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Selected Verse: Hebrews 13:2 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Heb 13:2 |
Strong Concordance |
Be [1950] not [3361] forgetful [1950] to entertain strangers [5381]: for [1063] thereby [1223] [5026] some [5100] have entertained [3579] angels [32] unawares [2990]. |
| |
King James |
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers - On the duty of hospitality, see a full explanation in the notes on Rom 12:13.
For thereby some have entertained angels unawares - Without knowing that they were angels. As Abraham (Gen 18:2 ff), and Lot did; Gen. 19. The motive here urged for doing it is, that by entertaining the stranger we may perhaps be honored with the presence of those whose society will be to us an honor and a blessing. It is not well for us to miss the opportunity of the presence, the conversation, and the prayers of the good. The influence of such guests in a family is worth more than it costs to entertain them. If there is danger that we may sometimes receive those of an opposite character. yet it is not wise on account of such possible danger, to lose the opportunity of entertaining those whose presence would be a blessing. Many a parent owes the conversion of a child to the influence of a pious stranger in his family; and the hope that this may occur, or that our own souls may be blessed, should make us ready, at all proper times, to welcome the feet of the stranger to our doors. Many a man, if, he had been accosted as Abraham was at the door of his tent by strangers, would have turned them rudely away; many a one in the situation of Lot would have sent the unknown guests rudely from his door; but who can estimate what would have been the results of such a course on the destiny of those good people and their families? For a great number of instances in which the pagan were supposed to have entertained the gods, though unknown to them, see Wetstein in loc. |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers (τῆς φιλοξενίας μὴ ἐπιλανθάνεσθε)
Lit. be not forgetful of hospitality. Φιλοξενία only here and Rom 12:13. olxx. Φιλόξενος hospitable, Ti1 3:2; Tit 1:8; Pe1 4:9. The rendering of Rev. to show love unto strangers, is affected. On the injunction comp. Rom 12:13; Ti1 3:2; Tit 1:8; Pe1 4:9, and see Clem. Rom. Ad Corinth. x., xi., xii. The virtue of hospitality is not distinctively Christian. It appears with the very beginnings of history, largely as the result of nomadic conditions. It was peculiarly an Oriental virtue. In the Egyptian Book of the Dead, commendatory judgment is awarded to him who has fed the hungry and clothed the naked. The O.T. abounds in illustrations, and the practice of hospitality among the Arabs and Bedoueen is familiar through the writings of travelers in the East. Great stress was laid on the duty by the Greeks, as appears constantly in Homer and elsewhere. Hospitality was regarded as a religious duty. The stranger was held to be under the special protection of Zeus, who was called ξένιος, the God of the stranger. The Romans regarded any violation of the rites of hospitality as impiety. Cicero says: "It seems to me eminently becoming that the homes of distinguished men should be open to distinguished guests, and that it is an honor to the Republic that foreigners should not lack this kind of liberality in our city" (De Off. ii. 18).
Have entertained angels unawares (ἔλαθόν τινες ξεσίσαντες ἀγγέλους)
The Greek idiom is, "were not apparent as entertaining angels." The verb ἔλαθον were concealed represents the adverb unawares. For similar instances see Mar 14:8; Act 12:16; Aristoph. Wasps, 517; Hdt. i. 44; Hom. Il. xiii. 273. Ξενίζειν to receive as a guest, mostly in Acts. In lxx only in the apocryphal books. In later Greek, to surprise with a novelty; passive, to be surprised or shocked. So Pe1 4:4, Pe1 4:12; comp. 2 Ep. of Clem. of Rome (so called), xvii.: To be a stranger or to be strange, once in N.T., Act 17:20. Ξενισμός amazement, perplexity, not in N.T. lxx, Pro 15:17. Comp. Ignatius, Eph. xix. The allusion to the unconscious entertainment of angels is probably to Genesis 18, 19, but the idea was familiar in Greek literature. The Greeks thought that any stranger might be a God in disguise. See Hom. Od. i. 96 ff.; iii. 329-370; xvii. 485. Comp. also the beautiful story of Baucis and Philemon as related by Ovid (Metam. viii. 626-724). The thought appears in our Lord's words, Mat 25:34-46. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| Some - Abraham and Lot. Have entertained angels unawares - So may an unknown guest, even now, be of more worth than he appears, and may have angels attending him, though unseen. Gen 18:2; Gen 19:1. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
To entertain stranger's - In those early times, when there were scarcely any public inns or houses of entertainment, it was an office of charity and mercy to receive, lodge, and entertain travelers; and this is what the apostle particularly recommends.
