ξενοδοχέω
xenodochéō
G3580 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To receive or host foreigners or travelers, specifically to offer hospitality by providing lodging or care for those from outside one's community. In broader Koine usage, the term can also carry a sense of welcoming and accommodating those who are not local or familiar, especially in the context of travel or pilgrimage.
Semantic Range
to receive a foreigner, to provide lodging for a stranger, to welcome and host a traveler, to act as an innkeeper, to offer hospitality
Root / Etymology
From the compound of ξένος ('foreigner,' 'stranger,' 'guest') and δέχομαι ('to receive,' 'to welcome'), thus literally meaning 'to receive a stranger.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
ξενοδοχέω has limited attestation in classical literature but becomes more prominent in Hellenistic and Roman eras with increased travel and the cultural importance of hospitality. In the Greco-Roman world, hospitality (φιλοξενία) was a highly valued virtue, though φιλοξενέω more broadly emphasizes love or care for strangers, while ξενοδοχέω specifically denotes providing accommodation. In the New Testament (notably in the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:34-35), ξενοδοχέω refers concretely to someone giving lodging to a traveler or stranger at an inn, highlighting both the act of acceptance and the practical provision for the needs of another. While English translations often use 'lodge,' 'host,' or 'take in,' the original term focuses on the physical act of receiving someone, rather than the more abstract or exclusive notions of friendship or kinship. Its use reflects social expectations around hospitality within both Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from a compound of ξένος and δέχομαι; to be hospitable:--lodge strangers.
Root Family
ξεν-δεχ- (xenodochéō) — to receive (as a guest), to host, to accommodate
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3580-01 |
ἐξενοδόχησεν | exenodochesen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
she has shown hospitality | hosted strangers | hosted strangers | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3580-01 |
1 Timothy 5:10 | ἐξενοδόχησεν | exenodochesen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
she has shown hospitality | hosted strangers | hosted strangers |