Porter

Porter (Hebrew sho'er) denotes a gatekeeper or doorkeeper, a role of considerable importance in ancient Near Eastern cities and institutions. David organized 4,000 Levitical porters for the temple service (1 Chr. 23:5), divided into twenty-four divisions as gatekeepers for the sanctuary (1 Chr. 26:1–19). Their duties included guarding the temple's various gates, controlling access to the sacred precincts, and managing the thresholds. The porters were among those who returned from Babylon with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:42; Neh. 7:45). In the parable of the Good Shepherd, Jesus uses the image of the porter (doorkeeper) who opens the door only to the shepherd who enters legitimately (John 10:3).