In the biblical context, the term "strangers" often refers to non-Israelites residing within the boundaries of Israel. These individuals, also known as "sojourners" or "aliens," played a significant role in the social and economic fabric of ancient Israel. A substantial portion of these strangers consisted of foreign servants, who were integrated into the households and communities of the Israelites.

Biblical Context and Terminology

The Hebrew word for stranger is "ger," which denotes a foreigner who lives temporarily or permanently among the Israelites. The presence of strangers in Israel is acknowledged throughout the Old Testament, and they are often mentioned alongside widows and orphans as vulnerable groups deserving of protection and justice. The Berean Standard Bible provides several references to the treatment and status of strangers, emphasizing the importance of compassion and fairness.

Role and Status of Foreign Servants

Foreign servants in Israel were typically individuals who had come from surrounding nations, either through conquest, trade, or migration. They were often employed in various capacities, including household servants, laborers, and craftsmen. The Mosaic Law provided specific guidelines for the treatment of these servants, ensuring their rights and welfare.

Leviticus 19:33-34 states, "When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him. You must treat the foreigner living among you as native-born and love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God." This command underscores the ethical obligation to treat strangers with dignity and respect, reflecting Israel's own history as foreigners in Egypt.

Legal Protections and Religious Inclusion

The Law of Moses extended several legal protections to foreign servants. They were entitled to rest on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10) and were included in the celebration of certain religious festivals, such as the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 16:11, 14). These provisions highlight the inclusive nature of Israel's religious and social life, allowing strangers to participate in communal worship and rest.

Moreover, foreign servants could become part of the covenant community through circumcision and adherence to the laws of Israel. Exodus 12:48 states, "If a foreigner resides with you and wants to celebrate the LORD’s Passover, all the males in his household must be circumcised, and then he may partake as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised man may eat of it." This inclusion signifies the potential for spiritual integration and acceptance within the Israelite community.

Moral and Ethical Implications

The treatment of strangers, particularly foreign servants, in Israel serves as a testament to the moral and ethical standards expected of God's people. The repeated exhortations to love and care for the stranger reflect a broader theological principle of hospitality and justice. Deuteronomy 10:18-19 declares, "He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing. So you also must love the foreigner, since you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt."

The presence of foreign servants in Israel not only contributed to the nation's economy but also provided an opportunity for the Israelites to demonstrate their faith through acts of kindness and righteousness. By adhering to the divine commandments regarding strangers, the Israelites were reminded of their own dependence on God's grace and mercy.Leviticus 25:44,45
Both your slaves, and your bondmaids, which you shall have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall you buy slaves and bondmaids.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

In the Fifteenth Year of Tiberius C??sar and under the Pontificate ...
... The city, which was peopled chiefly by adventurers ... had it been proposed that Israel
should undergo a ... they sought purification, and, like strangers, they sought ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xi in the fifteenth.htm

Commerce
... otherwise when Judaea was in the hands of strangers. ... unquestionably they were in
force in Israel"we maintain ... exception of wood and metals, chiefly articles of ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 12 commerce.htm

Christianity in Rome.
... preaching, of Christ, the true King of Israel, would naturally ... This consolidation
was chiefly the work of Clement, who appears as ... Sojourners are strangers (comp ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 36 christianity in rome.htm

The Prophet Joel.
... the migratory locust, which visits Palestine chiefly in autumn ... in which a scattering
of Israel among the ... a sanctuary, and there shall no strangers pass through ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet joel.htm

Exposition of the Moral Law.
... learned from the law wherein true piety consisted, but from ... us, should reflect that
the bondage of Israel in Egypt ... it is applied to a purpose foreign to that ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 8 exposition of the.htm

Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits ...
... for which we contend is learned chiefly from prayer. ... Samuel interceded for the people
of Israel, there was ... all the happiness of his posterity consisted in the ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 20 of prayera perpetual.htm

Faustus States his Objections to the Morality of the Law and the ...
... found so great faith, no, not in Israel." [801] We ... Accordingly, when Abraham was
among strangers, and when, on ... wife this is, who, while in a foreign land and ...
/.../faustus states his objections to.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... open their gates freely to the strangers, and their ... inadequate to secure to him a
supremacy in Israel. ... was a military colony, and was chiefly distributed among ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

Against Jovinianus.
... taking his propositions one by one will rely chiefly on the ... and an abomination is
committed in Israel and in ... how is it that he who commanded servants to obey ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/against jovinianus.htm

The Iranian Conquest
... of all the writings comprised in Persian literature: the whole consisted, they said ...
religious tradition under the various dynasties, native or foreign, who bore ...
/.../chapter ithe iranian conquest.htm

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