Meaning
Fold <1,,833, aule>
first signifies "an open courtyard" before a house; then, "an enclosure" in the open, "a sheepfold," Joh 10:1, Joh 10:16. In the papyri "the word is extremely common, denoting the court attached to a house" (Moulton and Milligan, Vocab.). The "sheepfold" was usually surrounded by a stone wall, Num 32:16, preferably near a well, Exo 2:16, Psa 23:2, and often protected by a tower, 2Ch 26:10, Mic 4:8. See COURT, HALL, PALACE.
Note: For the erroneous AV rendering, "fold," of poimne, "a flock," in Joh 10:16, see FLOCK.
