Biblical Teachings on Immigrants and Foreigners

Blog post description.

James Morgan

12/3/20252 min read

The Old Testament Command to Welcome the Stranger

From the earliest laws of Israel, God reminded His people that they were once foreigners themselves.
“The stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself;
for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 19:34).
This principle forms the moral foundation for equality before God and the duty of compassion.

Commentator Matthew Henry notes that God binds His people by their own experience of bondage
to compassionate treatment of strangers. The command reappears throughout the Torah
(Exodus 22:21; Deuteronomy 10:19).

Legal protections were established to integrate foreigners into Israel’s life:
one law for both native and sojourner (Exodus 12:49), charity through harvest gleanings (Leviticus 23:22),
and inclusion in worship (Numbers 9:14).
John Calvin’s commentaries observe that these statutes reflect the justice of God,
who “admits strangers to equal fellowship of His grace.”

The prophet Isaiah extends this compassion spiritually:
“Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the LORD… even them will I bring to My holy mountain”
(Isaiah 56:6–7).
Albert Barnes interprets this as prophetic of the Gospel’s universality—God’s house as “a house of prayer for all nations.”

The New Testament Deepens the Moral Obligation

Jesus Christ expands the ancient ethic:
“I was a stranger, and ye took me in” (Matthew 25:35).
Hospitality becomes a mark of discipleship and an act done unto Christ Himself.
John Chrysostom emphasizes this is not mere charity, but reverence for God’s image in others.

The early church modeled this:
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:2),
and “Use hospitality one to another without grudging” (1 Peter 4:9).
Paul reminded believers, “You are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints”
(Ephesians 2:19).
William Barclay calls this the “abolition of walls”—the essence of Christian unity.

Distinction Between Sojourners and Hostile Nations

The Torah distinguishes between peaceful foreigners and hostile nations.
Those who sought refuge or lived lawfully among Israel were to be treated justly,
but invading or idolatrous peoples faced restriction (Deuteronomy 23:3–6).
Augustine later explained that love for the individual stranger must not dissolve civic justice and order.

Ethical and Theological Summary

1. Equality before God – both natives and foreigners share human dignity and divine law.
2. Moral duty of hospitality – welcoming the stranger mirrors divine mercy.
3. Collective responsibility – nations must protect widows, orphans, and foreigners as proof of righteousness.
4. Spiritual identity – believers are “sojourners and pilgrims” (1 Peter 2:11), learning humility from their own exile.

Conclusion

Throughout Scripture, immigrants and aliens stand as moral tests of a people’s faithfulness.
God commands compassion rooted in remembrance—Israel’s own foreign past and the believer’s spiritual exile.
The Bible envisions a just people who open their communities to strangers,
offering lawful protection and love as themselves,
for in doing so they honor the God who welcomes all nations.

References

- The Holy Bible (KJV, ESV, NIV translations for comparison)
- Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)
- John Calvin, Commentaries on the Pentateuch (1554)
- Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old and New Testaments (1834–1872)
- Augustine of Hippo, The City of God, Book XIX
- Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, II-II, Question 105
- William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible (1950s)
- John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew (4th century)