Luke 10:34

The term πανδοκεύς is a compound word derived from the prefix παν- (“all”) and a root from δέχομαι (“to receive”), and it literally means “one who receives all.” In its primary sense it denotes an aubergiste or innkeeper—someone who welcomes and provides lodging for every guest without discrimination.

In classical literature the term acquires both literal and figurative nuances. For example:

• In Plat. Leg. 918b and Plut. M. 234e, the word is used in its straightforward sense, referring to an innkeeper who hospitably accommodates all who come.

• In Lyc. 655, however, the term appears in a figurative context applied to Hades, suggesting a place or personification that “welcomes” or “entertains” all souls or, by extension, all forms of disreputable behavior.

• Similarly, in Plat. Rsp. 580a the term is employed metaphorically as “πάσης κακίας,” indicating a receptacle or facilitator of every vice, thereby critiquing indiscriminate acceptance that may nurture corruption.

Thus, πανδοκεύς not only designates the literal role of an innkeeper but also serves as a rich metaphor for a system or state that, by accepting all without discrimination, may inadvertently promote moral decay. Its etymological root, π. δέχομαι, underscores this dual capacity to receive both benign and malign elements.