Entertained angels - Abraham and Lot are the persons particularly referred to. Their history, the angels whom they entertained, not knowing them to be such, and the good they derived from exercising their hospitality on these occasions, are well known; and have been particularly referred to in the notes on Gen 18:3 (note); Gen 19:2 (note). |
2 And he lift up [05375] his eyes [05869] and looked [07200], and, lo, three [07969] men [0582] stood [05324] by him: and when he saw [07200] them, he ran [07323] to meet [07125] them from the tent [0168] door [06607], and bowed [07812] himself toward the ground [0776],
13 Distributing [2841] to the necessity [5532] of saints [40]; given [1377] to hospitality [5381].
34 Then [5119] shall the King [935] say [2046] unto them on [1537] his [846] right hand [1188], Come [1205], ye blessed [2127] of my [3450] Father [3962], inherit [2816] the kingdom [932] prepared [2090] for you [5213] from [575] the foundation [2602] of the world [2889]:
35 For [1063] I was an hungred [3983], and [2532] ye gave [1325] me [3427] meat [5315]: I was thirsty [1372], and [2532] ye gave [4222] me [3165] drink [4222]: I was [2252] a stranger [3581], and [2532] ye took [4863] me [3165] in [4863]:
36 Naked [1131], and [2532] ye clothed [4016] me [3165]: I was sick [770], and [2532] ye visited [1980] me [3165]: I was [2252] in [1722] prison [5438], and [2532] ye came [2064] unto [4314] me [3165].
37 Then [5119] shall the righteous [1342] answer [611] him [846], saying [3004], Lord [2962], when [4219] saw we [1492] thee [4571] an hungred [3983], and [2532] fed [5142] thee? or [2228] thirsty [1372], and [2532] gave thee drink [4222]?
38 [1161] When [4219] saw we [1492] thee [4571] a stranger [3581], and [2532] took thee in [4863]? or [2228] naked [1131], and [2532] clothed [4016] thee?
39 [1161] Or when [4219] saw we [1492] thee [4571] sick [772], or [2228] in [1722] prison [5438], and [2532] came [2064] unto [4314] thee [4571]?
40 And [2532] the King [935] shall answer [611] and say [2046] unto them [846], Verily [281] I say [3004] unto you [5213], Inasmuch [1909] as [3745] ye have done [4160] it unto one [1520] of the least [1646] of these [5130] my [3450] brethren [80], ye have done [4160] it unto me [1698].
41 Then [5119] shall he say [2046] also [2532] unto them on [1537] the left hand [2176], Depart [4198] from [575] me [1700], ye cursed [2672], into [1519] everlasting [166] fire [4442], prepared [2090] for the devil [1228] and [2532] his [846] angels [32]:
42 For [1063] I was an hungred [3983], and [2532] ye gave [1325] me [3427] no [3756] meat [5315]: I was thirsty [1372], and [2532] ye gave [4222] me [3165] no [3756] drink [4222]:
43 I was [2252] a stranger [3581], and [2532] ye took [4863] me [3165] not [3756] in [4863]: naked [1131], and [2532] ye clothed [4016] me [3165] not [3756]: sick [772], and [2532] in [1722] prison [5438], and [2532] ye visited [1980] me [3165] not [3756].
44 Then [5119] shall they [846] also [2532] answer [611] him [846], saying [3004], Lord [2962], when [4219] saw we [1492] thee [4571] an hungred [3983], or [2228] athirst [1372], or [2228] a stranger [3581], or [2228] naked [1131], or [2228] sick [772], or [2228] in [1722] prison [5438], and [2532] did [1247] not [3756] minister [1247] unto thee [4671]?
45 Then [5119] shall he answer [611] them [846], saying [3004], Verily [281] I say [3004] unto you [5213], Inasmuch [1909] as [3745] ye did [4160] it not [3756] to one [1520] of the least [1646] of these [5130], ye did [4160] it not [3761] to me [1698].
46 And [2532] these [3778] shall go away [565] into [1519] everlasting [166] punishment [2851]: but [1161] the righteous [1342] into [1519] life [2222] eternal [166].
17 Better [02896] is a dinner [0737] of herbs [03419] where love [0160] is, than a stalled [075] ox [07794] and hatred [08135] therewith.
20 For [1063] thou bringest [1533] certain [5100] strange things [3579] to [1519] our [2257] ears [189]: we would [1014] know [1097] therefore [3767] what [5101] these things [5023] mean [302] [2309] [1511].
12 Beloved [27], think it [3579] not [3361] strange [3579] concerning the [5213] fiery trial [4451] which [1722] is [1096] to [4314] try [3986] you [5213], as [5613] though some strange thing [3581] happened [4819] unto you [5213]:
4 Wherein [1722] [3739] they think it strange [3579] that ye [5216] run [4936] not [3361] with them to [1519] the same [846] excess [401] of riot [810], speaking evil of [987] you:
16 But [1161] Peter [4074] continued [1961] knocking [2925]: and [1161] when they had opened [455] the door, and saw [1492] him [846], [2532] they were astonished [1839].
8 She hath done [4160] what [3739] she [3778] [846] could [2192]: she is come aforehand [4301] to anoint [3462] my [3450] body [4983] to [1519] the burying [1780].
9 Use hospitality [5382] one to another [1519] [240] without [427] grudging [1112].
8 But [235] a lover of hospitality [5382], a lover of good men [5358], sober [4998], just [1342], holy [3741], temperate [1468];
2 A bishop [1985] then [3767] must [1163] be [1511] blameless [423], the husband [435] of one [3391] wife [1135], vigilant [3524], sober [4998], of good behaviour [2887], given to hospitality [5382], apt to teach [1317];
13 Distributing [2841] to the necessity [5532] of saints [40]; given [1377] to hospitality [5381].
9 Use hospitality [5382] one to another [1519] [240] without [427] grudging [1112].
8 But [235] a lover of hospitality [5382], a lover of good men [5358], sober [4998], just [1342], holy [3741], temperate [1468];
2 A bishop [1985] then [3767] must [1163] be [1511] blameless [423], the husband [435] of one [3391] wife [1135], vigilant [3524], sober [4998], of good behaviour [2887], given to hospitality [5382], apt to teach [1317];
13 Distributing [2841] to the necessity [5532] of saints [40]; given [1377] to hospitality [5381].
1 And there came [0935] two [08147] angels [04397] to Sodom [05467] at even [06153]; and Lot [03876] sat [03427] in the gate [08179] of Sodom [05467]: and Lot [03876] seeing [07200] them rose up [06965] to meet [07125] them; and he bowed [07812] himself with his face [0639] toward the ground [0776];
2 And he lift up [05375] his eyes [05869] and looked [07200], and, lo, three [07969] men [0582] stood [05324] by him: and when he saw [07200] them, he ran [07323] to meet [07125] them from the tent [0168] door [06607], and bowed [07812] himself toward the ground [0776],
2 And he said [0559], Behold now, my lords [0113], turn in [05493], I pray you, into your servant's [05650] house [01004], and tarry all night [03885], and wash [07364] your feet [07272], and ye shall rise up early [07925], and go [01980] on your ways [01870]. And they said [0559], Nay; but we will abide [03885] in the street [07339] all night [03885].
3 And said [0559], My Lord [0136], if now I have found [04672] favour [02580] in thy sight [05869], pass not away [05674], I pray thee, from thy servant [05650]: