παρεπίδημος (parepidēmos)
parepidēmos
stranger
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective parepidēmos describes someone who is temporarily residing in a foreign land, distinct from a native citizen. In the New Testament, it functions as a noun to identify a "sojourner" or "stranger," capturing the experience of living away from one’s true home. This term appears only three times, primarily within the letters of Peter and the book of Hebrews.
Its theological weight lies in its metaphorical application to believers. The authors use it to remind Christians that their earthly life is transient and that their permanent citizenship belongs elsewhere. In 1 Peter 2:11 and 1 Peter 1:1, readers are urged to live as foreigners, while Hebrews 11:13 celebrates the faith of ancient figures who acknowledged they were "strangers and exiles" on earth, looking toward a heavenly homeland.
This vocabulary reflects a common Old Testament background, where similar terms distinguished between temporary residents and permanent inhabitants. By adopting this language, the New Testament writers framed the Christian experience not as rootlessness, but as a purposeful sojourn, orienting the believer’s hope toward their eternal destination rather than their current surroundings.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When life feels unstable or when you sense a distance between your daily routine and your deepest values, this word offers a gentle perspective. It describes someone living temporarily in a place that is not their permanent home. For believers, this is not a call to rootlessness, but a reminder that our true citizenship lies elsewhere. This understanding can bring peace, knowing that your current struggles are part of a temporary season rather than your final reality.
Scripture uses this image to encourage endurance. In 1 Peter 2:11, readers are asked to live as foreigners, abstaining from desires that pull them away from their spiritual well-being. This does not mean rejecting the world entirely, but keeping a healthy distance from things that harm your soul. It invites you to view your earthly journey with hope, looking forward to the eternal home prepared for you.
Hebrews 11:13 celebrates those who lived by this truth, confessing they were strangers on earth. They did not cling tightly to temporary comforts but kept their eyes fixed on God’s promises. This perspective helps us navigate difficult times with grace, knowing we are never truly alone or without a home. May you find comfort in knowing that your faith connects you to something far greater than your present circumstances.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- sojourners3×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- παρεπίδημοί1×
- παρεπιδήμους1×
- παρεπιδήμοις1×
Key Verses
-
I Peter 1:1
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen ones who are living as foreigners in the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
This opening address establishes the identity of believers as scattered foreigners, framing the entire letter’s call to holy living within the context of their temporary earthly status.
-
I Peter 2:11
Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
Peter uses this term to urge moral restraint, linking the believer’s foreign status directly to the need to resist internal desires that conflict with spiritual integrity.
-
Hebrews 11:13
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
The author recounts how faithful figures of the past acknowledged their transient nature on earth, using this identity to validate their hope in unseen divine promises.