Lexical Summary xenizó: To entertain, to lodge, to surprise, to astonish Original Word: ξενίζω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance entertain, lodge, think it strange. From xenos; to be a host (passively, a guest); by implication, be (make, appear) strange -- entertain, lodge, (think it) strange. see GREEK xenos NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom xenos Definition to receive as a guest, to surprise NASB Translation entertained (2), gave...lodging (1), lodge (1), staying (3), strange things (1), surprised (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3579: ξενίζωξενίζω; 1 aorist ἐξενισα; passive, present ξενίζομαι; 1 aorist ἐξενίσθην; from Homer down; 1. to receive as a guest, to entertain hospitably: τινα, Acts 10:23; Acts 28:7; Hebrews 13:2; passive to be recieved hospitably; to stay as a guest, to lodge (be lodged): ἐνθάδε, Acts 10:18; ἐν οἰκία τίνος, Acts 10:32; παρά τίνι, Acts 10:6; Acts 21:16 (cf. Buttmann, 284 (244); Winer's Grammar, 214 (201)), and sundry manuscripts in 1 Corinthians 16:19; (Diodorus 14, 30). 2. to surprise or astonish by the strangeness and novelty of a thing (cf. German befremden): ζενιζοντα τινα, Acts 17:20 (ξενιζουσα πρόσοψις καί καταπληκτικη, Polybius 3, 114, 4; τόν Θεόν ἐξενιζε τό πραττόμενον, Josephus, Antiquities 1, 1, 4; ξενιζουσαι συμφοραι, 2 Macc. 9:6); passive to be surprised, astonished at the novelty or strangeness of a thing; to think strange, be shocked: with the dative of the thing (Winer's Grammar, § 31, 1 f.), 1 Peter 4:12 (Polybius 1, 23, 5; 3,68, 9); ἐν with the dative of the thing (cf. Buttmann, § 133, 23), 1 Peter 4:4. Strong’s Greek 3579, ξενίζω, flexes across two complementary ideas: receiving someone or something as “foreign” (thus lodging a stranger) and reacting with surprise to something “strange.” Scripture binds both nuances together, revealing that God often meets His people in what first seems foreign, whether a traveler at the door or an unexpected work of the Spirit. Occurrences: Acts 10:6, 10:18, 10:23, 10:32; Acts 17:20; Acts 21:16; Acts 28:7; Hebrews 13:2; 1 Peter 4:4, 4:12. Hospitality to Strangers The majority of New Testament usages highlight literal lodging. Peter “is staying with a tanner named Simon” (Acts 10:6), Cornelius’ messengers confirm “Simon, who is called Peter, is staying here” (10:18), and Peter in turn “invited them in as guests” (10:23). Luke repeats the verb as the Gentile mission unfolds (10:32; 21:16; 28:7), underscoring that the Gospel advanced on the rails of open homes. Hebrews 13:2 lifts the practice into the realm of faith: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some have entertained angels without knowing it.” The verse evokes Genesis 18–19, reminding believers that God’s messengers often arrive unannounced and unrecognized. Hospitality therefore becomes a reverent act of trust, welcoming the possibility of divine visitation. Gentile Inclusion and Apostolic Mission Acts 10 is pivotal: the hospitality shared between two Simons (the tanner and the apostle) and between Peter and Cornelius’ envoys frames the first explicit inclusion of Gentiles into the church. The verb marks each hinge of the narrative, portraying hospitality as the Spirit’s chosen conduit for crossing ethnic boundaries. Thus, ξενίζω captures both the social and theological “strangeness” of Gentile conversion—initially foreign to Peter’s Jewish expectations, yet embraced as God’s design. Surprise at God’s New Work The secondary sense, “to be astonished,” surfaces in Acts 17:20 when Athenians tell Paul, “You are bringing some strange things to our ears,” and in 1 Peter. Believers are exhorted: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12), and the surrounding culture “is surprised that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of reckless indiscretion” (4:4). Here ξενίζω charts the clash of worldviews. The Gospel unsettles pagan assumptions, while Christians must not be unsettled by persecution. What the world deems foreign, the church regards as familiar truth; what the church endures as refining fire, the world considers inexplicable strangeness. Theological Threads 1. Divine Hospitality: God Himself extends lodging to sinners through Christ (John 14:2; Revelation 3:20). Every human act of ξενίζω mirrors His initiative. Historical Backdrop First-century travel lacked inns of integrity; lodging a traveler entailed cost and risk. Jewish tradition already prized hospitality (Genesis 18; Job 31:32), and the Greco-Roman virtue of φιλόξενια overlapped yet differed in motivation. The early church rooted the practice in Christ’s self-giving, not social reciprocity. Ministry Application • Establish homes as gospel outposts—meals, guest rooms, refugee assistance, missionary furloughs. Christological Focus Jesus embodies ξενίζω both as Guest and Host: born in a borrowed manger, laid in a borrowed tomb, yet promising eternal lodging to His own. In Him the “stranger” is welcomed, and the “strange” work of the cross becomes the wisdom of God. Summary Strong’s 3579 threads together hospitality and holy surprise. The word invites disciples to make room—physically for people, spiritually for God’s unexpected purposes—and assures them that what begins as foreign often proves to be the very means by which the Lord advances His unchanging plan. Englishman's Concordance Acts 10:6 V-PIM/P-3SGRK: οὗτος ξενίζεται παρά τινι NAS: he is staying with a tanner KJV: He lodgeth with one INT: He lodges with a certain Acts 10:18 V-PIM/P-3S Acts 10:23 V-AIA-3S Acts 10:32 V-PIM/P-3S Acts 17:20 V-PPA-ANP Acts 21:16 V-ASP-1P Acts 28:7 V-AIA-3S Hebrews 13:2 V-APA-NMP 1 Peter 4:4 V-PIM/P-3P 1 Peter 4:12 V-PMM/P-2P Strong's Greek 3579 |
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