תּוֹשָׁב (to.shav)
to.shav
sojourner; Tishbe
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 12 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun toshav refers to a resident alien or sojourner, someone living in a land without full citizenship rights. In the Hebrew Bible, this term appears most frequently in legal texts such as Leviticus and Numbers, where it designates non-Israelites dwelling among the community. These individuals were entitled to certain protections under the law, reflecting a societal structure that distinguished between native-born citizens and those who had settled in the land.
Interestingly, the same root also produces the proper noun Tishbe, identified as the hometown of the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 17:1. This dual usage highlights how Hebrew often derives place names from personal or social statuses. While toshav emphasizes a legal and social category, Tishbe anchors that concept in a specific geographic location associated with one of Israel’s most dramatic prophetic figures.
Translators typically render toshav as “sojourner” or “stranger,” capturing the sense of temporary residence rather than permanent belonging. The word underscores the biblical theme of caring for those on the margins, a concern repeated throughout the Torah. Its presence in narratives about Elijah adds depth to the prophet’s identity, linking his mission to the experience of outsiders.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Living as a sojourner means navigating life without permanent roots or full legal standing in the land where you reside. In the Hebrew Bible, this status carried real vulnerability, yet it also triggered specific protections under divine law. The community was reminded that even those without citizenship deserved dignity and basic sustenance.
This word appears in two distinct ways: as a social category for resident aliens and as a proper name, Tishbe, identifying the hometown of Elijah. Both uses highlight how identity is often shaped by one’s relationship to a place. For believers today, it serves as a gentle reminder that our true citizenship is not found in earthly nations but in God’s eternal kingdom.
When we encounter those who feel like outsiders in our own communities, this ancient text invites us to extend the same care and respect that was once commanded for strangers in Israel. It calls us to recognize the inherent worth of every person, regardless of their legal status or background.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 12 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ a resident alien3×
- and/ resident aliens2×
- a resident alien2×
- the/ resident aliens1×
- one of/ [the] resident aliens of1×
- like/ a resident alien1×
- and/ to/ resident alien/ your1×
- and/ for the/ resident alien1×
- a resident alien of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תּוֹשָׁב֙1×
- תּוֹשָׁ֥ב1×
- תּוֹשַׁ֥ב1×
- מִ/תֹּשָׁבֵ֣י1×
- כְּ/תוֹשָׁ֖ב1×
- וּ/לְ/תוֹשָׁ֣בְ/ךָ֔1×
- וְ/תוֹשָׁבִ֛ים1×
- וְ/תוֹשָׁבִ֖ים1×
- וְ/תוֹשָׁב֙1×
- וְ/תוֹשָׁ֥ב1×
- וְ/תוֹשָׁ֛ב1×
- וְ/לַ/תּוֹשָׁב֙1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 25:23
“‘The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and live as foreigners with me.
This verse grounds the concept of sojourning in God’s ownership of the land, reminding Israelites that they too are temporary residents before Him.
-
I Kings 17:1
Elijah the Tishbite, who was one of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”
Here the word becomes a proper noun, Tishbe, linking the prophet Elijah to a place of origin and highlighting how personal identity is tied to geographic roots.
-
Leviticus 25:35
“‘If your brother has become poor, and his hand can’t support himself among you, then you shall uphold him. He shall live with you like an alien and a temporary resident.
The command to uphold a poor brother who lives like an alien shows that social responsibility extends even to those with the most precarious status in society.