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Natives, Strangers, Immigrants and Foreigners

10-40 Admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 04:28:00 +0000

In another article I discussed the different people groups of the New Testament, the Jews, Greeks, Nations and Proselytes. In the Old Testament we have four different people groups; the natives, strangers, immigrants and foreigners.

Attempting to differentiate between these different people groups can be very difficult if you are using a translation as it is not uncommon for a translation to use the same English word for different groups. For instance, the King James Version uses the word “stranger” for זור (Z.W.R, a stranger, see Leviticus 2:10), גר (ger, an immigrant, see Exodus 2:22) and נכרי (nakhriy, a foreigner, see Deuteronomy 17:15). This is why it is imperative that one use a Hebrew dictionary, such as Strong’s, when doing a study of Biblical words.

Native

The natives (sometimes translated as “home-born”) are those who are born to one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The Hebrew word for a native is אזרח (ezrahh, Strong’s #249). This word comes from the verbal root זרח (Z.R.Hh, Strong’s #2224), which means to “come up” or “come out of.” So an ezrahh is one has “come out of” Israel.

All that are home-born shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah. (Numbers 15:13, ASV)

Stranger

The Hebrew verb זור (Z.W.R, Strong’s #2114) means “to be separated out.” The participle form of this verb means a “stranger,” one who is separated out. This word is frequently used in the Torah for someone who is not from one’s own tribe.

to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, that is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to burn incense before Jehovah; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as Jehovah spake unto him by Moses. (Numbers 16:40, ASV)

“If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead shall not be married outside the family to a stranger; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, and take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. (Deuteronomy 25:5, RSV)

Immigrant

The Hebrew word for an immigrant (often translated as “stranger” or “sojourner”) is גר (ger, Strong’s #1616) and is derived from the verb גור (G.W.R, Strong’s #1481), which means to “dwell with” or “dwell among.” So an immigrant is one who is not a native born Israeli, but lives with the natives. According to the Torah, the immigrants are to live according to the same customs and laws as the natives.

One law shall be to him that is home-born, and unto the stranger (גר) that sojourneth (גור) among you. (Exodus 12:49, ASV)

And they are to be treated the same way as a native because the Israelites were once immigrants.

And a sojourner shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him: for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt. (Exodus 22:21, ASV)

However, there are still some differences between a native and an immigrant, as is apparent in the following verse.

Ye shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself: thou mayest give it unto the sojourner that is within thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto a foreigner… (Deuteronomy 14:21, ASV)

Foreigner

A foreigner is one who was born in a foreign land, but unlike an immigrant, is not bound to the customs and laws of the native or immigrant.

Unto a foreigner thou mayest lend upon interest; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon interest. (Deuteronomy 23:20, ASV)

There are two Hebrew words for a foreigner; נכרי (nakhriy, Strong’s #5237) and נכר (nekhar, Strong’s #5236). Both of these words are derived from the root נכר (N.K.R, Strong’s #5234) meaning “to be recognizable,” probably because a foreigner is easily recognizable due to their very different culture and lifestyle.

Taken from: https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/studies-interpretation/natives-strangers-immigrants-and-foreigners.htm

The post Natives, Strangers, Immigrants and Foreigners appeared first on 10/40 Window Mission Network.

The Jews, the Greeks and the Gentiles: Who are they?

10-40 Admin — Sun, 04 Dec 2022 04:33:00 +0000

By Jeff A. Benner

As the gospel of Yeshua’s message was spreading throughout the land, mostly documented in the book of Acts, three people groups are mentioned; the Jews, the Greeks and the Gentiles. Unfortunately due to misinterpretations and mistranslations of the text, there is a lot of misunderstanding over who these people are.
The Gentiles

The Greek word ethnos (Strong’s #1484) literally means “nation.” This word is used in the 2,000 year old Greek Septuagint to translate the Hebrew word goy (Strong’s #1471), which also means “nation.” A nation is any group of people living and working under one rule. Many different nations are mentioned in the Bible including; the Canaanites, Egyptians, Moabites, Arameans, and others. But more importantly even Israel is called a “nation.”

