (41) and Deuteronomy (35).
Also in: Proverbs (9), Acts (9), Joshua (6), 1 Samuel (5), Job (4), Lamentations (4), Zechariah (4), Matthew (4), Ruth (3), 1 Kings (3), Amos (3), Micah (3), Luke (3), Song of Solomon (2), Obadiah (2), Nahum (2), Numbers (1), Daniel (1), Zephaniah (1), Hebrews (1).
First and last mention of gate
And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
The verse that uses it most is Nehemiah 12:39, 5 times (tied with Ezekiel 46:9, Ezekiel 48:31):
And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep gate: and they stood still in the prison gate.
Where the two translations differ
13 verses match in the KJV but not in the World English Bible, and 10 verses match only in the World English Bible, usually because the other translation chose a different word there.
Exodus 38:14: counted in the KJV only
The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
The hangings for the one side were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three;
1 Samuel 9:18: counted in the KJV only
Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer’s house is.
Then Saul approached Samuel in the gateway, and said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”
Genesis 38:14: counted in the World English Bible only
And she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.
She took off her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she wasn’t given to him as a wife.
Exodus 35:17: counted in the World English Bible only
The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court,
the hangings of the court, its pillars, their sockets, and the screen for the gate of the court;
Verses with gate on our topic pages
14 verses that use gate in the World English Bible are in our topic collections.
I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
On: Hell, Spiritual Warfare, Church
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, and bless his name.
On: Gratitude, Thanksgiving
These are the things that you shall do: speak every man the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates,
but the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God, in which you shall not do any work, 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.
On: Rest
You shall write them on the door posts of your house, and on your gates.
On: Fathers
At the end of every three years you shall bring all the tithe of your increase in the same year, and shall store it within your gates.
On: Orphans
The Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the foreigner living among you, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that Yahweh your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.
On: Orphans
If a poor man, one of your brothers, is with you within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother;
On: Generosity
He shall dwell with you, among you, in the place which he shall choose within one of your gates, where it pleases him best. You shall not oppress him.
About the time of the shutting of the gate, when it was dark, the men went out. Where the men went, I don’t know. Pursue them quickly. You may catch up with them.”
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. They won’t be disappointed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
On: Children
Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts.
On: Wisdom
Common questions
How many times is gate in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
In the King James Version, counting every form, 391 of the 419 uses are in the Old Testament and 28 in the New Testament. Gate appears in 35 books of the 66 in the King James Version. Ezekiel has the most (102), then Nehemiah (41) and Deuteronomy (35).
Where is gate first mentioned in the Bible?
The first use in the King James Version is Genesis 19:1: "And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;" The last is Revelation 22:14.
More word counts: Jerusalem, Zion, beard, generation, image, brass, valley, cattle, or all 680 words.
Counted by Bible Says About from the full public-domain text of the King James Version (1769 edition) and the World English Bible. Verse text only: headings and psalm titles are left out. A word is a run of letters: a hyphenated name like Beer-sheba counts as two, and an apostrophe stays inside its word (LORD'S is one). Matching ignores capital letters. Data compiled 2026-10-26.