Unfortunately, not every country views foreign nationals with the same respect as America does. The Bible clearly teaches that we should treat foreigners with respect and hospitality, even when we’re going through hard times ourselves. God entrusted this planet to all of us and we should respect each other for our differences and stress the importance of unity among nations.
Bible verses about refugees can point us in the right direction for how we treat others, including refugees in our country. The Bible is filled with scriptures on how we’re to treat foreign people who seek God and are new in our country.
Bible Verses About Immigrants
When God makes a promise, he keeps it: Behold I am going to make you into a great nation. A blog talking about the bible verses mentioning immigrants and how we should be as good to immigrants as God is to us.
Here are some Bible verses about immigrants:
- “For we were strangers in the land of Egypt.” – Deuteronomy 26:5
- “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” – Exodus 22:21
- “You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. If you do afflict them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry.” – Exodus 22:22-23
- “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” – Leviticus 19:33
- “You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” – Deuteronomy 10:19
The Bible has plenty to say about immigrants. Here are some of the most important verses:
- “You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the heart of a stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 23:9)
- “For I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matthew 25:35)
- “You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. Justice, and only justice, you shall follow that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.” (Deuteronomy 16:19-20)
The Bible has a lot to say about immigrants, and it’s not always what you might expect.
For example, there are over one hundred verses in the Bible that talk directly about welcoming immigrants, and many more that speak to the importance of doing so.
Here are some examples:
“You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 22:21)
“The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” (Leviticus 19:34)
“I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matthew 25:35)
11 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 12 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. 13 Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 14 When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 15 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?” 16 The King will reply, “Truly I tell all of you: whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”
“For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears.” -Zephaniah 3:17
The Bible is full of passages about immigration, though not all of them are straightforward.
For example, in Exodus 12:49-51, God tells Moses to instruct the Israelites to mark their doors with lamb’s blood so that the Angel of Death will pass over them and spare their firstborn sons from death by plague. This is a symbolic act that represents the God’s mercy on those who were strangers in Egypt.
Another example can be found in Ezekiel 47:1-12, where God gives Ezekiel a vision of the Holy City where he lives with the righteous people who have been saved by Christ’s sacrifice. In this city there is no more separation between foreigners and citizens; everyone lives peacefully together under one law.
“Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” (Exodus 23:9)
“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” (Leviticus 19:15)
1) Exodus 22:21: “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”
2) Leviticus 19:33-34: “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.”
3) Deuteronomy 10:19-20: “Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”
4) Psalm 146:9-10: “The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.”
5) Leviticus 19:18: “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your countrymen. Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.”
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:8-10)
- Let us not forget that the LORD our God is the one who gives us freedom.
- And because of this, we are able to live in peace and harmony with one another.
- May we always remember that there is no difference between us, as we are all created by God.
Bible How To Treat Foreigners
The Bible is full of passages about how to treat foreigners. Here are a few examples:
“Be kind to the foreigner because you were once foreigners yourselves.” (Deuteronomy 10:19)
“Do not mistreat or oppress the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.” (Exodus 22:21)
“The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born.” (Leviticus 19:34)
“Love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:18)
The Bible has a lot to say about how we should treat foreigners. Here are some examples:
“If you oppress foreigners, they will appeal to the LORD against you.” (Deuteronomy 27:19)
“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat him. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” (Leviticus 19:33-34)
“You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 22:21)
“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” (Leviticus 19:15)
“Treat the foreigner residing among you as native-born and love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”
“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
“You shall have one law for the alien and for the citizen.”
“When an alien resides with you in your land, do not mistreat them. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
A foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 19:33-34
You shall not abuse a foreigner or oppress him, for you were foreigners in Egypt.
Exodus 22:21
Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and counts on it. Otherwise he may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin.
Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property. You can will them to your children as inherited property and can make them slaves for life, but you must not rule over your fellow Israelites ruthlessly.
- “For I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matthew 25:35, ESV)
- “Do not mistreat a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” (Exodus 22:21, ESV)
- “You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 23:9)
- “But if a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.” (Leviticus 19:33)
- “You shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger and for the native of the land.” (Numbers 9:14)
- “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5)
Bible Verses About Refugees
The Bible is clear about how to treat foreigners. God commands his people to treat foreigners well:
“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34)
The Bible also tells us that God cares for the poor and oppressed, including immigrants and refugees:
“The Lord said, ‘I will never forget the kindness of your ancestors who left Egypt in its time of need.'” (Deut. 10:15).
“He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among him, giving them food and clothing.” (Psalm 146:9).
Exodus 22:21 – You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Leviticus 19:33-34 – “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.”
Deuteronomy 10:19 – Love therefore the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Matthew 25: 37-40 – “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! 38 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink; 39 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in; naked and you did not clothe me; sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 40 Then they also will answer
“You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” —Exodus 22:20
“The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” —Leviticus 19:34
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” —Matthew 25:35
I will treat the foreigner who resides with you as the native-born among you, and will love him as myself; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.
KJV Ex. 23:9
You must not oppress a stranger; you know what it’s like to be a stranger, because you were strangers in Egypt.
NKJV Deut. 10:19
You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
NKJV Lev. 19:33
You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is in your land within your gates; both the sons of the native born and the sons of the alien who resides among you shall enjoy equal rights. You shall pay an employee fairly. You must not muzzle an ox when it is threshing grain.
NKJV Deut. 24:14-15
Matthew 2:13-15
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (NIV)
Matthew 25:35-36
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ (NIV)
Luke 6:27-28
But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat