αὐλή G0833
Courtyard or court of a building; sheepfold or enclosed pen for livestock
The Greek noun aule originally meant any open enclosure, and the New Testament preserves two distinct applications of this spatial concept. In ten of its twelve occurrences, it designates the courtyard of a building — most memorably the high priest's courtyard where Peter denied Jesus (Matt 26:58, 69; Mark 14:54, 66; Luke 22:55; John 18:15). Twice, in Jesus' shepherd discourse (John 10:1, 16), it shifts to mean a sheepfold or pen, an enclosed space for livestock rather than for human gatherings. The multilingual translations draw a sharp line: 'patio/atrio' versus 'redil' in Spanish, confirming the semantic split.
Senses
1. courtyard, court — An open courtyard or court attached to a large building, whether a palace, a mansion, or the temple complex. The high priest's aule is the most prominent example, the setting for Peter's three denials on the night of Jesus' arrest (Matt 26:58, 69; Mark 14:54, 66; Luke 22:55; John 18:15). It also appears as the court of Caiaphas's palace where the council gathered (Matt 26:3) and as the governor's praetorium courtyard (Mark 15:16). Spanish employs 'patio' and 'atrio,' French uses 'cour,' and German 'Hof' — all standard architectural courtyard terms. The ten occurrences consistently describe an open, bounded space within or before a significant building where events of public consequence unfold. 10×
AR["الدَّارِ","دارَ","دارِ","دَارِ","ساحَةَهُ"]·ben["উঠানে","উঠানের","প্রাঙ্গণ","প্রাঙ্গণে","প্রাঙ্গণের","বাড়ি"]·DE["Hof","αὐλήν","αὐλὴν","αὐλῆς","αὐλῇ"]·EN["court","courtyard"]·FR["cour"]·heb["הַחָצֵר","חֲצַר","חָצֵר"]·HI["आँगन","आंगन"]·ID["halaman"]·IT["aulēn","cortile"]·jav["latar","latèng","plataran","plataran,","platarandalem"]·KO["뜨락","뜨락-에","뜨락에","뜨락의","뜻을","마당을","마당의"]·PT["pátio"]·RU["двор","двора","дворе"]·ES["atrio","casa","patio"]·SW["ua"]·TR["avluda","avlunun","avlusuna","avluya","avluyu","sarayını"]·urd["صحن","صحن-تک","صحن-میں"]
2. sheepfold, pen — A sheepfold or enclosed pen for keeping sheep, restricted to Jesus' Good Shepherd discourse in John 10. In John 10:1, the one who does not enter 'by the door into the fold (aule) of the sheep' is a thief, and in John 10:16 Jesus speaks of 'other sheep not of this fold.' Spanish shifts decisively to 'redil' (sheepfold) rather than 'patio,' marking a clear lexical boundary. The underlying spatial concept — an enclosed area — remains the same, but the referent moves from human architecture to animal husbandry, and the metaphorical freight is entirely different: the aule here represents the covenant community gathered under one shepherd. 2×
AR["حَظيرَة"]·ben["খোঁয়াড়ে","খোঁয়াড়ের"]·DE["Hof"]·EN["fold"]·FR["cour"]·heb["מִכְלָאָה"]·HI["बाड़ा","बाड़े"]·ID["kandang"]·IT["cortile"]·jav["kandhang"]·KO["우리를","우리의"]·PT["curral"]·RU["двор","двора"]·ES["redil"]·SW["zizi"]·TR["ağıldan","ağılın"]·urd["باڑے"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
αὐλή, ἡ, open court before the house, courtyard, Refs 8th c.BC+ __2 steading for cattle, αὐλῆς ὑπεράλμενονRefs 8th c.BC+ __II later, court or quadrangle, round which the house was built, Refs 5th c.BC+ __III generally, court, hall, Ζηνὸς αὐ.Refs 8th c.BC+; court of a temple, ἱεροῦLXX+3rd c.BC+; any dwelling, abode, chamber, Refs 5th c.BC+, etc.; of a cave, Refs; ἀγρόνομοι αὐλαί homes of dwellers…