In the biblical context, "strangers" or "foreigners" refer to non-Israelites residing within the land of Israel. The treatment of these individuals is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, where God commands the Israelites to show kindness and justice to strangers, reflecting His own character and the experience of the Israelites as foreigners in Egypt.

Biblical Mandate for Kindness to Strangers

The Mosaic Law contains explicit instructions regarding the treatment of strangers. In Leviticus 19:33-34 , God commands, "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 principle of empathy and justice, reminding the Israelites of their own history as strangers in a foreign land.

Similarly, in Deuteronomy 10:18-19 , God is described as one who "executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and who 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 Israelites are called to emulate God's love and justice, extending it to the vulnerable and marginalized, including strangers.

Condemnation for Oppression

Despite these clear mandates, the prophets frequently condemned the Israelites for failing to uphold these standards. The oppression of strangers, along with other forms of social injustice, is a recurring accusation against Israel. In Ezekiel 22:7 , the prophet lists the sins of Jerusalem, stating, "In you they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have oppressed the foreigner; they have mistreated the fatherless and the widow."

The prophet Malachi also addresses this issue, warning of judgment against those who oppress the vulnerable. Malachi 3:5 declares, "Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, adulterers, and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and who refuse justice to the foreigner. They do not fear Me," says the LORD of Hosts.

Theological Implications

The consistent biblical emphasis on justice for strangers highlights the broader theological theme of God's concern for all humanity, transcending ethnic and national boundaries. The Israelites' failure to uphold these divine standards serves as a reminder of the human tendency toward injustice and the need for divine intervention and guidance.

The treatment of strangers in Israel is not merely a social or ethical issue but is deeply rooted in the covenant relationship between God and His people. The Israelites' obedience to these commands was a reflection of their faithfulness to God and their understanding of His character. The prophets' condemnation of oppression serves as a call to repentance and a return to the covenantal ideals of justice, mercy, and love.Psalm 94:6
They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 22:7,29
In you have they set light by father and mother: in the middle of you have they dealt by oppression with the stranger: in you have they vexed the fatherless and the widow.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

The Second Oration on Easter.
... thy journey; supply thyself for the road with the goods of strangers, or rather ... hornets
shall go before thee to make a way for Israel, and to ... So did the Jews. ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xlv the second oration.htm

Exposition of the Moral Law.
... that in that passage our Lord merely condemned those oaths ... the sabbath is a sign
by which Israel might know ... truth was delivered typically to the Jews, so it is ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 8 exposition of the.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... can say as the prophet Amos; "And the Lord took me [said he] as I followed the flock,
and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel" (Amos 7:15 ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm

Footnotes
... in different ways, these and similar opinions, which were justly regarded as subversive
of all morality."Gataker's "God's Eye on his Israel","preface, Lond ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/footnotes.htm

part ii
... Many of us (and I myself the first), if we do not repent and correct ourselves,
will be condemned for having eaten and drunk unseasonably, and thus for having ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part ii.htm

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