παρεπίδημος
parepídēmos
G3927 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
A resident alien—one who temporarily resides in a place that is not their native home, particularly someone living among a people to whom they do not originally belong. The term carries the sense of being a sojourner with official or social status as an outsider, in contrast to full native membership. By extension, it also refers more broadly to anyone living as a temporary resident, emphasizing the transient or non-permanent nature of their stay.
Semantic Range
resident alien, temporary resident, sojourner, foreigner residing among natives, metaphorically—one whose true citizenship or home is elsewhere
Root / Etymology
Compound of παρά (beside, alongside) and ἐπιδήμος (resident, from ἐπι- upon + δῆμος people, district). It describes someone who is 'alongside' or among the people of a particular place without being a full native citizen. Cognate terms appear in earlier Greek with similar meanings.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, παρεπίδημος is attested for people who are living in a foreign city, especially for employment, study, official business, or as resident guests without full civic rights. It is distinct from ξένος (stranger or foreigner, sometimes emphasizing unfamiliarity or lack of host connection) and μέτοικος (metoikos, a resident alien with certain legal rights in Athens). In the Septuagint, παρεπιδήμος is used to translate Hebrew terms like גֵּר (ger), signifying 'sojourner' or 'resident foreigner'—someone not native but settled among natives, often under specific legal status. In the New Testament, instances (e.g., 1 Peter 1:1; 2:11) employ the term metaphorically, referring to the identity of certain believers as resident aliens in their worldly context: not citizens of this 'land' but exiles or sojourners awaiting a homeland. Traditional English translations frequently employ 'pilgrim' or 'stranger'; however, both may obscure the technical and social nuance of the Greek, which implies semi-permanent resident status rather than a brief visitor or mere traveler. The term communicates both a sense of belonging and not-belonging—present in the community, but not fully integrated nor holding full civic identity. Related terms for comparison include παροίκος (sojourner, neighbor) and ξένος (stranger or outside guest).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from παρά and the base of ἐπιδημέω; an alien alongside, i.e. a resident foreigner:--pilgrim, stranger.
Root Family
δημ- (Dēmâs) — of the people, community-related (when seen in related terms; as a name, functions only as a proper noun)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| G1214 | Δημᾶς | Demas |
| G1219 | δημόσιος | in public |
| G1553 | ἐκδημέω | to be away from home |
| G1927 | ἐπιδημέω | residing among the people |
| G590 | ἀπόδημος | one away from home |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3927-01 |
παρεπίδημοί | parepidemoi | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
exiles | resident aliens | resident aliens | 1 |
G3927-02 |
παρεπιδήμοις | parepidemois | ADJ.S DAT M PL |
strangers | to resident aliens | to resident aliens | 1 |
G3927-03 |
παρεπιδήμους | parepidemous | ADJ.S ACC M PL |
strangers | resident aliens | sojourners | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3927-01 |
Hebrews 11:13 | παρεπίδημοί | parepidemoi | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
exiles | resident aliens | resident aliens |
G3927-02 |
1 Peter 1:1 | παρεπιδήμοις | parepidemois | ADJ.S DAT M PL |
strangers | to resident aliens | to resident aliens |
G3927-03 |
1 Peter 2:11 | παρεπιδήμους | parepidemous | ADJ.S ACC M PL |
strangers | resident aliens | sojourners |