TL;DR:
Deuteronomy 10:19—“Love the foreigner”—is a clear Old Testament command that reflects God’s heart. Rather than an “us-versus-them” mindset, Holy Scripture calls believers to show empathy and hospitality to outsiders, remembering Israel’s own history of oppression. This command supports world evangelism, urging us to be instruments of God’s love that transcends cultural and national boundaries.
Concern for foreigners and exhortations to care for outsiders appear in multiple Old Testament passages, one of which is Deuteronomy 10:19.
Loving foreigners (people different from us) is something God's people have not always done well.
People wrongly assume the Old Testament promotes an us-versus-them or us-against-the-world attitude.
God's command in Deuteronomy 10 to "love foreigners" provides a strong impetus for world evangelism efforts.
World Missions: The Heart of God
What does the Bible say about aliens and foreigners?
Commentary on Deuteronomy 10
“You Are to Love Those Who Are Foreigners”—Deuteronomy 10:19
Concern for foreigners and exhortations to care for outsiders appear in several places in Old
Testament writings. Such expressions of concern appear in books like Exodus, Leviticus,
Deuteronomy, 1 Kings, and Micah. One such passage in Deuteronomy says, “So you should
love foreigners, because you were foreigners living in Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:19, GOD’S WORD Translation). What does that verse mean for us today?
Deuteronomy, a compilation of Moses' last messages, retells key events of the Israelites'
post-Exodus journey through the Sinai wilderness. Moses was a third of the way
through his storytelling when he passed on God's command to show love to foreigners.
That command has huge ramifications for the cause of world evangelism. Think for a
moment about our unsaved friends and family members. Everyone I know has loved ones living
outside the Kingdom. Don’t we yearn for them to come to know the Lord? Aren’t they often in our
prayers? Think about that. We love our friends and family members. God expects us to love
foreigners as well. If we genuinely love foreigners, won’t we desire that they, too, know about Jesus?
Some might argue that such a broad application of Moses' command goes against the rest of
the Old Testament. That objection may come from assuming the Old Testament presents an
us-against-the-world mindset. Repeated Old Testament warnings against adopting foreign religions
and idols may fuel that assumption. Those warnings have to be taken seriously. They were not,
however, given to create a "fortress mentality" that manifests itself in disdain for foreigners.
Admittedly, when Moses said "foreigners," his listeners may have thought principally of the
Israelites’ close neighbors. That scenario has obvious applications in a world where foreign immigrants crowd into neighborhoods bustling with evangelical Christians. However, isn’t it also possible that the Holy Spirit envisioned Deuteronomy 10:19 as a command to us to embrace the whole world without regard to national or ethnic origins?
Seeing Deuteronomy 10:19 as an indicator that God's people should love everyone else in the
world reflects what we know from Scripture about God Himself. For example, 1 John 4:8
declares that “God is love,” and it is no stretch to say the exhortation to love
foreigners flows out of God's loving wish to bless all peoples (Genesis 12:3).
The Deuteronomy command to love foreigners is very much in line with the "for God so loved the world" phrase of John 3:16. That idea of loving all peoples even brings to mind the words of the classic children's song:
“Red and yellow, black and white;
All are precious in His sight.”
Sadly, God’s people have not always been good at loving foreigners. Jonah, for instance, stubbornly refused to love the foreign Ninevites. In the late 1700s, church leaders told aspiring missionary
William Carey not to be concerned about people who had never heard the gospel. That, they said, was God’s concern, not ours.
Such cavalier disregard for other people groups signals a failure to embrace Deuteronomy
10:19. Since that verse does reflect God’s love for all people groups, is it not incumbent
upon us to wholeheartedly embody the passion of God's heart by truly loving foreigners?
Words associated with foreigners and welcoming outsiders
This blog post on a world missions Bible passage is one of 36 in the “Heart of God” series
published in Engage, a monthly online magazine. That series looked at what the Bible says about world missions.
Reflection Questions on the Deuteronomy 10 Call to Love Foreigners
Is the command to love foreigners in Deuteronomy 10 relevant to the Bible’s call to take the gospel to everyone? If so, how?
