en_tw/bible/other/foreigner.md

1.2 KiB

foreigner, foreign, alien

Definition:

The term "foreigner" refers to a person living in a country that is not his own. Another name for a foreigner is an "alien."

  • In the Old Testament, this term especially refers to anyone who came from a different people group than the people he was living among.
  • A foreigner is also a person whose language and culture is different from those of a particular region.
  • For example, when Naomi and her family moved to Moab, they were foreigners there. When Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth later moved to Israel, Ruth was called a "foreigner" there because she was not originally from Israel.
  • The apostle Paul told the Ephesians that before they knew Christ, they were "foreigners" to God's covenant.
  • Sometimes "foreigner" is translated as "stranger," but it should not refer only to someone who is unfamiliar or unknown.

Bible References: