Guest
Culture & SocietyWhat is the meaning of Guest in the Bible?
In ancient Near Eastern and biblical contexts, a guest was a person invited into a host's dwelling, triggering a sacred duty of hospitality that prohibited the host from charging for sustenance or shelter. The term denotes one who is called or invited, emphasizing the voluntary nature of the relationship and the high moral status accorded to the visitor.
SIGNIFICANCE
Understanding the guest-host dynamic clarifies the ethical expectations in biblical narratives, where hospitality was a primary virtue and mistreating a guest was considered a grave sin, thereby illuminating the social fabric and moral codes of the ancient Israelite world.
Bible Study Quick-Reference Guide
- Why did the biblical author mention Guest in this passage?
- What cultural or historical assumption does Guest clarify?
Source Attribution
Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and shortened for clarity.