SCHOLARLY UPDATE

Hospitality
in Biblical Perspective

Walter A. Vogels

riting an article on hospitality in Sacred one classical biblical text on hospitality. By going deeper

W Scripture is not an easy task. I trust that we

are all aware how much so many of us, if
not all, use and abuse the Bible to prove
our point. Such a theology, which uses the Bible as proof
texts, quoting a few biblical verses taken here and there,
into one text I hope to avoid generalities on the topic
and, thus, of spouting platitudes without foundation.
Finally, I offer some references and comments on a few
other key incidents of hospitality in the Scriptures.

often out of context, to show the validity of a particular

dogmatic statement, has raised many objections over the
years. But I wonder if we have improved much in the new
theology or in pastoral work. The dan-
ger is very real that we can nearly
prove whatever we want with Sacred
Scripture. All biblical scholars agree
that it is extremely difficult to write a
theology of the Old Testament or of
the New Testament, not to mention a
theology of the whole Bible, since
there are so many, often conflicting,
views expressed in these texts.1 When
we want to use the Bible for ethical
questions, and "hospitality" is
undoubtedly one of them,2 it becomes
even more complex. I, therefore, begin
this study with some methodological
reflections. After these I study in detail
1. Methodological Reflections
The first question concerns what we mean by "hospitali-
Rev Walter A. Vogek, a member
of the Missionaries of Africa, L·
professor of Old Testament at
Saint Paul University, Ottawa,
Ontario, and guest prof essor at
universities and institutes world-
wide; he has published more
than twenty books and numerous
articles.
ty." Since Liturgical Ministry is directed
to liturgy, we may think of hospitality
in terms of our celebrations. The com-
munity can express this hospitality by
welcoming people when they come to
celebrate. In Tahiti every person
received a flower before entering the
church on Sundays, so one obviously
felt very welcome. Hospitality may also
include saying goodbye to people when
they leave the church, or even perhaps
offering coffee after the celebration in
the parish hall. It may be, however, that
people who are more socially involved
think of hospitality in a very different
way. For them hospitality could mean

Liturgical Ministry 11 (Fall 2002) 161-73 Page 161


Some people feel guilty
that they are not hospitable enough.
This is often blamed on our
western culture, which is said
to be too individualistic,
where we look only after
ourselves and our limited family.
to open the borders of our country to foreigners and
strangers, the immigrants or the refugees, legal or illegal,
the migrant workers, or also to help the members of our
own communities, or the street people, who are alone in
the big cities. For others still, hospitality may refer to the
beautiful custom of entertaining friends or neighbors.
And we can think of many more possibilities. I, therefore,
went to Webster's Third New International Dictionary
(1981) to find out how "hospitality" is defined, and this
is what I found: "the cordial and generous reception and
entertainment of guests or strangers socially or commer-
cially." I consulted a few other dictionaries, but this one
can suffice for our purpose. One notices that the word
"or" appears twice in this definition. It could be that hos-
pitality is toward guests "or" strangers; it could be that it
is directed socially "or" commercially. So even this defin-
ition leaves a lot of ambiguity on what type of hospitali-
ty we expect to find in the Bible.
Some people feel guilty that they are not hospitable
enough. This is often blamed on our western culture,
which is said to be too individualistic, where we look only
Page 162
after ourselves and our limited family.3 This selfish western
culture is then compared with other cultures that are
believed to be much more hospitable—eastern or African
cultures, for example. There are indeed beautiful examples
of hospitality in cultures other than ours. Now, many of
the first members of my community, the Missionaries of
Africa, were murdered in these very hostile regions when
they moved from North Africa further south through the
Sahara desert. So much for that hospitality! Even Cain
knew that nomads are not that welcoming (Gen 4:14). Any
person who has lived in countries or cultures that we call
hospitable may have experienced beautiful things, but he
or she may also at times have encountered rather negative
acceptance. Some citizens of different countries complain
that it is extremely difficult to get accepted as an immi-
grant in our countries, but reverse the situation and one
notices that is not only difficult, but at times totally impos-
sible, to get a visa—and certainly not a permanent one—
in some countries. The more we look at the type of hospi-
tality that includes being accepted as a stranger in another
country or culture, the more we realize that this is a com-
plex cultural and social issue.
As Christians we may turn to the Bible to try to find
out what it says about hospitality. Of course, some peo-
ple believe that the Bible represents a culture just as for-
eign as those to which we just referred. For example,
Joseph was a total foreigner, but was not only tolerated
but so welcomed in Egypt that he even became a kind of
vice-king (Gen 37:2—50:26).4 But if we leave such super-
