Mark 11:4

A colt tied at the door without in the open street (pwlon dedemenon pro quran exw epi tou ampodou). A carefully drawn picture. The colt was outside the house in the street, but fastened (bound, perfect passive participle) to the door. "The better class of houses were built about an open court, from which a passage way under the house led to the street outside. It was at this outside opening to the street that the colt was tied" (Gould). The word ampodo (from ampw, both, and odo, road) is difficult. It apparently means road around a thing, a crooked street as most of them were (cf. Straight Street in Acts 9:11 ). It occurs only here in the N.T. besides D in Acts 19:28 . It is very common in the papyri for vicus or "quarter." And they loose him (kai luousin auton). Dramatic present tense. Perhaps Peter was one of those sent this time as he was later ( Luke 22:8 ). If so, that explains Mark's vivid details here.