What Does the Bible Say About Hospitality?

“And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.”

“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.”

“And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;”

“And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:”

“Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:”

“And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. comfort: Heb. stay are: Heb. you have passed”

“And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. Make ready: Heb. Hasten”

“And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.”

“And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.”

“And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;”

“And Abimelech took sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife.”

“And Abimelech said, Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleaseth thee. where: Heb. as is good in thine eyes”

“Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us: in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou mayest bury thy dead. a mighty: Heb. a prince of God”

“Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee: bury thy dead.”

“And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.”

“And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink.”

“And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things. tidings: Heb. hearing”

“And Laban said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month. the space: Heb. a month of days”

“And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread.”

“And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brethren are come: and it pleased Pharaoh well , and his servants. pleased: Heb. was good in the eyes of Pharaoh”

“And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.”

“And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.”

“Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

“Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. heart: Heb. soul”

“And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.”

“And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. vex: or, oppress”

“But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.”

“Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your God.”

“He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.”

“Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

“When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled;”

“Then thou shalt say before the LORD thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them:”

“Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.”

“And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house , named Rahab, and lodged there. sent: or, had sent lodged: Heb. lay”

“And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. accursed: or, devoted”

“But Joshua had said unto the two men that had spied out the country, Go into the harlot's house, and bring out thence the woman, and all that she hath, as ye sware unto her.”

“And, behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at even, which was also of mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah: but the men of the place were Benjamites.”

“The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller. traveller: or, way”

“Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:”

“She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table. her beasts: Heb. her killing”

“She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,”

“Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,”

“Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.”

“Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats:”

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.”

“The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.”

“Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? the heavy: Heb. the bundles of the yoke oppressed: Heb. broken”

“Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? cast: or, afflicted”

“The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,”

“And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.”

“Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.”

“But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:”

“And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.”

“But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.”

“Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.”

“Go ye therefore into the highways , and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.”

“So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.”

“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:”

“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:”

“Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”

“Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?”

“When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?”

“Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?”

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

“Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”

“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:”

“I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.”

“Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?”

“Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.”

“And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.”

“For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.”

“Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.”

“And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.”

“And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.”

“Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.”

“But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:”

“And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”

“And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.”

“Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.”

“There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.”

“He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.”

“Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.”

“And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.”

“And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.”

“Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.”

“I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:”

“That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.”

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily , as to the Lord, and not unto men;”

“For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;”

“But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; men: or, things”

“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

“Use hospitality one to another without grudging.”

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another , as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

“Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;”

“Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: after: Gr. worthy of God”

“Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.”

“We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth. fellowhelpers: or, joint-labourers”