Hospitality to Strangers

Strangers as guests. There is an Oriental proverb that says, "Every stranger is an invited guest." The Bedouin Arab of today, like Abraham of old, will sit in the entrance way of his tent, in order to be on the watch for stranger guests (Genesis 18:1).4 The inspired apostle gave command concerning hospitality to this type of guest: "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2). When Paul exhorted the Roman believers to be "given to hospitality" (Romans 12:13), he was referring to the same thing, for the Greek word he used for hospitality, "fil-ox-en-ee-ah," means, "love to strangers."5 (See also "entertaining fellow-believers in N.T. times," Chapter 13). [Manners And Customs of Bible Lands]