ficial reading of the Scriptures and place the Joseph story
in its historical context, things become a little different.
When Joseph went down to Egypt, the Hyksos were in
power. Their name means "masters of foreign countries,"
which indicates that during that period the Egyptians
were dominated by foreigners. Several of the names of
these Hyksos show that they were Semitic people, which
the Egyptians are not. Since Joseph belonged to the
Semitic race, he was not really a "foreigner" when he
arrived in Egypt. The beginning of the book of Exodus
describes what happened after Joseph's death: "Then
there came to power in Egypt a new king who knew
nothing of Joseph ..." (Exod 1:8). What this means is very
simple: it refers to the period in which the Egyptians suc-
ceeded in regaining their own authority, again became
masters in their own country, and were not interested at
all in these foreigners who had dominated them. On the
contrary, they start oppressing Israel (Exod 8:8-22). This
does not sound very different from what happens all over
the world, then and now, in the east or in the west, in the
north or in the south. After Israel successfully left the
oppression in Egypt as a free people and began the trek
to the promised land, they did not encounter too much
Liturgical Ministry Fall 2002
of the famous oriental hospitality. Right in the beginning
of their march through the desert they were attacked by
the Amalekites (Exod 17:8-16). The Amalekites saw them
as a threat, and indeed the resources in the desert, espe- The more we look
cially of water, are rather limited. Later in the desert
Moses sends messengers to the king of Edom: "To the
king of Edom. A Message from your brother Israel. You
know well enough the extremity to which we have been at the type of hospitality
reduced ... We ask permission to pass through your land.
We will not cross any fields or vineyards; we will not
drink any water from the wells." These poor and exhaust-
ed refugees don't ask for immigration status, not even for
that includes being accepted
temporary help; they only ask permission to pass
through the land. But this is the answer of the king of
Edom: "You shall not pass through my country; if you do, as a stranger in another country
I will come to attack you" (Num 20:14-21). Is this, then,
the oriental or biblical hospitality that is often exalted or
romanticized? Any reader of the Bible is aware of the
numerous conflicts, wars, and barbarism that are or culture, the more we realize
described, not only by the nations, the "others," but also
by Israel itself. All these texts are, thus, a counter-witness
to hospitality.
But there are also some texts in the Bible that seem to that this is a complex
be beautiful examples of hospitality, but how should we
read these texts, and how can we use or apply them to our
modern Christian ethics? Lately T.R. Hobbs has warned
us against the danger of what Moses Finley called "the cultural and social issue.
teleological fallacy" which is the tendency to use ancient
documents as "a springboard for a modern polemic,"5
something that is often done with biblical texts.6 How,
then, do we interpret these texts? B.J. Malina distinguish-
es two very different approaches. He calls the first the tality in the Bible, but they are all done according to the
"received view," a philosophy of science label that refers "received view." Some study the topic in the whole
to an understanding held by a great number of scholars Bible,10 others in particular sections, or in individual
that is also the popular understanding. He opposes this texts. There is no complete monograph on hospitality
view with the "social sciences view," an understanding in the Old Testament, but W. Janzen in his book on Old
enlightened by the social sciences.7 There is no doubt that Testament ethics has devoted several pages to the topic,
all human behavior is conditioned by the social context, because he considers hospitality a central ethical issue.11
and hospitality is no exception to this. Roland de Vaux On hospitality in the New Testament there are several
mentions how even today for nomads the necessity of studies. One recent one is by J. Koenig.12 These studies
hospitality became a virtue, but Hobbs wonders if the have applied the best of biblical scholarship to analyze
necessity creates a virtue.8 There are not too many motels the texts, but they do not take the social context enough
in the middle of the desert, so the traveler can only count into account. Biblical scholars using the historical criti-
on the goodwill of the local people. There was a time cal methods often examine the Sitz im Leben of the
when children took their old parents into their home; texts, but they are generally not trained in the social sci-
now most of the time older people try to stay as long as ences. Recently, since the appearance of new method-
possible in their own home or move into a home for the ologies in biblical studies, some scholars have applied
elderly. Does that now mean that children have become the social sciences to the study and interpretation of
less hospitable toward their parents? The changed social biblical texts.13 Texts are the product of a social system
conditions in our society play an extremely important or context; they express the life of people living in par-
role in this.9 ticular socio-historical conditions. Three scholars have
There are a certain number of publications on hospi- applied this methodology to biblical texts on hospitali-

