Original Word: ξένος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: xenos
Pronunciation: KSEH-nos
Phonetic Spelling: (xen'-os)
Definition: Stranger, foreigner, guest
Meaning: alien, new, novel; noun: a guest, stranger, foreigner.

Word Origin: Derived from the base of ξενίζω (xenizo), meaning "to entertain" or "to lodge."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - Strong's Hebrew 1616: גֵּר (ger) - often translated as "sojourner" or "stranger."

- Strong's Hebrew 5237: נָכְרִי (nokri) - meaning "foreigner" or "alien."

Usage: In the New Testament, "xenos" primarily refers to someone who is a stranger or foreigner, often in the context of hospitality. It can denote someone from another country or a guest who is not part of the immediate family or community. The term can also imply the idea of being unfamiliar or alien.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Greek culture, hospitality (philoxenia) was a highly valued virtue. The concept of welcoming strangers was deeply embedded in the social and religious fabric of the time. This cultural backdrop is reflected in the New Testament, where believers are encouraged to show hospitality to strangers, reflecting God's love and grace. The early Christian community was known for its radical hospitality, often welcoming travelers, missionaries, and those in need.

Word Origin
a prim. word
Definition
foreign, a foreigner, guest
NASB Translation
host (1), strange (2), strange thing (1), stranger (4), strangers (6).

STRONGS NT 3581: ξένος

ξένος, ξένῃ, ξένον, from Homer down, masculine a guest-friend (Latinhopes (of parties bound by ties of hospitality)), i. e.:

1. a foreigner, stranger (opposed to ἐπιχώριος, Plato, Phaedo c. 2, p. 59 b.; Josephus, b. j. 5, 1, 3);

a. properly: Matthew 25:35, 38, 43; Matthew 27:7; 3 John 1:5; ξένοι καί παρεπίδημοί ἐπί τῆς γῆς, Hebrews 11:13; οἱ ἐπιδημοῦντες ξένοι, Acts 17:21; opposed to συμπολίτης, Ephesians 2:19; (the Sept. for אֹרֵחַ, a traveler, 2 Samuel 12:4, Alex. manuscript; for נֵר, Job 31:32; several times for נָכְרִי). (as adjective with) δαιμόνια, Acts 17:18.

b. tropically, α. alien (from a person or thing); without knowledge of, without a share in: with a genitive of the thing, τῶν διαθηκῶν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, Ephesians 2:12 (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 30, 4, 6) (τοῦ λόγου, Sophocles O. T. 219). β. new, unheard of: διδαχαι, Hebrews 13:9; ξένον τί a strange, wonderful thing, 1 Peter 4:12 (Aeschylus Prom. 688; Diodorus 3, 15 and 52; others).

2. one echo receives and entertains another hospitably; with whom he stays or lodges, a host: ὁ ξένος μου, Romans 16:23, where καί τῆς ἐκκλησίας ὅλης is added, i. e. either 'who receives hospitably all the members of the church who cross his threshold,' or 'who kindly permits the church to worship in his house' (Fritzsche).

host, stranger.

Apparently a primary word; foreign (literally, alien, or figuratively, novel); by implication, a guest or (vice-versa) entertainer -- host, strange(-r).

ξεναις ξέναις ξένη ξενοι ξένοι ξενοις ξένοις ξενον ξένον ξενος ξενός ξένος ξενου ξένου ξενους ξένους ξένω Ξενων Ξένων xenais xénais xenoi xénoi xenois xénois xenon Xenōn xénon Xénōn xenos xénos xenou xénou xenous xénousInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts