Deuteronomy 10:19 Meaning: Love the Foreigner Because You Were One
Therefore love the foreigner, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Love ye therefore the sojourner; for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
`And ye have loved the sojourner, for sojourners ye were in the land of Egypt.
And ye shall love the stranger; for ye have been strangers in the land of Egypt.
Meaning in one sentence
Deuteronomy 10:19 commands Israel to love the foreigner. Why? Because God loves the outsider, and Israel themselves were once strangers in Egypt.
Context
Moses is speaking to a new generation on the edge of the Promised Land. He has just described the God they serve, mighty, awesome, and perfectly fair, showing no partiality. In verse 18, Moses gives a specific example of God's fairness: He defends orphans and widows, and He loves the foreigner. God does not just tolerate the outsider; He actively cares for them. That one fact becomes the foundation for the command in verse 19. God's people are called to mirror His heart. And to make sure they obey, God gives them a living memory: they were once the outsiders themselves, powerless and dependent on the mercy of another land.
Key Words
Three key words hold the weight of this verse. First, the command itself: love. The Hebrew word is a.hav. It is an action verb, not a warm feeling. It means to actively pursue someone's good, to protect them, and to make a place for them at your table.
Second, the object of that love: the foreigner. The word is ger. A ger was a resident alien, someone who lived permanently in the community but had no inherited land, no family clan to fall back on, and no safety net. They were completely vulnerable to poverty and injustice.
Third, the reason: you were foreigners. The verb he.yi.Tem connects their past state to their present identity. You were the powerless one, and God saw you. You became a nation because God loved you when you had no home. That memory is meant to shape everything.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions agree that this command is rooted in God's own character. The Reformers, like Matthew Henry, emphasized that God loves the stranger, so His people must do the same. Many traditions see a direct line from this verse to Jesus's parable of the Good Samaritan, where the command to love the neighbor is radically expanded to include the hated outsider.
For Catholic and Orthodox readers, this is a call to recognize Christ in the stranger, extending the grace of hospitality. For evangelical traditions, it demonstrates the heart of the Gospel: God saved us when we were completely outside His family. Across the spectrum, this verse is understood as a defining mark of covenant community: we are safest when we are most open.
A common misunderstanding
Some read this verse as merely a general call to be kind to travelers or house guests. In fact, the word ger refers specifically to the resident alien, someone who lives permanently in the land but lacks the rights and protections of a native-born citizen. This is not a suggestion for polite hospitality; it is a law of community protection. It demands justice, not just kindness.
Living This Out
This week, look for the ger in your path. It might be the new family at your child's school who speaks a different language. It might be the coworker who practices a different faith and feels completely out of place. Love them tangibly. Learn their names. Find out what they need to feel safe and established. You have power and belonging in your community; use it to build a bridge for someone else. Your own history of struggle is not a scar to hide. It is the very thing God uses to help you see who needs your welcome.
Main takeaway: God loves the foreigner. His people must love the foreigner too, because our own story of rescue is the reason we reach out.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God used to call His people strangers. They did not have a home, and they were very sad. God saved them. Now God says, when you see someone who does not have a home or friends, you love them. You be their friend, because I was your Friend when you needed one.
For ages 9, 12
Think of this verse as a memory test. God told Israel to remember they were once foreigners in Egypt. They knew what it felt like to be powerless and alone. That memory was supposed to shape how they treated everyone else. When you see someone who is new, different, or left out, you have the power to make them feel seen. Your own hard feelings are not wasted. God uses them to help you love someone else well.
Questions People Ask
What does the word 'foreigner' mean in Deuteronomy 10:19?
The Hebrew word is ger. It refers to a resident alien, someone living permanently in the land of Israel without his own inherited land, tribal protection, or full civic rights. He was dependent on the community's hospitality and justice.
Why does God tell Israel to love the foreigner?
God gives two reasons. First, God Himself loves the foreigner and defends the vulnerable (verse 18). Second, Israel was once a foreigner in Egypt. They knew what it felt like to be powerless, so they must never treat someone else that way.
How is this verse connected to the New Testament?
Jesus deepens this command in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10), where the person who acts as a neighbor is the one who shows mercy to the hated outsider. The Apostle Paul also echoes the heart of this command when he tells believers to do good to all people, especially those in the household of faith (Galatians 6:10).
Does this mean Christians must support open borders or specific immigration policies?
Christians apply this command in different ways. Some emphasize the responsibility of the state to enforce laws, while others emphasize the church's absolute call to show radical hospitality and mercy to the immigrant. Most traditions agree that the heart of the command is to treat the foreigner with dignity, justice, and active love.
What does it look like to 'love' a foreigner in daily life?
It means more than being friendly. In the Old Testament, this love included leaving grain in the fields for the poor to gather, using honest scales in the marketplace, and protecting the immigrant from injustice in court. Today, it can mean welcoming a refugee family, advocating for fair treatment of workers, learning a neighbor's language, or simply inviting someone who is alone into your home.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study