The Hebrew proper name Ater may be related to the root meaning 'to close, shut' or 'lame,' possibly denoting one who is restricted or bound. Ater appears as the head of a family of gatekeepers who returned from the Babylonian exile with Zerubbabel. He also appears among those who set their seal to the renewed covenant under Nehemiah.
The gatekeepers who returned from Babylon held a position of sacred responsibility — guarding the entries and exits of the temple courts. The family of Ater numbered 98 at the return under Zerubbabel. Their faithful service as gatekeepers of God's house illustrates Psalm 84:10: 'I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.' Even a seemingly restrictive or modest role in God's house surpasses every worldly honor. God elevates the humble station.