Vogels: Hospitality in Biblical Perspective Page 163


Abraham's guests
were not expected,
they were not invited guests.
but unknown travelers—
hospitality therefore, means
to change them into guests.
ty. They have discovered that in the Ancient Near East
hospitality followed strict rules that had to be observed
by both host and guest. They have wondered what
motivated the host in welcoming a guest, and they all
concluded that it was not the personal satisfaction of
being nice to people, or pure charity, or simple concern
for the other; they discovered that in small-scale soci-
eties what underlay an attitude of hospitality were the
honor and the reputation of the host.14 B.J. Malina was
the first to present a model.15 V.H. Matthews proposes a
different but complementary one,16 and T.R. Hobbs
combines the two.17 These models are based upon the
observation of the practice of hospitality, but they are
not a rigid outline of all the elements that everybody
always followed; they help us, however, to understand
how people functioned at that time. Whatever model
these scholars propose, they all agree on the following
definition of hospitality: "The meaning of hospitality is
the transformation of the unknown traveler into guest,
from 'stranger' into one of the circle of friends for how-
ever short a time."18 One notices already several inter-
esting differences with the Webster Dictionary defini-
tion. Let us now see how these models work in one par-
ticular text of the Scriptures.
Page 164
2. The Hospitality of Abraham
(Genesis 18:1-16)
Since it is so often presented as "the" example of biblical
hospitality,19 let us begin with the story of Abraham who
receives the three visitors. Some suggest that Abraham's
hospitality is exalted in the New Testament parable of the
rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31; see also Matt
8:11)—while the rich man had not opened his house to
the poor Lazarus, Abraham receives him in his bosom.
But I must admit that I have a few questions about this
hospitality of Abraham in the gospel: he refuses to offer
even a drop of water to the rich person.20 But whatever
later interpretations may say about Abraham, he certain-
ly receives his three visitors well. I had stressed his hospi-
tality in an earlier publication,21 but in my more recent
study on Abraham after the feminist readings of the Bible
became more vocal, I wondered about his exemplary
hospitality. Abraham gives orders to his servants and to
Sarah, whom he treats like a servant, and they have to
prepare the meal; she is not even present to the visitors—
she is in the kitchen even though the promise certainly
concerns her.22 But such readings start from our culture,
from our sensitivities, and from our social systems. Let us
now read the story according to the social sciences view
and use the model of hospitality of the ancient Near East
and not our model.
The visitors arrive "while [Abraham] was sitting by
the entrance of the tent" (v. 1), and "he ran from the
entrance of the tent to meet them" (v. 2). The text speci-
fies several distinct spaces, which is understandable, since
the guest is always received in the home of the host.
Abraham is sitting by the entrance of the tent and runs to
meet them. He is thus outside of his home, in the public,
outside world where the man has the authority. This does
not mean at all that the woman has no authority; on the
contrary, she has it inside, in the privacy of the home.
This space is clearly indicated in the text: "Abraham has-
tened to the tent to find Sarah" (v. 6) and to the question
of the visitors where Sarah is, Abraham answers: "she is
in the tent" (v. 9); this is her domain. There is a third
space, the world in between the outside and the inside,
the inner court, where the two worlds meet and where
the tasks are shared; this is also mentioned in the text:
"Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent" (v. 10).
Both man and woman are important in offering hospi-
tality; one is not dominating the other. Their roles are not
in opposition, but they are complementary.23
While Abraham is sitting at the entrance of the tent,
"he lifted up his eyes, and he saw, and behold (hinneh)
three men standing near him" (v. 2). This "hinneh" shows
his surprise. These people were not expected, they were
Liturgical Ministry Fall 2002
not invited guests, but unknown travelers—hospitality,
therefore, means to change them into guests. The Old
Testament uses two technical terms to speak about
strangers. One is ger> often translated as "stranger" or Normally this visitor
"resident alien," a person who resided in Israel and had
rights and obligations that were stipulated in the Torah
(Exod 22:21; 23:9,12); the person was thus not seen as a
threat. There is also the nokri, the "foreigner," a tempo- was testedy
rary resident like a prisoner of war or a slave.24 We are
often inclined to think that hospitality is toward the
"stranger"; this is not the case in the Old Testament: "In
the classic texts of hospitality in the First Testament there and several texts
are no examples of hospitality being extended to the
'stranger'"25 and, of course, this is even more so for the
"foreigner" who had no rights at all and was considered a
threat. Hobbs, therefore, says that hospitality is not indicate clearly
extended to these two categories but to the unknown
traveler or, in his terms, to the "unknown friend."
Normally this visitor was tested, and several texts indicate
clearly that some were not welcome at all. Murderers or that some were
fugitives from the law were not granted hospitality; they
could, of course, impose themselves by threat or intimi-
dation (see, for instance, David in 1 Sam 21) but for such
people there were the cities of refuge (Num 35:11-19)
not welcome at all
where the person could find "sanctuary" (v. 11) or legal
protection, but this is not hospitality. It is, indeed, not
wise or prudent to open one's house to anybody: "Do not
bring every man home with you, for many are the traps
of the crafty" (Sir 11:29); "Bring a stranger home with guests. The host speaks and not the guests: Abraham
you and he will start trouble, and estrange you from your extends the invitation. Normally a man offered the invi-
own family" (Sir 11:34). The Abraham story does not tation; the husband invited a person into the family
refer to any test that the patriarch imposed on the three home, or a full citizen in good standing in the communi-
men. Their exterior appearance must have given him ty (often the chief) if the guest was invited into the
confidence, as can be seen by the title he uses to address town.26 At times, however, the wife could invite the visi-
them: "My Lord" (Adonaï), a title even used for God tors, which is of course understandable since she played a
(Gen 15:2, 8). great role in receiving guests in the house, which was her
As a good host Abraham must pay respect to his domain. Some texts mention such invitations by a
guests, and that is what he does: "As soon as he saw them woman; a clear example is that of Dame Wisdom and
he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, and Dame Folly, who invite the passerby to their respective
bowed down to the ground" (v. 2). The verbs stress banquets (Prov 9:1-6, 13-18; see also Gen 24; Exod 2; 1
Abraham's hospitality. Instead of going inside and clos- Sam 25; 2 Kgs 4). The expression "if I have found favor in
ing his home to the visitors, he runs toward them like a your eyes" is a solemn formula introducing an important
person does to welcome a member of the family whom request (Gen 19:19; 30:27; 32:6; 33:8,10,15; 47:29; 50:4).
he has not seen for a long time (Gen 29:13; 33:4; Luke Abraham's request is: "do not pass by." The text illustrates
15:20). Abraham bows to the ground in a gesture of clearly that hospitality is motivated by the honor of the
respect (Gen 23:12; 42:6). Everything follows the rules of host. For these visitors to stay would honor Abraham,
hospitality at that time. The first words Abraham who does not even wait for their acceptance.
addresses to his visitors are: "My Lord, if I have found He goes on to enumerate what he intends to offer
favor in your eyes, please do not pass your servant by" (v. them: "Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet,
3). This seems like a reversal of the roles; the guest is and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little
called "My Lord," while the host calls himself "your ser- bread, that you may refresh yourself" (w. 4-5). Abraham
vant"; indeed, the host puts himself at the service of his repeats "a little" for the water and for the bread. This is

