Luke 21:37 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And in the day-time he was teaching— Our Lord's custom at this, and, it may be, at other passovers, was, to spend the day in the city, most commonly in the temple, where he always found a great concourse of hearers;—and in the evening to retire to the mount of Olives, where he lodged in the villages, or in the gardens, or in the open air among the trees. He chose to lodge at night in such places as these, not solely for the sake of prayer,—being desirous to secure that only season of solitude, that he might prepare himself for his approaching sufferings by a proper series of extraordinary devotions, and exemplify his own precept, Luke 21:36.—but also, that he might avoid falling into the hands of his enemies:—forthough they durst not attack him in the midst of his followers by day, they probably would have apprehended him during the silence and darkness of the night, had he lodged any where within the walls of the town, and not exercised his omnipotence. Accordingly theydid not venture to lay hands on him, till Judas betrayed him to them, in the absence of the multitude, by conducting an armed band to the place of his retirement.