This noun designates the person who stands watch at a door or gate, controlling who enters and who does not. In the parable of the absent master, the doorkeeper is charged with staying alert (Mark 13:34). In John's Good Shepherd discourse, the θυρωρός opens the gate to the true shepherd (John 10:3). Most poignantly, a female θυρωρός at the high priest's courtyard admits Peter — and then identifies him as a disciple (John 18:16-17). Spanish distinguishes 'portero' (male) and 'portera' (female), highlighting the gender flexibility the Greek noun naturally carries.