Vogels: Hospitality in Biblical Perspective Page 165


In this story hospitality
is a question of honor;
this great woman
will obviously
increase her status
in the town ofShunem
when its citizens hear
thatElisha dines in her home.
how the host starts the invitation, he suggests that he will
give just a little thing. The host is then free to add more
later. If he were to start by offering expensive things the
guest might feel that he is imposing. After this simple
offer, Abraham's guests are not embarrassed to accept:
"Do as you say" (v. 5). The visitor has the right to refuse,
but this would really be considered an insult to the host,
and it could be enough to create hostility and violence.
Once the guest accepts the invitation of the host both
have then to follow the rules. The guest has no right to ask
for anything, but the host is now free to offer more than
just the little he promised. The text describes the splendid
banquet Abraham prepares for them and in which Sarah
also becomes a player (w. 6-8). Everything has to be done
fast: Abraham "hastened"; he says to Sarah, "hurry"; he
himself was "running"; and the servant "hurried." The
text stresses the quality of the meal. The "fine flour" for
the bread is the flour required for the cultural offerings
Page 166
(Lev 24:5), the meat must be from "a fine and tender calf."
Not only the quality but also the quantity is impressive:
"three bushels" (one bushel corresponds to eight liters)
and a whole calf—and all that for only three persons.
Husband and wife both have their proper, specific, accept-
ed role: the man prepares the meat, and the woman bakes
the bread. Some feminists may object to the work of the
woman in the kitchen; others look at it as very human—
animals do not prepare their food; to prepare a meal can
even be an art. Everything Abraham and Sarah offer their
visitors is typical of the code of hospitality; it entails
washing of the feet (Judg 19:21; Luke 7:44), drink, food,
and shelter. While the guests are eating, the host
"remained standing near them" ready to serve, since he is,
indeed, the servant of "My Lord."
There is another interesting detail in the story: after
Abraham offers hospitality to the visitors he says, "before
going further" (v. 5). Hospitality was always offered for a
limited time period, and host and guest mostly agreed on
this before the acceptance, as is done here before the
guests say, "Do as you say." That period could afterward
be extended if both parties consented; it was done at the
initiative of the host, but hospitality was never an offer of
permanent residence. The longest stay that is attested in
the biblical stories is four nights, and this was already an
extended stay (Judg 19:4-9). If a guest stayed longer, he
would become a burden to the host; conversely, if the
host kept the guest longer, this could be interpreted as
hostility (Gen 24:31, 54-61), and the guest could feel
detained because the host was responsible for his safety
as long as he was under his roof.27 There are cases where
a person marries a daughter of the house and stays, but
then the hospitality is over, and he has to work to earn his
living (Gen 29:15; Exod 3:1).
Hospitality does not require that the guest try to com-
pensate or offer something in return. What was expected,
however, is that the guest would share the news—that
alone was a good reason to receive visitors—or that he
would express his gratitude, give a blessing, or wish the
host good luck. This is precisely what Abraham's visitors
do so well: "I shall visit you again next year without fail,
and your wife will then have a son" (w. 10,14).
The visit ends with another observance of the rules of
hospitality—the host accompanies his guests on their
way out: "Then the men set out from there ... and
Abraham accompanying them to show them the way" (v.
16).
The story of the three visitors clearly shows the great
hospitality of Abraham, who behaves perfectly according
to the social rules of his time. The hospitality described
in this story is not accepting strangers or foreigners, nor
is it entertaining friends; it is something in between.
Liturgical Ministry Fall 2002
3. Some Other Key Incidents of Hospitality
The rules of hospitality seen in the story of Abraham can
also be verified in other biblical stories. In the Old
Testament there are several texts that could be called clas-
sical examples of hospitality: Genesis 18:1-16; 19:1-11;
24:15-61; 29:1-11; Exodus 2:15-22; Joshua 2,1-21;
Judges 19; 1 Samuel 25; 1 Kings 17:8-16 and 2 Kings 4.28
The social sciences models have been worked out based
upon these stories. I look briefly on two of these texts in
which we notice differences with the Abraham story, to
give a more complete picture of hospitality in the Old
Testament.
The hospitality ofLot (Gen 19:1-11). This story, which
comes right after the Abraham story, has many similari-
ties with it (see box, below), but shows at the same time
important differences that again can be explained by the
social sciences model.29 The similarities are obvious; both
Abraham and Lot follow the same pattern: the two men
and not their wives invite; the hospitality implies washing
of feet and offering food, drink, and shelter; also a time
limit is specified by the host. An important difference is
the location where Abraham and Lot meet the visitors;
Abraham sits at the entrance of his own home; Lot is sit-
ting at "the gate of the town." This is the place where all
official business of the town is handled. The two visitors
who come to this place have to be transformed into
guests. It is surprising that Lot takes the initiative because
he is not really a citizen of Sodom but only a permanent
resident (ger, see v. 9). He had settled there after his sepa-
ration from Abraham (Gen 13:12-13). One wonders,
therefore, if he has the right to decide who can stay in the
town. Lot will bring the visitors to his home where he has
the authority, but the house is inside the town, and to
control who comes into the town is a concern of the
Abraham (18:1-8)
he was sitting by the entrance of the tent
he saw them and ran to meet them
he bowed to the ground
he said: "My Lord ...
do not pass your servant by
you shall wash your feet, and rest...
before going further
a little bread, makes loaves ...
and they ate.
Vogels: Hospitality in Biblical Perspective
Our readings start
from our culture,
from our sensitivities,
and from our social systems.
whole community. But since nobody else seems to invite
the passing travelers, Lot feels perhaps obliged to do so,
but he transgresses the rules. The visitors refuse to accept
the invitation: "No, we will spend the night in the street"
(v. 2). Any visitor has the right to refuse, so they are total-
ly in their right. The text does not give their reason. Did
they know that Lot was not a full citizen of the town?
Visitors had also the right to spend the night in the street,
but that would not be a good sign for the hospitality of
the people in Sodom, and it would not add to the honor
or the reputation of Sodom, which was already very low
(Gen 13:13; 18:17-33). Lot insists, and now the visitors
accept; why they changed their mind is also not men-
tioned. After their acceptance Lot treats them with every-
thing that is expected from a good host; he does exactly
like Abraham did with the same visitors in his home.
Lot (19:1-3)
he was sitting at the gate of Sodom
he saw them and rose to meet them
he bowed to the ground
he said: "My Lords ...
come down to your servant's house
to stay the night and wash your feet
in the morning you can continue your journey
he prepared a meal, baking bread
and they ate.
Page 167