The Old Testament warns against adopting foreign religions and idols. Is there a danger that we will take these warnings to mean we should not interact with foreigners? What are some ways we can show Christlike love to people with different worldviews and religious beliefs?
How can we avoid falling into a "fortress mentality" where it is "us against them"? How can we follow the principles of Deuteronomy 10:19 and John 3:16 to love all people without regard to their ethnicity, nationality, or religion? What practical steps can we take to show love to foreigners?
Think about the situations where God's people failed to love foreigners, such as in Jonah's story and the church leaders who discouraged William Carey from missionary work. What can we learn from these examples? How can we avoid making the same mistakes?
Does Deuteronomy 10:19 say anything to us about loving those who share our nationality, but whose cultural or racial identification is different from ours?
Who Are the “Foreigners” of Deuteronomy 10:19?
Here are examples of how English translations render the wording of Deuteronomy 10:19:
“Aliens” — Evangelical Heritage Version, Lexham English Bible
“Foreigners” — New International Version, The Living Bible
“Immigrants” — Common English Bible
“Outsiders” — New International Reader’s Version, Tree of Life Version
“Pilgrims” — Wycliffe Bible
“Resident aliens” — Christian Standard Bible, Expanded Bible
“Sojourners” — American Standard Version, English Standard Version, Revised Standard Version
“Strangers” — Amplified Bible
Ramifications of Deuteronomy 10:19 for Us
What Would It Mean for Us to “Love Those Who Are Foreigners”?
Here is what we need to be doing:
Reflecting God’s character: God is love. Deuteronomy 10:19 states our obligation to be channels of God’s love and compassion for all people groups, regardless of skin color, nationality, religion, or cultural identity.
Showing love to outsiders: Deuteronomy 10:19 commands us to love those whom we might otherwise label “them.” God wanted the Israelites to demonstrate His love and concern for other people.
Loving without limits: “Love foreigners” suggests a love that reaches across boundaries. Our love must extend to all human beings everywhere.
Showing compassionate care: Love is more than words; it involves action. The command to love outsiders should move us to compassionate action.
Evangelizing the whole world: If we genuinely love other people, we will desire that they, too, know about Jesus. So, the command to “love foreigners” should result in a passion for world evangelism.
Historical and Cultural Background of Deuteronomy 10:19
Understanding the historical and cultural context of Deuteronomy 10:19 can give us insight into its significance.
Historical context: In the narrative setting of Deuteronomy, the Israelites had already experienced slavery in Egypt and were traveling through the wilderness toward Canaan. Deuteronomy presents a series of speeches given by Moses to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land.
Cultural context:
Ancient Near Eastern hospitality: In the ancient Near East, hospitality toward strangers was considered a sacred duty. This concept is evident in many cultures and religious traditions of the time, including those of the Israelites. Hospitality to strangers was more than a moral obligation; it also demonstrated one’s righteousness and adherence to religious principles.
Experience of oppression: During their years in Egypt, the Israelites had been enslaved and subjected to harsh treatment. God reminds them of that experience when He commands them to love foreigners.
Theological ramifications:
Identification with the stranger: Deuteronomy 10:19 calls for empathy and solidarity with people whose situation resembles the Israelites’ experience at the end of their time in Egypt.
Covenant relationship: The command to love the stranger is framed within the broader context of the covenant relationship between God and the Israelites. Again and again, Deuteronomy emphasizes obedience to God’s commandments as a response to His faithfulness in delivering the Israelites from bondage. Loving the stranger reflects God’s character and fulfills the covenant's ethical demands.
Bottom line: Deuteronomy 10:19 points to empathy, hospitality, and solidarity with marginalized people—values rooted both in Israel’s past experience of oppression and in its covenant relationship with God.
F – Friendliness to new neighbors brings fresh perspectives. O – Opening our hearts to individuals with rich cultures. R – Radiating resilience while walking unfamiliar paths. E – Embracing differences with grace and courage. I – Inspiring us with their unique experiences. G – Generous hearts open to the heritage and traditions of others. N – Nurturing connections across cultural and linguistic borders. E – Enriching our communities with fresh ideas. R – Reflecting the beauty of multiculturalism. S – Strengthening the bonds of global unity.
