835. aulizomai

Lexical Summary

aulizomai: To lodge, to spend the night

Original Word: αὐλίζομαι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: aulizomai
Pronunciation: ow-LEE-zom-ahee
Phonetic Spelling: (ow-lid'-zom-ahee)
KJV: abide, lodge
NASB: spend the night, spent the night
Word Origin: [middle voice from G833 (αὐλή - courtyard)]

1. to pass the night (properly, in the open air)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

abide, lodge, spend the night

Middle voice from aule; to pass the night (properly, in the open air) -- abide, lodge.

see GREEK aule

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from aulé
Definition
to lodge in the open, to lodge
NASB Translation
spend the night (1), spent the night (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 835: αὐλίζομαι

αὐλίζομαι: deponent; imperfect ηὐλιζόμην; 1 aorist ηὐλίσθην (Veitch, under the word; Buttmann, 51 (44); Winer's Grammar, § 39, 2); (αὐλή); in the Sept. mostly for לוּן;

1. properly, to lodge in the courtyard especially at night; of flocks and shepherds.

2. to pass the night in the open air, bivouac.

3. universally, to pass the night, lodge: so Matthew 21:17; Luke 21:37 (ἐξερχόμενος ηὐλίζετο εἰς τό ὄρος, going out to pass the night he retired to the mountain; cf. Buttmann, § 147, 15). (In Greek writings from Homer down.)

Topical Lexicon

Biblical Usage

The verb describes the act of spending the night or finding lodging. In the New Testament it appears only with reference to Jesus Christ:
• Matthew 21:17 — After cleansing the temple, Jesus “went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night.”
• Luke 21:37 — During His final week, “Every day Jesus taught at the temple, but at night He went out and spent the night on the mount called the Mount of Olives.”

Contexts of the Two Occurrences

1. Bethany (Matthew 21:17)
• A village on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, home to Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.
• Provides a place of rest and fellowship after public confrontation in Jerusalem.
• Anticipates the anointing at Bethany (Matthew 26:6-13) and the triumphal entry that begins in that vicinity (Matthew 21:1-9).

2. Mount of Olives (Luke 21:37)
• A ridge overlooking Jerusalem, associated with messianic prophecy (Zechariah 14:4).
• Lodging there underscores Jesus’ pattern of prayerful withdrawal (Luke 6:12; Luke 22:39).
• Links directly to the Olivet Discourse (Luke 21:5-36) and the agony in Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-46).

Old Testament Background

The Septuagint uses the same verb family for patriarchs, prophets, and travelers who stop for the night (e.g., Genesis 19:2; Judges 19:13), often in open courtyards or exposed settings. Such usage highlights:
• The expectation of hospitality within covenant community.
• Reliance on God’s protection while away from permanent dwelling.

Cultural and Historical Insights

• Lodging frequently occurred in enclosed yards or garden plots, not purpose-built inns.
• Night travel was avoided; hence “spending the night” signified purposeful pause in ministry itineraries.
• Bethany’s proximity to Jerusalem (about two miles) made it an ideal Sabbath-day’s journey refuge.

Theological Significance

1. Voluntary Humility

Jesus, the rightful King, chooses simple overnight shelters rather than royal quarters, foreshadowing His self-emptying (Philippians 2:5-8).

2. Separation for Prayer and Preparation

Each lodging marks a transition to climactic teaching or redemptive act—temple cleansing, eschatological discourse, Gethsemane, and ultimately the cross.

3. Fulfillment of Prophecy

The Mount of Olives setting anticipates His ascension (Acts 1:12) and future return to the same locale, harmonizing prophetic timelines.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Ministers may emulate Christ by balancing public engagement with private withdrawal for renewal.
• Hospitality extended to servants of God remains a means of partnership in the gospel (3 John 5-8).
• Trusting God for daily shelter models dependence rather than accumulation.

Related Concepts and Scriptures

• Jesus’ itinerant lifestyle: Matthew 8:20; Luke 9:58.
• Old Testament hospitality: 2 Kings 4:8-10.
• Temporary dwelling as a metaphor for pilgrimage: Hebrews 11:13-16; 1 Peter 2:11.

Summary

The verb portrays more than a simple overnight stay; it frames key moments in the Lord’s final week, revealing His humility, devotion to prayer, and fulfillment of messianic prophecy. Through these brief but vivid notices, Scripture unites geography, hospitality, and eschatology in the unfolding redemptive mission of Jesus Christ.

Forms and Transliterations

αυλίζεσθε αυλίζεται αυλίζων αυλισθείη αυλισθήναι αυλισθής αυλισθησέται αυλισθήσεται αυλισθήση αυλισθήσομαι αυλισθήσονται αυλίσθητι αυλισθήτω αυλισθώμεν ηυλιζετο ηυλίζετο ηὐλίζετο ηυλισθη ηυλίσθη ηὐλίσθη ηυλίσθην ηυλίσθησαν eulisthe ēulisthē eulizeto ēulizeto eylísthe ēylísthē eylízeto ēylízeto

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 21:17 V-AIP-3S
GRK: Βηθανίαν καὶ ηὐλίσθη ἐκεῖ
NAS: to Bethany, and spent the night there.
KJV: Bethany; and he lodged there.
INT: Bethany and passed the night there

Luke 21:37 V-IIM/P-3S
GRK: νύκτας ἐξερχόμενος ηὐλίζετο εἰς τὸ
NAS: He would go out and spend the night on the mount
KJV: he went out, and abode in
INT: [the] evening going out he lodged on the

Strong's Greek 835
2 Occurrences

ηὐλίσθη — 1 Occ.
ηὐλίζετο — 1 Occ.