The typical Israelite town of Old Testament times was a fenced settlement with one gate, by which people left in the morning to work in the fields and returned in the evening. "At the gate" was a favorite meeting place, and it became the traditional place for settling legal affairs. This custom is indicated in the book of Ruth when Boaz selects ten wise men from among the people to help him settle his case: "Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there . . . . And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down."Ruth 4:1, 2;
So justice was customarily spoken "at the gate." At what time of day? The prophet is quite clear on this: "Execute judgment in the morning."Jer. 21:12;
So much for the historical situation. But what does this custom teach us? Is there perhaps a deeply metaphysical meaning in the prophet's statement? Can we apply its lessons in everyday life?
