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Abraham calls himself a foreign resident and temporary settler among the Hittites while searching for a burial site for Sarah. Psalm 39 echoes this language as the speaker calls himself a resident foreigner with God, like all his ancestors.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Genesis 23:4
Hebrew Bible
2 Then she died in Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan. Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her. 3 Then Abraham got up from mourning his dead wife and said to the sons of Heth, 4 “I am a foreign resident, a temporary settler, among you. Grant me ownership of a burial site among you so that I may bury my dead.” 5 The sons of Heth answered Abraham,
Psalm 39:12
Hebrew Bible
11 You severely discipline people for their sins; like a moth you slowly devour their strength. Surely all people are a mere vapor. (Selah) 12 Hear my prayer, O Lord. Listen to my cry for help. Do not ignore my sobbing. For I am a resident foreigner with you, a temporary settler, just as all my ancestors were. 13 Turn your angry gaze away from me, so I can be happy before I pass away.
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Notes and References
... parepidēmos is derived from dēmos (people) and is found only twice in the Septuagint (Genesis 23:4; Psalm 38[39]:12). It means someone who lives for a short while in a foreign place as a stranger or alien. It occurs in the New Testament 3 times. In 1 Peter 1:1 and 2:11 believers are called parepidēmoi ("exiles", RSV). The word stands in parallel to paroikoi ("aliens", RSV), pointing back to Genesis 23:4 and Psalm 39:13. Because their true home is in heaven (compare Philippians 3:20), God's election has drawn them out of all their natural ties and relations. They now live on earth as exiles. This call and vocation gives rise to the warning to abstain from the lusts of the flesh (1 Peter 2:11). They are to live according to the decrees and laws of their true homeland. Hebrews 11:13 depicts Abraham and the patriarchs as patterns for the Christian. Abraham looked towards the future city (11:10). Hence he and the fathers lived as strangers and exiles on the earth. ...
Bietenhard, Hans
"Foreign" in Brown, Colin (ed.) The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Volume 1
(p. 690) Zondervan, 1975
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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