[Mesorah] Sha'ar Ha'ir

[Aharon Gal]

Is the translation “the gate of the town” accurate?

Seems to me that “sha’ar ha’ir” is not always the "gate of the town", but sometimes just the town itself.
Onkelos translates the words “Bishearecha” as “Bekirvayich” , “in your towns”.

In Parashat VaYishlach “Yotzei Sha’ar iro”. Would we translate it as “those who going out his town” or just “the resident of the town”.

In Neviim there are few places where the phrase “pethach sha’ar ha’ir” is mention. Why “Petach” and “Sha’ar”? 
Obviously, there are places where “sha’ar ha’ir” means literally “the gate of the town”, but I think in other places it just mean the town.

Thoughts…?

Aharon