Bible Word Study
πανδοχεύς
pandocheys · an innkeeper
πανδοχεύς
an innkeeper
Definition
πανδοχεύς refers specifically to an innkeeper or host who manages a public lodging place. In the New Testament, this term appears only in Luke 10:35, where the Good Samaritan entrusts the wounded man to an innkeeper, paying for his care. The word implies a person responsible for providing shelter, food, and basic hospitality to travelers. Unlike a private host, a πανδοχεύς operated a commercial establishment, often along major roads, offering services for a fee.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the New Testament, in Luke 10:35, within the parable of the Good Samaritan. The context involves the Samaritan providing funds to an innkeeper to care for a wounded man, emphasizing practical, ongoing compassion. The usage highlights a transactional yet trust-based relationship in a first-century travel setting.
Etymology
Derived from πᾶν (pan, meaning 'all') and δέχομαι (dechomai, meaning 'to receive'), the compound literally means 'one who receives all.' It evolved to denote an innkeeper who accepted any paying traveler, contrasting with more selective private hospitality. Cognates include πανδοχεῖον (pandocheion, G3829), meaning 'inn.'
Semantic Range
Though a mundane occupation, the innkeeper in Luke 10:35 plays a crucial role in Jesus' teaching on neighborly love. The parable illustrates that true compassion involves not only immediate aid but also ensuring sustained care through community resources. Understanding this Greek term enriches the parable by showing how God's kingdom work often relies on ordinary, faithful stewards in everyday roles. In the first-century Roman world, inns (πανδοχεῖα) were often rudimentary, sometimes unsafe establishments along trade routes, managed by innkeepers who provided basic shelter, food, and stabling. Unlike modern hotels, they could be viewed with suspicion, making the Samaritan's trust in the innkeeper notable. The cultural setting underscores the parable's emphasis on crossing social boundaries for mercy. ξένος (xenos, G3581) — a stranger or foreigner, sometimes a host, but not a commercial innkeeper; οἰκοδεσπότης (oikodespotēs, G3617) — a master of a household, who might offer hospitality privately.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). Concordance and morphology data are derived from the interlinear Bible.
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]