It is normally the man
who invites the guests.
but since hospitality
is offered in the home,
the domain of the woman,
she has an important role to play,
and in some cases she invites.
The story, however, does not end there. "They had not
gone to bed when the house was surrounded by the men
of the town, the men of Sodom both young and old, all
the people without exception" (v. 4). It looks like an offi-
cial town council meeting, all are there to judge the
action of Lot and to evaluate the visitors. The citizens,
who alone had the right to invite or to ban the visitors
from the town, feel insulted and wonder who these visi-
tors are. They want to find out, since they may be dan-
gerous men. "Lot came out to them at the door, and hav-
ing closed the door behind him" (v. 6). In the town the
citizens are the masters, but in his own house Lot is in
charge. The citizens know this; they do not force their
way into Lot's home but they call him from outside. Only
after Lot does not obey their request do they want to
force the door (v. 9). Since Lot is the host and the guests
have accepted his hospitality in his house, Lot is respon-
sible for their well being. This aspect of hospitality is very
clearly illustrated in the story. Lot wants to save the guests
at all costs even to the point of offering his daughters
Page 168
instead (v. 8), a concession that is certainly very upsetting
to the modern reader (and perhaps to the ancient reader
as well), but it illustrates in a extreme way that the guest
is sacred to the host. The citizens of Sodom are really
upset by the actions of Lot because he is a "stranger" or a
"alien" in their town: "This fellow came here as an alien,
and he would play the judge!" (v. 9).
The hospitality of the woman of Shunem (2 Kgs
4:8-37). This is another interesting story that illustrates
other aspects of the social code of hospitality.30 The text
has attracted a lot of attention lately on the roles played
by the woman and the different men in the story and on
their power and their economic and sexual relationships.
I limit myself in this article to the hospitality manifested
in the story as seen from the social sciences perspective.
As we have seen earlier, the husband has the authority
outside, the woman inside the home; both have their
domain where they have the power, and thus their roles
are complementary. It is normally the man who invites
the guests, but since hospitality is offered in the home,
the domain of the woman, she has an important role to
play, and in some cases she invites.
The text introduces a woman gedolah, "a great
woman," which has been translated in different ways: "a
wealthy woman" (NRSV), "a well-to-do woman" (NEB),
"a woman of influence" (NAB), "a woman of rank"
(NJB). She really plays an important role in the story.
Contrary to the two preceding stories, not the man but
the great woman invites; her husband stays in the back-
ground. And she does more than simply invite the travel-
er: "she pressed him" (v. 8), she wants to have the honor
of receiving Elisha. Abraham and Lot did not know the
identity of their visitors, but here the person who passes
by is known, he is Elisha, and the woman has recognized
in him "a holy man of God" (v. 9), like a local hero for
whom villagers would do anything.31 She offers him what
hospitality implies: "she pressed him to eat some bread
(food)" (v. 8). Hospitality is a question of honor; this
great woman will obviously increase her status in the
town of Shunem when its citizens hear that Elisha dines
in her home. All this is not done without the knowledge
of the husband and certainly not against the will of her
husband (see later v. 9); on the contrary, her initiative has
a repercussion upon his honor too. The best illustration
of this is found in the alphabetic poem on the perfect
woman (Prov 31:10-31), where the text says explicitly
how the woman's prestige and actions honor her hus-
band: "Her husband is respected at the city gates, taking
his seat among the elders of the land" (v. 23). Elisha has
accepted the invitation. He even must have liked it, since
"afterwards whenever he came that way, he stopped there
Liturgical Ministry Fall 2002
for a meal" (v. 8). The passing traveler has become a guest
friend. The woman wants to do more for that important
guest who honors her home so much, and after discus- Hospitality still means
sion with her husband they decide, "Let us make a small
roof chamber with walls, and put there for him a bed, a
table, a chair, and a lamp, so that he can stay there when-
ever he comes to us" (v. 9). They desire to offer their guest to make the other,
more than food, but also shelter as good hospitality
requires. She proposes to build a "small" room, which
again is very typical—one offers something little and
after that one can offer more. They do not exactly build a of whom we spoke
"small" room, but the location on the roof and also all
the furniture in it make of this room a penthouse. Elisha
also accepts that part of their hospitality: "One day when
he came there, he went up to the upper room, and lay as the unknown friend,
down" (v. 11).
Until now the woman and her husband have played
the role of hosts and Elisha the role of guest. Now Elisha
takes the initiative, but what he does raises a problem into a guest
according to the hospitality code. He makes his servant
deliver the following message to the woman: "Since you
have taken all this trouble for us, what may be done for
you? Would you have a word spoken on your behalf to No culture has ever accepted
the king or to the commander of the army?" (v. 13). A
guest was not supposed to reciprocate for what he
received, so Elisha does not follow the rules. If he would
do what he proposes, the woman would feel indebted to
just anybody who comes along;
him and so her hospitality would no longer honor her.
One can wonder if in this case things are not a little dif-
ferent. Since the hospitality offered to the occasional the person has to pass the test.
passing traveler was always for a limited period, and
Elisha has become a frequent guest, the hospitality he
receives has become a custom. But still, the woman refus-
es the offer—she and her husband have everything they
want: "I live among my own people" (v. 13), and this is and the early Christians. During such a long period the
something Elisha cannot say; he remains a passerby in social structures certainly changed. Nomads don't have
Shunem even if he visitsfrequently.Elisha does not give motels in the desert, but the gospels suggest that the sit-
up after her refusal, and he says to his servant: "What uation is different. After Mary gave birth to Jesus, "she
then may be done for her?" (v. 14). A guest could offer laid him in a manger because there was no room for
news or give a blessing or a promise. As the visitors of them at the inn" (Luke 2:7). But whatever the social
Abraham promised the birth of a child (Gn 18:10), so changes may have been, the hospitality described in the
does Elisha: "This time next year, you will hold a son in New Testament still seems to follow in many ways the
your arms" (v. 16a), but even that the woman judges code we found in the Old Testament texts.
unnecessary, and she objects to it (v. 16b).
All the examples I have given until now are taken from Jesus as guest. We cannot speak of Jesus' hospitality
the Old Testament. We can also have a look at what the unless we refer to Jesus' inviting his disciples for a meal
New Testament has to say on hospitality in the life of after the resurrection: "As soon as they came ashore they
Jesus and in the life of the early Church. I have stressed saw that there was bread there, and a charcoal fire with
that hospitality follows a certain social code. The prob- fish cooking on it" (John 21:9), but this is not inviting a
lem is, then, to discover the code that corresponds to each traveler or a passerby; rather, Jesus organizes a party for
period. If we accept that Abraham lived in the nineteenth his friends. To play the role of a host, one must have a
century B.C., then there are twenty centuries between him home where the guests can be received, and it is a disput-

