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ξένος

xénos

G3581 substantive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

A person who is a stranger, foreigner, or outsider; one who is not a member of the local community, household, or ethnic group. In various contexts, can also refer to a guest or one who is entertained by a host; also anything unfamiliar or novel. The term fundamentally denotes a state of being 'other,' 'unfamiliar,' or 'outside,' applied both to people and to surprising or new things or circumstances.

Semantic Range

stranger, foreigner, outsider, guest, host, one receiving or offering hospitality, something unfamiliar or novel, something surprising or new, outsider to a group or household

Root / Etymology

Rooted in the Greek stem ξεν-, with connections to the Proto-Indo-European *gₑnǵʰ-, meaning 'to beget, to give birth.' The term is not derived from another Greek word but is an ancient Greek primary noun, with cognates across Indo-European languages reflecting notions of foreignness or hospitality.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, ξένος most commonly referred to a foreigner or stranger, often someone from another city-state (polis) or region, distinguishing them from citizens or locals. It could also express the reciprocal relationship of guest and host under the custom of 'xenia' (ξενία), a culturally important institution involving hospitality to strangers and involving mutual obligations. The term thus carries both potentially alienating ('outsider') and warmly relational (guest-friend, recipient of hospitality) senses. In the Septuagint and New Testament, ξένος can denote a non-Israelite or foreigner, but may also be used for someone unfamiliar or outside the household. The nuance of 'novel' or 'unfamiliar' extends metaphorically to teachings, experiences, or gods (Acts 17:21; Heb 13:9). English translations often vary, rendering ξένος as 'stranger,' 'foreigner,' 'guest,' or 'alien.' The Judean context sometimes emphasized ritual and legal distinctions for outsiders, which carried over into koine usage, but the relational dimension of hospitality remains significant (cf. Matt 25:35). Although ξένος can be rendered as both 'guest' and 'host' due to the mutual nature of xenia, its primary sense is 'stranger' or 'outsider.' The term is distinct from ἀλλογενής (of different race/descent) and παροίκος (sojourner, resident alien).

Translation Consistency

primary "stranger" 10 occurrences

"Stranger" is the most natural, broadly accurate English word for ξένος, covering its primary senses as someone who is an outsider, foreigner, or guest. It is simple, commonly used in Bible English, and will read naturally across contexts while preserving the term’s emphasis on being 'other' or unfamiliar.

Alternatives (4 occurrences):
"foreigners" (1x) "host" (1x) "foreign" (1x) "strange" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

apparently a primary word; foreign (literally, alien, or figuratively, novel); by implication, a guest or (vice-versa) entertainer:--host, strange(-r).

Root Family

ξένος (xenos) — stranger, outsider, guest, foreign

Root ξεν- stranger, outsider, guest, foreign

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3581-02 ξένοι xenoi ADJ.S NOM M PL strangers outsiders strangers 4
G3581-05 ξένος xenos ADJ.P NOM M SG a stranger stranger a stranger 3
G3581-04 ξένον xenon ADJ.P ACC M SG a stranger outsider (accusative singular masculine) stranger 3
G3581-03 ξένοις xenois ADJ.S DAT M PL strangers to outsiders foreigners 1
G3581-01 ξέναις xenais ADJ.A DAT F PL strange to foreign women foreign 1
G3581-07 ξένους xenous ADJ.S ACC M PL strangers outsiders strangers 1
G3581-06 ξένου xenou ADJ.S GEN N SG strange of a stranger strange 1

Occurrences in Scripture

14 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3581-05 Matthew 25:35 ξένος xenos ADJ.P NOM M SG a stranger stranger a stranger
G3581-04 Matthew 25:38 ξένον xenon ADJ.P ACC M SG a stranger outsider (accusative singular masculine) stranger
G3581-05 Matthew 25:43 ξένος xenos ADJ.P NOM M SG a stranger stranger a stranger
G3581-04 Matthew 25:44 ξένον xenon ADJ.S ACC M SG a stranger outsider (accusative singular masculine) stranger
G3581-03 Matthew 27:7 ξένοις xenois ADJ.S DAT M PL strangers to outsiders foreigners
G3581-04 Acts 17:18 ξένων xenon ADJ.A GEN N PL foreign outsider (accusative singular masculine) stranger
G3581-02 Acts 17:21 ξένοι xenoi ADJ.S NOM M PL strangers outsiders strangers
G3581-05 Romans 16:23 ξένος xenos ADJ.R NOM M SG host stranger host
G3581-02 Ephesians 2:12 ξένοι xenoi ADJ.S NOM M PL strangers outsiders strangers
G3581-02 Ephesians 2:19 ξένοι xenoi ADJ.S NOM M PL strangers outsiders strangers
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