In biblical terminology, the term "broad-place" often refers to a spacious or open area, typically within a city, where people gather for various activities, including social, commercial, or judicial purposes. The concept of a broad-place is significant in understanding the social and communal life of ancient Israel and the surrounding cultures.

Old Testament References

The Hebrew word often translated as "broad-place" is "רְחוֹב" (rechov). This term appears in several contexts throughout the Old Testament, illustrating its importance in the daily life of the Israelites.

1. Public Gatherings and Commerce: Broad-places were central to the economic and social life of a city. In Genesis 19:2, Lot invites the angels to stay in his house rather than in the city square, indicating that the broad-place was a common area for travelers to rest. Similarly, in Nehemiah 8:1, the people of Israel gather in the broad-place before the Water Gate to hear Ezra read the Law, demonstrating its use as a place for public assembly and instruction.

2. Judicial and Administrative Functions: Broad-places also served as venues for legal proceedings and administrative activities. In 2 Chronicles 32:6, Hezekiah gathers the people in the broad-place of the city gate to encourage them before the Assyrian siege, highlighting its role as a place for important civic announcements and decisions.

3. Symbol of Freedom and Deliverance: The broad-place is sometimes used metaphorically to represent freedom and deliverance. In Psalm 18:19, David praises God for bringing him out into a broad-place, symbolizing deliverance from distress: "He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me" .

New Testament Context

While the specific term "broad-place" is not directly used in the New Testament, the concept of open, communal spaces continues to be relevant. The agora, or marketplace, in Greco-Roman cities functioned similarly to the broad-places of ancient Israel, serving as centers for trade, social interaction, and public discourse. In Acts 17:17, Paul engages with people in the marketplace of Athens, illustrating the continued importance of such spaces in the cultural and religious life of the time.

Theological Implications

The broad-place, as a symbol of communal life and divine deliverance, reflects the biblical themes of community, justice, and God's provision. It serves as a reminder of the importance of gathering spaces in fostering social cohesion and facilitating the administration of justice. Moreover, the metaphorical use of broad-places in Scripture underscores the spiritual truth of God's ability to deliver His people from narrow straits into places of freedom and abundance.

In summary, the concept of the broad-place in the Bible provides insight into the social, economic, and spiritual dimensions of life in biblical times, illustrating the multifaceted role these spaces played in the ancient world.7339. rechob -- a broad open place, plaza
... broad place way, street. Or rchowb {rekh-obe'}; from rachab; a width, ie (concretely)
avenue or area -- broad place (way), street. See also Beyth Rchowb. ...
/hebrew/7339.htm - 6k

7338. rachab -- breadth, broad expanse
... Word Origin from rachab Definition breadth, broad expanse NASB Word Usage
broad place (1), expanse (1). breadth, broad place. From ...
/hebrew/7338.htm - 6k

4800. merchab -- a broad or roomy place
... Word Origin from rachab Definition a broad or roomy place NASB Word Usage broad
place (2), large field (1), large place (2), throughout (1). ...
/hebrew/4800.htm - 6k

Psalm XVIII.
... the Lord hath become My stay. 20. "And hath brought Me forth into a broad
place" (ver.19). And since I was enduring the straits ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xviii.htm

Chapter xix
... be on your way. And they said: No, for we shall pass the night in the broad
place (of the city). AV translates erroneously: "there ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xix.htm

The Later Hebrew Histories.
... After this we have an account of a great congregation which assembled "in the broad
place that was before the water gate," when Ezra the scribe stood upon "a ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter vi the later hebrew.htm

Book 1.
... He raised a bank on that called the Broad Place, and dedicated that golden pillar
which is in Jupiter's temple; he also went and cut down timber from the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/against apion/book 1.htm

The Political Constitution of Egypt
... The hieroglyph ["] gives us the name Uoskhit (literally, the broad [place]) of the
courtyard on to which the passage opened, at the end of which the palace ...
/.../chapter ithe political constitution of.htm

The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9. <. ...
/.../chapter iithe last days of 2.htm

Broad-place (2 Occurrences)
Broad-place. Broader, Broad-place. Broad-places . Multi-Version
Concordance Broad-place (2 Occurrences). Revelation ...
/b/broad-place.htm - 7k

Broad (113 Occurrences)
... of communal life are called the "broad places," often rendered "streets" (Jeremiah
5:1 Songs 3:2 Nahum 2:4). A court before the temple: "the broadplace on the ...
/b/broad.htm - 40k

City
... THE CITY OF THE JEWISH OCCUPATION 1. Tower or Stronghold 2. High Place 3. Broad
Place 4. Streets 5. General Characteristics III. STORE CITIES IV. ...
/c/city.htm - 43k

Square (94 Occurrences)
... (BBE). 2 Chronicles 29:4 He brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered
them together into the broadplace on the east, (See NAS RSV NIV). ...
/s/square.htm - 39k

Roofs (13 Occurrences)
... and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts,
and in the courts of the house of God, and in the broadplace of the ...
/r/roofs.htm - 10k

Courtyards (4 Occurrences)
... and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts,
and in the courts of the house of God, and in the broadplace of the ...
/c/courtyards.htm - 7k

Straitness (6 Occurrences)
... Job 36:16 Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broadplace,
where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table ...
/s/straitness.htm - 8k

Booths (24 Occurrences)
... them, and made themselves booths, everyone on the roof of his house, and in their
courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the broadplace of the ...
/b/booths.htm - 14k

Delighted (56 Occurrences)
... of the king, the chiefs, and they have clothed the man in whose honour the king
hath delighted, and caused him to ride on the horse in a broadplace of the city ...
/d/delighted.htm - 23k

Gathereth (65 Occurrences)
... Jerusalem. (YLT). 2 Chronicles 29:4 and bringeth in the priests and the Levites,
and gathereth them to the broadplace to the east. (YLT). ...
/g/gathereth.htm - 26k

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