ταβέρναι
taverns
Definition
The Greek word ταβέρναι (tabernai) refers to 'taverns' or 'inns'—establishments providing lodging and refreshment for travelers. In its sole New Testament occurrence in Acts 28:15, it is used as part of the proper name 'Τρεῖς Ταβέρναι' (Three Taverns), designating a specific stopping point on the Appian Way about 33 miles from Rome. While the common meaning is simply a public house or inn, the biblical usage is entirely geographical, identifying the location where Roman Christians met the apostle Paul during his journey to Rome. There are no other biblical passages where this word carries a different meaning.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the New Testament, in Acts 28:15. It appears not in a general sense but as part of a proper place name, 'Three Taverns' (Τρεῖς Ταβέρναι). The context is narrative, describing Paul's travel to Rome as a prisoner and the believers who came from Rome to meet him at two points along the Appian Way: the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns. No patterns of usage exist beyond this single geographical reference.
Etymology
The word ταβέρναι (tabernai) is a Greek noun directly borrowed from Latin 'taberna,' meaning a hut, shop, or inn. It is a common loanword reflecting the cultural and commercial interaction between the Greek-speaking East and the Roman Empire. The Latin root relates to a simple wooden structure or booth. In the New Testament, it is pluralized and incorporated into a Greek place name.
Semantic Range
In the Roman world, a 'taberna' was a common roadside establishment offering food, drink, and basic lodging to travelers and merchants. 'Three Taverns' was a known waystation on the vital Appian Way, a major Roman road. The mention of believers traveling from Rome to meet Paul at such a public, secular location highlights the earnestness of their fellowship and support, crossing a significant distance (about 33 miles) to encourage him.
κατάλυμα (katalyma, G2646) — a guest room or lodging place, used for the 'inn' in Luke 2:7 and the 'guest room' for the Last Supper; πανδοχεῖον (pandocheion, G3829) — a more formal inn or hostel, as in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:34).
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, a concise public-domain resource suitable for introductory word study. Brief glosses are supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). For advanced research, standard scholarly references include BDAG (Danker, 3rd ed.) and LSJ.
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