Job 5:4

4. His children In the East the fate of the children was involved in that of the parent, as in the case of Haman’s ten sons, who were hanged on the gallows. Esther 9:13-14. The merciful legislation of Moses was arrayed against such monstrous perversion of justice. Deuteronomy 24:16. Are crushed Davidson unnecessarily supposes the verb to be reflexive, that the children crushed each other by “family feuds and ruinous litigations.” “In the gate,” (Job 31:21; see also Job 29:7,) plainly points to courts of justice before which fatherless children, having no natural defender, would fare badly, even to being crushed.

In the gate of the city the great assemblies of people were held, (Proverbs 1:21,) whether for reading the law and proclamations, (Nehemiah 8:1; Nehemiah 8:3,) or for the administration of justice, (Joshua 20:4; Ruth 4:1,) or even for market purposes. (2 Kings 7:1.) The sculptures found by Botta ( plate 18) represent the king sitting at the gate in an arm-chair, the seat of judgment. This Oriental custom is transmitted in the title of the court of the Sultan, The Sublime Porte the word “porte” signifying gate. In the Koran ( Sura xxiii, 79) we read: “We have opened against them the gate of supreme judgment.” See note on Matthew 16:19.