5381. philoxenia

Lexical Summary

philoxenia: Hospitality

Original Word: φιλοξενία
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: philoxenia
Pronunciation: fee-lox-en-EE-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (fil-on-ex-ee'-ah)
KJV: entertain stranger, hospitality
NASB: hospitality, hospitality to strangers
Word Origin: [from G5382 (φιλόξενος - hospitable)]

1. hospitableness

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

hospitality

From philoxenos; hospitableness -- entertain stranger, hospitality.

see GREEK philoxenos

HELPS Word-studies

5381 philoneksía (from 5384 /phílos, "friend" and 3581/xenos, "a stranger") – properly, warmth (friendliness) shown to strangers; (figuratively) the readiness to share hospitality (generosity) by entertaining in one's home, etc.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from philoxenos
Definition
love of strangers
NASB Translation
hospitality (1), hospitality to strangers (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 5381: φιλονεξια

φιλονεξια, φιλονεξιας, ἡ (φιλόξενος, which see), love to strangers, hospitality: Romans 12:13; Hebrews 13:2. (Plato, Polybius, others.)

Topical Lexicon

Scope and Core Idea

Strong’s Greek 5381 expresses active love toward those who are not part of one’s immediate circle, welcoming them with tangible care. In Scripture the term never appears as a mere feeling; it is enacted compassion toward fellow believers (Romans 12:13) and toward unknown travelers who may arrive at a Christian’s door (Hebrews 13:2).

Biblical Usage

• Romans 12:13 sets φιλοξενία among other family‐like duties within the body of Christ: “Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality.” The word stands in the imperative, portraying an ongoing lifestyle rather than occasional gestures.
• Hebrews 13:2 anchors the same practice in remembered history: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” The allusion to Abraham (Genesis 18) and to Lot (Genesis 19) elevates hospitality into a realm of divine encounter.

Beyond the two direct occurrences, related commands expand the theme (1 Peter 4:9; 3 John 5-8), while qualifications for elders include being “hospitable” (Titus 1:8; 1 Timothy 3:2), underscoring its pastoral weight.

Old Testament Roots

Hospitality was embedded in the covenant community’s ethics from the patriarchs onward:
• Abraham’s hastened meal for three strangers (Genesis 18:1-15).
• Job’s testimony, “the stranger has not spent the night in the street” (Job 31:32).
• In Mosaic Law, the sojourner receives parallel protections with the orphan and widow (Exodus 22:21; Deuteronomy 10:18-19).

The New Testament therefore inherits a robust precedent, recasting it within the fellowship created by Christ (Galatians 6:10).

Theological Significance

1. Manifestation of the gospel: Hospitality images divine grace, for God welcomed the once-alienated (Ephesians 2:12-13).
2. Antidote to partiality: When believers receive those without status or repayment capacity (Luke 14:12-14; James 2:1-4), they reaffirm the impartial character of God.
3. Means of divine visitation: Hebrews 13:2 links hospitality with unforeseen spiritual blessing, reminding the church that heaven attends humble tables.

Historical Background in the Early Church

• House churches relied on itinerant teachers and missionaries (Acts 18:26). Travelers lacking safe inns depended on believers’ homes.
• Second-century writings (Didache 11-12) regulate the length of a guest’s stay, showing that hospitality remained both valued and susceptible to abuse.
• Christian apologists such as Aristides highlighted hospitality as evidence of the faith’s authenticity before pagan society.

Practical Ministry Implications

• Qualification for leadership: Elders must already pattern hospitality (1 Timothy 3:2), implying that the trait is observable and measurable.
• Care for persecuted saints: Welcoming displaced believers reflects solidarity with Christ’s suffering body (Hebrews 10:34).
• Evangelistic bridge: Opening homes dissolves social barriers, granting outsiders a lived-in taste of redemption (Acts 16:15, 34).
• Stewardship of resources: Hospitality redirects private property toward kingdom service, modeling the early Jerusalem church’s spirit (Acts 2:46-47).

Contemporary Application

• Local congregations can revive table fellowship ministries, integrating singles, refugees, and international students.
• Short-term mission teams and bivocational pastors benefit when lay families view their couches and kitchens as gospel assets.
• Digital connection cannot replace face-to-face welcome; believers are urged to “offer hospitality to one another without complaining” (1 Peter 4:9).

Related Passages for Further Study

Genesis 24:31; Judges 19:20-21; 2 Kings 4:8-10; Matthew 25:35-40; Luke 10:34-35; Acts 28:7; Romans 16:23; Philemon 22; Hebrews 13:16; 1 Peter 4:9; 3 John 5-8.

Forms and Transliterations

φιλοξενιαν φιλοξενίαν φιλοξενιας φιλοξενίας philoxenian philoxenían philoxenias philoxenías

Englishman's Concordance

Romans 12:13 N-AFS
GRK: κοινωνοῦντες τὴν φιλοξενίαν διώκοντες
NAS: of the saints, practicing hospitality.
KJV: of saints; given to hospitality.
INT: share hospitality practice

Hebrews 13:2 N-GFS
GRK: τῆς φιλοξενίας μὴ ἐπιλανθάνεσθε
NAS: Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this
KJV: forgetful to entertain strangers: for
INT: of hospitality not be forgetful

Strong's Greek 5381
2 Occurrences

φιλοξενίαν — 1 Occ.
φιλοξενίας — 1 Occ.