Greek word · G833

αὐλή

aulē

palace/courtyard

An unroofed space enclosed by walls: the courtyard of a house, the court of a palace (the high priest's courtyard, John 18:15), a farmyard or fold for animals. In the Greek Old Testament it is the standard word for the courts of the tabernacle and temple (e.g.

Appears 12 times in 12 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 31, 2026

What it means

αὐλή, -ῆς, ἡ

[in LXX chiefly for חָצֵר ;]

1. in Hom., an open courtyard before a house, hence, an enclosure in the open, a sheepfold: John 10:1, 16

2. the court, courtyard, round which a house is built: Matthew 26:3, 58 26:69, Mark 14:54, 66 15:16 Luke 11:21 22:55, John 18:15; τ. ναοῦ, Revelation 11:2. a dwelling, a palace (so, accusative to Grimm-Th., see word): Matthew 26:3, 58, Mark 14:54 15:16, Luke 11:21, John 18:15 (but see MM, see word; cf. also DB, ii, 25, 287).†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of John 10:1

Range of meaning: An unroofed space enclosed by walls: the courtyard of a house, the court of a palace (the high priest's courtyard, John 18:15), a farmyard or fold for animals. In the Greek Old Testament it is the standard word for the courts of the tabernacle and temple (e.g. Exod 27:9–19; 1 Kgs 6:36; Ps 84:2; Ps 100:4).
Against the English: 'Sheepfold' (KJV, BSB, ESV), 'sheep pen' (NIV), 'fold of the sheep' (NASB, YLT). These are accurate for the scene but lose the word's wider associations with courtyard and temple court.
Used elsewhere in the period: BDAG lists both 'enclosed open space, courtyard' and 'sheepfold'. Ancient Palestinian folds were walls of stone or brush, often topped with thorns, with a single opening; some were attached to a house courtyard, others stood in the open country or were shared by several flocks in a village (cf. the gatekeeper in 10:3).

From the study of John 10:16

Range of meaning: An open-air space surrounded by walls: the courtyard of a house or palace (Matt 26:58; John 18:15), the courts of the temple, and a walled pen for livestock, the sheepfold (BDAG s.v. αὐλή).
Against the English: KJV, ESV and NASB have 'fold', NIV 'sheep pen', NLT 'sheepfold'. All are accurate here. The trouble is that KJV uses 'fold' again for a different Greek word at the end of the verse.
How it drifted: The English idiom 'come back into the fold' (meaning church membership) leads readers to hear 'this fold' as 'the church'. In John 10 the aulē is where Jesus' sheep start, and he leads them out of it (10:3–4).
Used elsewhere in the period: In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament), αὐλή often means the temple courts (e.g. Ps 84[83]:2, 10; 1 Kgs 6:36). Some scholars hear an echo of the temple in John 10, since the chapter is set in the temple at the Feast of Dedication (10:22–23). For sheep pens the Septuagint uses αὐλή and related words (e.g. Mic 2:12 'like sheep in a fold').

From the study of Luke 22:55

Range of meaning: An open, walled yard. It can be a sheepfold (John 10:1, 16), the open court at the centre of a house or palace, or, by extension, the whole residence or palace built around such a court (e.g. Matthew 26:3, "the aulē of the high priest").
Against the English: BSB, WEB and most modern versions say "courtyard" or "court". The KJV says "hall". In 1611 "hall" could mean the main room or public space of a great house, often with a fire in the middle of the floor. A modern reader pictures an indoor room or a corridor.
How it drifted: The English word "hall" changed meaning after the medieval and Tudor great hall with its central hearth went out of use. It now suggests an enclosed indoor space, not an open yard.
Used elsewhere in the period: In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament) aulē is the regular word for the courts of the tabernacle and temple, and for royal courtyards (e.g. Esther 4:11; 5:1). In Greek papyri it is the everyday word for a house's courtyard. Remains of large houses with courtyards from the first century have been excavated in Jerusalem's Upper City, where the priestly elite lived.

Where it appears

Matthew · 3

Matthew 26:3 αὐλὴν courtyard

At that time the chief priests and elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas,

Here: Strictly, the open courtyard enclosed by a house's buildings. By extension it means the whole residence built around that courtyard, here a wealthy priestly mansion. Peter will later sit “outside in the courtyard” of this same house (26:58, 69).
Matthew 26:58 αὐλῆς court

But Peter followed Him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. And he went in and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

Here: The open-air enclosed court of a large house, with rooms built around it. Here it is the inner yard of the high priest's residence, where the guards are waiting while the hearing goes on indoors.
Matthew 26:69 αὐλῇ. court.

Meanwhile, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came up to him. “You also were with Jesus the Galilean,” she said.

Here: The open-air central court of a large house, with rooms built around it. It is not a 'palace' in the modern sense. Peter is sitting in an open yard at night among the household staff and the temple guards.

Mark · 3

Mark 14:54 αὐλὴν court

Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the officers and warmed himself by the fire.

Here: The open-air central court of a large house, with rooms built around it. Later in the scene Peter is 'below in the courtyard' (14:66) while the hearing goes on in a room nearby, so here it means the court, not the whole 'palace'.
Mark 14:66 αὐλῇ courtyard

While Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the servant girls of the high priest came down
Mark 15:16 αὐλῆς, palace,

Then the soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called the whole company together.

Luke · 2

Luke 11:21 αὐλήν, house,

When a strong man, fully armed, guards his house, his possessions are secure.

Here: Literally an enclosed courtyard, and by extension the walled compound or palace of a powerful man. Luke's word paints a fortified estate. Mark and Matthew have the plainer oikia, 'house'.
Luke 22:55 αὐλῆς courtyard

When those present had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them.

Here: The open-air central court of a large house, with rooms built around it. It is outdoors, which is why a fire can be lit there and why it is cold.

John · 3

John 10:1 αὐλὴν fold

“Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever does not enter the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.

Here: An open-air space surrounded by walls. With 'of the sheep' it means a sheepfold, but the same word is used for house courtyards, palace courts (18:15) and the courts of the tabernacle and temple in the Greek Old Testament.
John 10:16 αὐλῆς fold

I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them in as well, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.

Here: The walled pen of 10:1, where sheep were kept at night under a gatekeeper. In context it stands for Israel, the enclosure Jesus' hearers belong to.
John 18:15 αὐλὴν court

Now Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he also went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.

Here: The open-air court in the middle of a large house, closed off from the street by a gate with a doorkeeper (vv. 16–17). Servants light a charcoal fire there (v. 18). It is not an indoor hall.

Revelation · 1

Revelation 11:2 αὐλὴν courtyard

But exclude the courtyard outside the temple. Do not measure it, because it has been given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.

Here: An open, unroofed enclosure around a building. Here it is the temple court, the open space outside the sanctuary proper.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.