In biblical times, "broad-places" referred to open areas within a city or town, often serving as public squares or marketplaces. These spaces were central to the social, economic, and civic life of ancient communities. The Hebrew term often translated as "broad places" is "rechovot," which can denote wide streets or plazas where people gathered for various activities.

Biblical References:

1. Public Gatherings and Commerce:
Broad-places were commonly used for public gatherings and commercial activities. In the book of Nehemiah, we see an example of this usage: "So the people went out and brought back branches and made booths for themselves, each on their roof, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God, and in the square by the Water Gate and the square by the Gate of Ephraim" (Nehemiah 8:16). Here, the broad-places served as locations for the Feast of Booths, highlighting their role as communal spaces.

2. Judicial and Civic Functions:
These areas also functioned as places for judicial proceedings and civic announcements. In the book of Ruth, Boaz goes to the town gate, a type of broad-place, to settle legal matters regarding Ruth: "Meanwhile Boaz went to the gate and sat down there. Soon the kinsman-redeemer of whom Boaz had spoken came along, and Boaz said, 'Come over here, my friend, and sit down.' So he went over and sat down" (Ruth 4:1). The gate area served as a public forum for legal transactions and community decisions.

3. Prophetic and Religious Significance:
Prophets often used broad-places as venues for delivering messages to the people. Jeremiah, for instance, was instructed to proclaim God's word in these public spaces: "Stand in the gate of the house of the LORD and proclaim this message: 'Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD'" (Jeremiah 7:2). The broad-places thus became platforms for prophetic declarations and calls to repentance.

4. Symbolism of Safety and Prosperity:
Broad-places also symbolized safety and prosperity. In the Psalms, the psalmist speaks of being brought into a broad place as a metaphor for deliverance and blessing: "He brought me out into the open; He rescued me because He delighted in me" (Psalm 18:19). This imagery conveys a sense of freedom and divine favor.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In ancient Near Eastern cities, broad-places were strategically located near city gates or central areas, making them accessible to both residents and travelers. These spaces were vital for the exchange of goods, ideas, and news, contributing to the cultural and economic vitality of the community. The design and function of broad-places reflected the communal nature of ancient societies, where public life was intertwined with religious and civic duties.

Theological Implications:

From a theological perspective, broad-places in the Bible often serve as settings for divine-human interaction, whether through prophetic messages, communal worship, or acts of justice. They represent the intersection of daily life with spiritual truths, where God's presence and purposes are revealed in the midst of ordinary activities. The use of broad-places in Scripture underscores the importance of community and the public expression of faith in the life of God's people.7344. Rechoboth -- "broad places," a well dug by Isaac, also two ...
... "broad places," a well dug by Isaac, also two cities of unc. ... Word Origin from rachab
Definition "broad places," a well dug by Isaac, also two cities of unc. ...
/hebrew/7344.htm - 6k

Book viii. On the Various Meanings of Words and Names
... [John14:6; Ps.118(119):26 Vulgate]. Broad places are an expanse of seductive vices;
in the gospel: the way that leads to destruction has a wide, roomy door. ...
/.../eucherius/the formulae of st eucherius of lyons/book viii on the various.htm

Wisdom and the Strange Woman
... She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house; Now she is in the
streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner. ...
/.../select masterpieces of biblical literature/vii wisdom and the strange.htm

The First Apostle of Peace at any Price
... So he came into a quiet harbour at last, and traced his repose to God, naming his
last well 'Broad Places,' because the Lord had made room for him. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the first apostle of peace.htm

Oracles on the Scythians. (With Some Others: iv. 5-vi. 29. )
... Range ye the streets of Jerusalem, V.1 Look now and know, And search her broad places,
If a man ye can find" If there be that does justice, Aiming at honesty ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/2 oracles on the scythians.htm

Chapter x
... There is the possibility that this name is used to designate a suburb or suburbs
of Nineveh, since the name signifies "broad places of the city"; then it might ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter x.htm

Letter Xlvi. Paula and Eustochium to Marcella.
... to receive a promise of Christ"is here told to leave the Chaldees, to leave the
city of confusion [940] and its rehoboth [941] or broad places; to leave also ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter xlvi paula and eustochium.htm

The Poet.
... Run through Jerusalem's streets, Look now and know, And search her broad places
If a man ye can find, If there be that doth justice Aiming at honesty. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/smith/jeremiah/lecture ii the poet.htm

The Strait Gate;
The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3. <. ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the strait gate.htm

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

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

Places (610 Occurrences)
... 5 And when thou mayest pray, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites, because they love
in the synagogues, and in the corners of the broadplaces -- standing -- to ...
/p/places.htm - 35k

Out-places (22 Occurrences)
... (YLT). Isaiah 15:3 In its out-places they girded on sackcloth, On its pinnacles,
and in its broadplaces, Every one howleth -- going down with weeping. (YLT). ...
/o/out-places.htm - 13k

Out-place (5 Occurrences)
... soul.' (YLT). Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad
places she giveth forth her voice, (YLT). Proverbs 7:12 ...
/o/out-place.htm - 7k

Rehoboth (4 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Broadplaces. ... re-ho'-both, re-ho'-both (rehobhoth, "broad
places"; Euruchoria): One of the wells dug by Isaac (Genesis 26:22). ...
/r/rehoboth.htm - 10k

Silenced (19 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 49:26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her broadplaces, and all the
men of war shall be brought to silence in that day, saith the LORD of hosts. ...
/s/silenced.htm - 11k

Outgoing (10 Occurrences)
... Psalms 144:14 Our oxen are carrying, there is no breach, And there is no
outgoing, And there is no crying in our broadplaces. (YLT). ...
/o/outgoing.htm - 10k

Justly (22 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 5:1 Run back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and
know, and seek in the broadplaces of it, if you can find a man, if there ...
/j/justly.htm - 12k

Waileth (1 Occurrence)
... Isaiah 15:3 In their streets they gird themselves with sackcloth; on their housetops,
and in their broadplaces, every one waileth, weeping abundantly. (ASV). ...
/w/waileth.htm - 6k

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