παροικέω (paroikeō)
paroikeō
be a stranger
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb paroikeō describes living as a temporary resident or stranger in a place that is not one’s permanent home. It combines the idea of being “beside” with dwelling, suggesting a life lived in proximity to others without full ownership of the surroundings. In the New Testament, it appears only twice, yet it carries significant weight for understanding the Christian experience.
In Luke 24:18, the disciples on the road to Emmaus describe Jesus as a “stranger” (paroikos) in Jerusalem, highlighting His outsider status among those who should have recognized Him. Later, Hebrews 11:9 uses the word to depict Abraham’s life in the Promised Land; though he possessed it by promise, he lived there as a sojourner, acknowledging that his true citizenship lay elsewhere. This usage reflects the Old Testament concept of the ger, or resident alien.
The term underscores a theological reality: believers are citizens of heaven while residing on earth. It is not merely about physical displacement but a spiritual posture of detachment from worldly systems and anticipation of a permanent home. Translators often render it as “stranger” or “sojourner,” capturing this sense of temporary residence in a foreign land.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word paroikeō reminds us that our time on earth is temporary. It describes living as a resident alien, someone who stays nearby but does not own the land. This perspective helps us hold our daily lives with open hands, knowing that our true home is elsewhere.
When we feel out of place or misunderstood, this word offers comfort. Jesus was called a stranger in His own city, and Abraham lived as an outsider in the land God promised him. Your sense of not fully belonging here can be a sign of your heavenly citizenship, inviting you to look forward with hope rather than anxiety.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- visit1×
- he sojourned1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- παρῴκησεν1×
- παροικεῖς1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 24:18
One of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things which have happened there in these days?”
This verse highlights Jesus' rejection by those who should have known Him, showing how even the Messiah experienced the pain of being a stranger.
-
Hebrews 11:9
By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.
Abraham’s choice to dwell in tents rather than build permanent homes demonstrates his faith that his true inheritance was not of this earth.