God’s love extends to everyone, including those from different lands. The Bible gives us guidance on how to treat foreigners with kindness and respect. Join us as we look at key verses that remind us of our duty to love and care for others, no matter where they come from.
Bible Verses About How to Treat Foreigners
Leviticus 19:34 – Love the foreigner among you as yourself.
“The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
Exodus 22:21 – Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner.
“Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.”
Deuteronomy 10:19 – Show love to foreigners.
“And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.”
Jeremiah 7:6 – Protect the rights of foreigners.
“If you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever.”
Matthew 25:35 – Welcome strangers.
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”
Hebrews 13:2 – Show hospitality to strangers.
“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
Numbers 15:15 – Same laws for foreigners and natives.
“The community is to have the same rules for you and for the foreigner residing among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the foreigner shall be the same before the Lord.”
Deuteronomy 24:19 – Leave extra for foreigners.
“When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”
Leviticus 23:22 – Leave the corners of your field.
“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigner residing among you. I am the Lord your God.”
Malachi 3:5 – Do not deprive foreigners of justice.
“So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty.”
Exodus 23:9 – Understand the foreigner’s heart.
“Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.”
Psalm 146:9 – The Lord watches over foreigners.
“The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.”
Ezekiel 47:22 – Share the inheritance with foreigners.
“You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.”
Job 31:32 – Open your home to strangers.
“But no stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler.”
Isaiah 56:6-7 – Foreigners who love the Lord.
“And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant—these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
Ruth 2:10 – Boaz shows kindness to Ruth.
“At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, ‘Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?'”
Matthew 5:43-44 – Love your enemies.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Colossians 3:11 – Christ is all, and in all.
“Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”
Ephesians 2:19 – Fellow citizens with God’s people.
“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.”
Galatians 3:28 – One in Christ Jesus.
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Acts 10:34-35 – God does not show favoritism.
“Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.'”
Luke 17:18 – Only the foreigner returned.
“Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”
Genesis 23:4 – Abraham a foreigner and stranger.
“I am a foreigner and stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.”
3 John 1:5 – Faithful to the foreigner.
“Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you.”
1 Kings 8:41-43 – Solomon’s prayer for foreigners.
“As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name—43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.”
Zechariah 7:10 – Do not oppress the foreigner.
“Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.”
James 2:2-4 – Believers should not show favoritism.
“Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, ‘Here’s a good seat for you,’ but say to the poor man, ‘You stand there’ or ‘Sit on the floor by my feet,’ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”
Romans 12:13 – Practice hospitality.
“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”
Luke 14:13-14 – Invite the poor and strangers.
“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Proverbs 19:17 – Kindness to the poor.
“Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”
Proverbs 31:8-9 – Speak up for the foreigner.
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
Ephesians 3:6 – Share in the promise of Christ.
“This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”
Isaiah 14:1 – Strangers will join with Israel.
“The Lord will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Foreigners will join them and unite with the descendants of Jacob.”
Leviticus 25:23 – Treat foreigners as guests.
“The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers.”
Deuteronomy 26:12 – Share your resources.
“When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.”
1 Peter 2:11 – Live as foreigners and exiles.
“Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.”
2 Chronicles 6:32-33 – Listen to the foreigner’s prayers.
“As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.”
Galatians 6:10 – Do good to all people.
“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
Leviticus 24:22 – One standard for all.
“You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born. I am the Lord your God.”
Ruth 2:12 – The Lord rewards kindness to foreigners.
“May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
Deuteronomy 27:19 – Curse on those who mistreat foreigners.
“Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow. Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!'”
Also Read: 40 Important Bible Verses About Animals
What Does the Bible Say About How to Treat Foreigners?
In exploring what the Bible says about how we should treat foreigners, we find a consistent message of hospitality, kindness, and compassion. This theme runs through various books of both the Old and New Testaments, revealing the importance of welcoming and supporting those who are different from us.
The Old Testament lays a strong foundation for this topic. In Leviticus, for instance, we are commanded to love foreigners as ourselves, reminding us that the Israelites were once strangers in Egypt. This historical context is crucial as it calls us to empathize with those who may be marginalized or estranged in our communities. Similarly, in Deuteronomy, there are instructions to treat foreigners fairly and include them in societal benefits, such as rest during the Sabbath and participation in festivals.
Moreover, the prophetic books also speak to the treatment of foreigners. The prophet Ezekiel mentions that foreigners should be given an inheritance among the Israelites, indicating an inclusive and integrative approach. These texts highlight that caring for foreigners is not just about tolerance, but also about actively including them in the blessings and opportunities of the community.
Turning to the New Testament, Jesus exemplifies and teaches this inclusivity. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus challenges prevailing norms and prejudices by making a Samaritan, a foreigner and outsider, the hero who shows mercy. This radical parable urges us to look beyond cultural and ethnic differences and to act with love and compassion.
Additionally, the Apostles carried this message forward. Paul, in his letters, frequently speaks about unity in Christ, emphasizing that there is neither Jew nor Gentile, but all are one in Jesus. This vision of a unified community where nationality and ethnicity do not divide us aligns with the broader biblical mandate to treat foreigners with respect and love.
Throughout the scriptures, we see that the Bible calls us to a high standard of care for those who are strangers or foreigners among us. This includes providing for their needs, integrating them into our communities, and showing genuine love and hospitality. Such actions reflect the heart of God and fulfill His commands to love our neighbors as ourselves. Let us commit to embodying these principles in our own lives, breaking down barriers and extending God’s love to everyone, regardless of their background.