"kindness to strangers, hospitality, Rom. 12:13; Heb. 13:2*"
Definition and meaning
kindness to strangers, hospitality, Rom. 12:13; Heb. 13:2*
In the original Greek the word is written: φιλοξενία
Historical context
Paul wrote Romans from Corinth, one of the most important commercial cities in the empire. Rome had a Jewish population of around 50,000. The letter addresses real tensions between Jewish believers with centuries of Torah tradition and Gentile believers with no such background. Emperor Nero was on the throne. Within ten years he would execute both Paul and Peter.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of philoxenia (G5381) across the King James Bible.
Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
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Common questions
Strong's G5381 (philoxenia) is a Greek word that means: kindness to strangers, hospitality, Rom. 12:13; Heb. 13:2* It appears 2 times in the King James Bible.
The word philoxenia (G5381) appears 2 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G5381 is philoxenia, a Greek word defined as: kindness to strangers, hospitality, Rom. 12:13; Heb. 13:2*. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
philoxenia is a Greek word found in the New Testament.