Vogels: Hospitality in Biblical Perspective Page 169


It is thus rather clear
that the hospitality
of which these texts speak
is hospitality not
to any stranger
who comes along
to the outsider,
but to the members
of the community.
ed question if Jesus had his own home.32 Jesus, however,
had often been the guest in the house of others who host-
ed him and, there, Jesus followed the rules of hospitality.
A guest has no right to insult the host. Jesus was several
times invited to eat with sinners and tax collectors:
"While he was at dinner in the house it happened that a
number of tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the
table with Jesus and his disciples" (Matt 9:10; Luke 5:29),
Jesus accepts their presence without judging or con-
demning them, even to the indignation of some of the
Pharisees. The guest remains a guest and cannot take the
place of the host: "When someone invites you to a wed-
ding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honor"
(Luke 14:8). The guest has to accept whatever is offered:
Page 170
"If you enter a house anywhere, stay there ... And if any
place does not welcome you ... as you walk away ..."
(Mark 6:10-11). He also cannot give the orders. When
Jesus is invited by Martha and Mary, he refuses to give
orders to tell Mary what to do or not to do (Luke 10:40).
The hospitality implies food, a meal, but the custom of
the washing of the feet is still part of it in Jesus' time. This
is well illustrated in the story of Simon the Pharisee, who
has failed to offer this, while a woman walks in and does
it (Luke 7:36-50). This story has remarkable similarities
with the story of the great woman of Shunem.33 Jesus is
often invited by Pharisees (Luke 7:36; 11:37; 14:1), which
resembles the case of Elisha who is invited as a holy man
of God. It must have been an honor to have this intrigu-
ing man at table to discuss with him some religious
issues.
Jesus does follow the basic rules of the guest; at times,
however, he acts contrary to these rules. A guest cannot
impose oneself or ask for something. But when Jesus
passes through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem and meets
Zacchaeus, he does not wait to be invited; on the con-
trary, he tells Zacchaeus: "Come down. Hurry, because I
must stay at your house today" (Luke 19:1-10). Abraham
was in a hurry but he was the host; in this case, the guest
tells someone to hurry to receive him. Jesus does not ask
if he could stay, if Zacchaeus perhaps might have a room
available. He gives an order: "I must stay in your house."
Strange behavior for a guest!34 And Jesus tells Simon, who
was his host but who had not done what he was supposed
to do as a good host toward his guest, what he should
have done. Jesus is not satisfied with what he received
(Luke 7:36-50). Jesus observes the rules of hospitality but
he also goes against them. Would it be that the rules had
changed that much by his time, or would it be that Jesus
feels free from them, as he does at times concerning some
of the stipulations of the Torah? He also tells his disciples
that they have the right to ask for hospitality: "Whatever
town or village you go into, ask for someone trustworthy
and stay with him until you leave" (Matt 10:11). Note
that Jesus forbids his disciples to go wherever they want;
they have to stay with someone "trustworthy."
Jesus at times is refused hospitality, but this is not
because he is Jesus but simply in accordance with the cus-
tom. Hospitality was offered to the unknown traveler
who had to be transformed into a guest, but it was not
offered to the stranger or the foreigner. Such people were
intruders and a threat to the community, as we have seen
in some of the concerns of the citizens of Sodom. The
Gerasenes, therefore, ask Jesus, who is a stranger in that
region, to leave: "They began to implore Jesus to leave the
neighborhood" (Mark 5:17). The same can explain why
the Samaritans did not receive him, and the text explains
Liturgical Ministry Fall 2002
why: "but they (the Samaritans) did not receive him
because his face was set toward Jerusalem" (Luke 9:53).
This is not a person who can become a guest.
We should perhaps
The hospitality of the early Church. As Elisha, the
holy man of God, enjoyed the hospitality in Shunem, and
as Jesus in a similar capacity was invited as a guest by sev-
eral people, the same did happen in the early Church. not feel guilty and look at other
The first missionaries were invited by people wherever
they would go: "Peter stayed on some time in Jaffa, lodg-
ing with a leather-tanner called Simon" (Acts 9:43; 10:18,
32), and after Peter has preached in the house of so-called hospitable cultures,
Cornelius, "they begged him to stay on for some days"
(Acts 10:48). In both cases Peter is neither a "stranger"
nor a "foreigner," and his stay as guest is for a limited
time. Paul is received in Malta on his missionary travels all good people from wherever and
(Acts 28:1-10). This is a very interesting story; as a
passerby traveler he has to undergo a test to verify that he
is not a murderer. After Paul passes the test perfectly, the
people wonder if he is not a god ("they began to say he whenever have practiced hospitality,
was a god"; v. 6), and so they have no problems receiving
him. What an honor! "In that neighborhood there were
estates belonging to the prefect of the island, whose name
was Publius. He received us and entertained us hos- of course according
pitably for three days" (Acts 28:7). Once more several
rules of the hospitality code are observed: Paul is invited
by the head of the community, who certainly considers it
an honor to receive this "god" (v. 6), but it is for the lim-
to different patterns.
ited period of three days.
Several texts invite Christians to practice hospitality:
"Contribute to the needs of the saints, exercise hospitali-
ty" (Rom 12:13), "Be hospitable to one another without
complaining" (1 Pet 4:9). "Let mutual love continue. Do hospitality not to any stranger36 who comes along, to the
not neglect hospitality, for through it some have outsider, but to the members of the community, which is
unknowingly entertained angels" (Heb 13:1-2), with a in line with what we saw in the Old Testament. That
clear reference to Abraham's hospitality (Gen 18). All restriction becomes even clearer if one notices the rec-
these texts mention clearly hospitality toward members ommendations to avoid a certain number of people: "In
of the Christian community.35 The texts speak of "mutu- fact what I meant was that you were not to have anything
al," "to one another," even if hospitality did not require to do with anyone going by the name of brother who is
reciprocation. These texts, however, do not necessarily sexually immoral, or is greedy, or worships false gods, or
say that the person who had been a guest should in turn is a slanderer or a drunkard or dishonest; never have a
receive the host as a guest; the texts rather recommend meal with anybody ofthat kind" (1 Cor 5:11). Here Paul
that the communities be hospitable to each other. The is speaking of a "brother," thus another Christian (see
leaders of the community especially should practice hos- also Tit 3:10; 2 John 9-11; Jude 23). Such texts of the New
pitality, which, once more, is totally according to the Testament are not different from those of the Old
rules: "A bishop must be ... hospitable ..." (1 Tim 3:1-2). Testament (see above Sir 11:29,34); they are thus far from
The same applies to the widows in the community: "She the principle of opening wide the door to anybody.
must be one who has ... shown hospitality, washed the
saints' feet" (1 Tim 5:9-10). The text mentions another
normal part of hospitality, the washing of the feet, but
Conclusion
this text also clearly refers to the saints. It is thus rather What does all this say, then, to us in our North American
clear that the hospitality of which these texts speak is context? Obviously the social structures that guided the

