Easton's Bible Dictionary A gate-keeper (2 Samuel 18:26; 2 Kings 7:10; 1 Chronicles 9:21; 2 Chronicles 8:14). Of the Levites, 4,000 were appointed as porters by David (1 Chronicles 23:5), who were arranged according to their families (26:1-19) to take charge of the doors and gates of the temple. They were sometimes employed as musicians (1 Chronicles 15:18). Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) A man who has charge of a door or gate; a doorkeeper; one who waits at the door to receive messages. 2. (n.) A carrier; one who carries or conveys burdens, luggage, etc.; for hire. 3. (n.) A bar of iron or steel at the end of which a forging is made; esp., a long, large bar, to the end of which a heavy forging is attached, and by means of which the forging is lifted and handled in hammering and heating; -- called also porter bar. 4. (n.) A malt liquor, of a dark color and moderately bitter taste, possessing tonic and intoxicating qualities. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia PORT; PORTER port, por'-ter: "Port" in the sense of "gate" (of a city or building) is obsolete in modern English, and even in the King James Version is found only in Nehemiah 2:13. "Porter," as "gate-keeper," however, is still in some use, but "porter" now (but never in the English Versions of the Bible) generally means a burden-carrier. In the Old Testament, except in 2 Samuel 18:26 2 Kings 7:10, 11, the porter (sho`er) is a sacred officer of the temple or tabernacle, belonging to a particular family of the Levites, with a share in the sacred dues (Nehemiah 13:5; Nehemiah 12:47). The "porters" are mentioned only in Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah, and Chronicles has a special interest in them, relating that their duties were settled as far back as the time of David (1 Chronicles 26:1-19), and that the office extended further to the first settlement of Palestine and even to Moses' day (1 Chronicles 9:17-26). The office was evidently one of some dignity, and the "chief-porters" (1 Chronicles 9:26) were important persons. For some inscrutable reason the Revised Version (British and American) renders sho`er by "doorkeeper" in 1 Chronicles 15-26, but not elsewhere. See DOORKEEPER. Burton Scott Easton

Multi-Version Concordance Porter (6 Occurrences) Mark 13:34 For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. (KJV WEY ASV BBE WBS YLT) John 10:3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. (KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS) 2 Samuel 18:26 The watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the porter, and said, "Behold, a man running alone!" The king said, "He also brings news." (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS) 2 Kings 7:10 So they came and called to the porter of the city; and they told them, saying, "We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but the horses tied, and the donkeys tied, and the tents as they were." (WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS) 1 Chronicles 9:21 Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was porter of the door of the Tent of Meeting. (WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS) 2 Chronicles 31:14 Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the porter at the east gate, was over the freewill offerings of God, to distribute the offerings of Yahweh, and the most holy things. (WEB KJV JPS ASV WBS)