And I will make of thee [Israel] a great nation (goy)… (Genesis 12:2, KJV)

… and of good report among all the nation (ethnos) of the Jews… (Acts 10:22, KJV)

Translating the Greek word ethnos in the New Testament as “gentile” is problematic. While the word “gentile” does mean “one belongs to a tribe or clan,” it has come universally mean a non-Jew. But as we have seen, the words goy and ethnos do not mean a non-Jew, they mean “one who belongs to a tribe or clan.”

Who are the ethnon (nations – plural of ethnos) mentioned in the New Testament?

I am sure that most people are familiar with the “ten lost tribes” from the northern “nation” of Israel that was taken into captivity by the Assyrians in the eighth century B.C. It believed by most that these “ten lost tribes” are “lost,” but this is not exactly true, at least not in the sense that most people assume.

And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher… (Luke 2:36, RSV)

The tribe of Asher is one of the “ten lost tribes,” but as we can see, Anna, from the tribe of Asher, is not “lost.” The “lost” tribes are not “lost” in the sense of “missing,” but in the sense of walking away from the teachings of Yahweh. Even Yeshua mentions that his mission was to reach the “lost” tribes and commissions his disciples to do the same.

But he [Yeshua] answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matthew 15:24, KJV)

But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matthew 10:6, KJV)

Even James mentions that he is a servant to the “twelve tribes,” which would include the “ten lost tribes.”

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. (James 1:1, KJV)

When Paul preached to the “nations” in the Book of Acts, he was doing what Yeshua commanded, preaching to the “lost” tribes, the lost goy/ethnos of Israel.
The Greeks

The book of Maccabees, one of the books of the Apocrypha, tells the story of the Jewish Revolt about 150 years before the time of the New Testament. The Greeks, led by Antichus Epiphinus, conquered the land of Israel and forced the Jews to leave their national heritage and the Torah and begin following the Greek culture. Because of the Jews hatred for all things Hellenistic, including the culture and language, Judas Maccabee lead the revolt against Antichus Epiphinus destroying the Greeks and slaughtering those Jews that had adopted the Greek language and culture. This revolt demonstrates the Jewish hatred of the hellistic culture and the incorrect assumption that the Jews freely adopted the Greek language during the time of the New Testament.

This divide between the Jews who remained faithful to the Torah and the Jewish culture, and those who rejected the Torah and adopted the Greek culture continued to exist into the first century A.D. The Jews that adopted the Greek culture and language were called Hellenes (Oxford Greek Dictionary)

The word Hellenes is the word used in the New Testament, where it is usually translated as “Greek,” but sometimes “Gentile,” but does not refer to native “Greeks,” but to Jews who have adopted the Greek culture and language.
The Jews

The Jews, in contrast to the Hellenists, are those Jews that remained faithful to the Torah and rejected the Greek culture and language.
Proselytes

Only mentioned four times in the New Testament are the “proselytes” (Matthew 23:15, Acts 2:11, 6:5 and 13:43). The word proselytes is a transliteration of the Greek word proselutos, which means a “stranger” or “foreigner.” These are non-Jews, what we would call today “gentiles,” that have joined Israel and follow Yahweh and his teachings.

The Greek word proselutos is used in the Septuagint to translate the Hebrew word geyr, which also means a “stranger” or “foreigner,” a non-Israelite. It was not uncommon for foreigners (geyrim) to join Israel, and many of them came out of Egypt with Israel.

When Israel came out of Egypt, it was not just Israelites who came out, but a multitude of others. And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians. And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle. (Exodus 12:36-38, KJV)

The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. Many other people went up with them. (Exodus 12:37,38)

These foreigners were to be treated the same as the Israelites.

The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 19:34)

“You are to have the same laws (mishpat) for the alien and the native-born. I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 24:22)

Even Paul in the New Testament understood this and recognized that anyone could join Israel, just as they did in ancient times.

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. (Ephesians 2:12, KJV)

Conclusion

We now have a clearer understanding of these four people groups;

The Jews: The observant Jews who reject the Greek culture and language.

The Hellenists: The Jews who adopted the Greek culture and language.

The Nations: The Jews from the ten lost tribes.

The Strangers: Non-Jews who join themselves with the Jews.

Taken from: https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/studies-interpretation/jews-the-greeks-and-the-gentiles-who-are-they.htm

The post The Jews, the Greeks and the Gentiles: Who are they? appeared first on 10/40 Window Mission Network.