Vogels: Hospitality in Biblical Perspective Page 171

code (or the codes) of hospitality in the biblical tradition
were very different from our social structures. We are liv-
ing forty centuries after the patriarchs. If in their times
there were no motels in the desert, we find hotels and
motels in our cities and along the highways. The passing
traveler can choose. And still, hospitality has been prac-
ticed during all these centuries, and it also is practiced in
our culture today. Hospitality still means to make the
other, of whom we spoke as the unknown friend, into a
guest. No culture has ever accepted just anybody who
comes along; the person has to pass the test. The host
invites, and no guest may impose or push himself or her-
self into the home of the other. Host and guest have to
respect some rules; we all know what in our culture is
acceptable and what is not. Basically, hospitality is still
offering food, drink, and shelter, and even if we don't
wash the feet of people anymore, the host is still now con-
cerned about this aspect of the guest and will offer him or
her the restroom (or comfort room, as they say so beauti-
fully in the Philippines). Any guest knows that even in the
mind of the most generous host there is a timeframe:the
guest cannot just move in; otherwise the relationship
becomes stressed. Even if in our society we expect perhaps
some type of reciprocity, we still believe that hospitality is
somehow gratuitous. After the guest has offered a little
gift, the host will say: "you should not have done this," and
after the guest has thanked the host, the latter may say:
"my pleasure." These are not empty formulas, they really
express the deep feelings of the host toward the guest.
Often the host will accompany the leaving guest and bring
him or her to the car, a custom already practiced by the
patriarchs (but not with a car!).
We should perhaps not feel guilty as we look at other
so-called hospitable cultures. All good people,fromwher-
ever and whenever, have practiced hospitality according
to different patterns, but at the same time hospitality is
basically the same all over the world. Some people insist
upon what distinguishes cultures from each other, but
one can also stress what humanity has in common.37
1. W. Vogels, "Cette impossible théologie biblique? Bilan et prospectives,"
Science et Esprit 48 (1996) 251-71; W. Vogels, "Trends in Biblical
Theology" Theology Digest 45 (1998)123-28.
2. T.W. Ogletree, Hospitality to the Stranger: Dimensions of Moral
Understanding (Philadelphia, Fortress, 1985).
3. In Koenig's book Hospitality in the New Testament (listed in note 12),
J.R. Donahue writes in the Editor's Foreword: "... Our present period
seems preoccupied with individual autonomy and the prosperity of
family and friends" (ix) and he goes on to say how different it is in the
New Testament, which would be so concerned about the homeless and
the stranger.
4. I give here a few examples of Joseph, the Exodus, and the period of the
desert. Whatever the precise historical truth of these stories may be,
this is not important for our study here. The texts clearly express how
the writers saw the relations between their own people and foreigners.
For a discussion on these texts see W. Vogels, Moise aux multiples vis-
Page 172
ages: De VExode au Deutéronome, Coll. Lire la Bible 114 (Paris:
Cerf/Montréal: Médiaspaul, 1997); W. Vogels, Exodus, Coll. Belichting
van het Bijbelboek ('s-Hertogenbosch: Katholieke Bijbelstichting/
Leuven: Vlaamse Bijbelstichting, 2001).
5. M.I. Finley, Ancient Slavery and Modern Ideology (Harmondsworth:
Penguin Books, 1983) 110; quoted in T.R. Hobbs, "Hospitality in the
First Testament and the 'Teleological Fallacy,'" Journal for the Study of
the Old Testament 95 (2001) 5.
6. See my discussion on another but similar question related to the pref-
erential option for the poor, which some want to base upon the
Scriptures: W. Vogels, "Biblical Theology for the 'Haves' and the 'Have-
Nots,'" Science et Esprit 39 (1987) 193-210.
7. B.J. Malina, "The Received View and What It Cannot Do: III John and
Hospitality," Semeia 35 (1986) 171-94.
8. R. De Vaux, Les Institutions de VAncien Testament, Vol 1 (Paris: Cerf,
1958); "La loi de l'hospitalité et d'asile," pp. 25-26; " ... l'hospitalité est
une nécessité de la vie au désert, mais cette nécessité est devenue une
vertu," p. 25; T.R. Hobbs,"Hospitality in the First Testament": "There is
a danger here, of course, of making a virtue out of sociological neces-
sity" (p. 5).
9. W. Vogels, "Lève-toi devant des cheveux blancs (Lv 19:32)," Parabole 24
(2002) n.3, pp. 8-10.
10. For instance: P.A. Sisti, "L'ospitalità nella prassi e nell' insegnamento
della Bibbia," Liber Annuus 17 (1967) 303-34; J. Schriener,
"Gastfreundschaft im Zeugnis der Bibel," Trierer theologische Zeitschrift
89 (1980) 50-60.
11. W. Janzen, Old Testament Ethics: A Paradigmatic Approach (Louisville:
Westminster/J. Knox, 1994) especially pp. 36-38,42-44, 55-56,177-78,
206-09.
12. J. Koenig, New Testament Hospitality: Partnership with Strangers as
Promise and Mission, Coll. Overtures to Biblical Theology 17
(Philadelphia: Fortress, 1985).
13. R.R. Wilson, Sociological Approaches to the Old Testament, Coll. Guides
to Biblical Scholarship Old Testament Series (Philadelphia: Fortress,
1984); J.H. Elliot, What is Social-scientific Criticism? Coll. Guides to
Biblical Scholarship New Testament Series (Minneapolis: Fortress,
1993). How much biblical scholars can learn and have to learn from
other sciences is marvelously illustrated by W.G. Dever, What Did the
Biblical Writers Know & When Did They Know It? What Archaeology
Can Tell Us about the Reality of Ancient Israel (Grand Rapids: W.B.
Eerdmans,2001).
14. M. Herzfeld, "As in Your Own House: Hospitality, Ethnography and the
Stereotype of Mediterranean Society," Honor and Shame and the Unity
of the Mediterranean, D.D. Gilmore (ed.) (Washington, D.C.: American
Anthropological Association, 1987) 75-89. On this question of honor
there is a general agreement among the experts and, therefore, W.
Jenzen's definition of hospitality is questionable from a biblical per-
spective: "Hospitality, a term defined in our study as the unquestion-
ing sharing of life resources with others even at personal risk and for
no other reason than need" {Old Testament Ethics, p. 156).
15. B.J. Malina, "The Received View and What It Cannot Do," in which he
reacts against the views proposed by Abraham J. Malherbe in his article
"Hospitality and Inhospitality in the Church" (1977), reprinted in his
book Social Aspects of Early Christianity (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1983).
16. V.H. Matthews, "Hospitality and Hostility in Judges 4," Biblical
Theology Bulletin 21 (1991) 13-21; V.H. Matthews, "Hospitality and
Hostility in Genesis 19 and Judges 19," Biblical Theology Bulletin 22
(1992)3-11.
17. T.R. Hobbs, "Man, Woman and Hospitality: 2 Kings 4:8-36," Biblical
Theology Bulletin 23 (1993) 91-100; T.R. Hobbs, "Hospitality in the
First Testament and the 'Teleological Fallacy,'" Journal for the Study of
the Old Testament 95 (2001) 3-30.
18. Hobbs, "Hospitality in the First Testament," 17; Hobbs put the word
"stranger" between quotation marks to avoid misunderstanding since
for us "stranger" often evokes "foreigner." It will become clearer in this
study that it refers to the "other," the one "outside."
19. On this story see, W. Vogels, Abraham et sa légende: Genèse 12,1-25,11,
Coll. Lire la Bible 110 (Paris: Cerf/Montréal: Médiaspaul, 1996) 214-
22. In the present article I only study the text from the perspective of
Liturgical Ministry Fall 2002
 hospitality but there are many other issues: the three visitors are the
appearance of Yahweh, and the text moves from the plural to the sin-
gular; for all these and other issues see my book. The question of the
historicity or not of this story does not affect our discussion; on this
see the discussion in my book, pp. 15-99; L. Di Pinto, "Abramo e lo
straniero (Gen. 18,1-16)" Rassegna di teologia 38 (1997): 1. Un' intro-
duzione al l'ospitalità, pp.597-620; 2. L'ospitalità celebrata, pp. 735-69.
20. W. Vogels, "Having and Longing: A Semiotic Analysis of Luke 16:19-
31," Église et théologie 20 (1989) 27-46.
21. W. Vogels, "Abraham de Dienstvaardige," Catechetische Informane 3
(1974/5) n.l,pp.4-9.
22. Vogels, Abraham et sa légende, 217-18.
23. W. Vogels, "It is not good that the 'Mensch' should be alone; I will make
him/her a helper fit for him/her (Gen 2:18)" Église et théologie 9 (1978)
9-35; W. Vogels, "The Power Struggle between Man and Woman (Gen
3:16b)," Biblica 77 (1996) 197-209.
24. W. Vogels, "L'immigrant dans la maison d'Israel," "'Ow demeures-tu?'
La maison depuis le monde biblique. En hommage au professeur Guy
Couturier, Jean-Claude Petit - André Charron - André Myre, eds.
(Montréal: Fides, 1994) 227-44.
25. Hobbs, "Hospitality in the First Testament," 20-21. "In the First
Testament are there any examples of hospitality being extended to
threatening non-Israelites? Only one such example is attested ... 2 Kgs
6:21-24. It is not to be interpreted as an act of kindness" (p. 22).
26. R. De Vaux, Les Institutions de VAncien Testament, Vol 1, "L'hôte est
sacré: on se dispute l'honneur de le recevoir, mais cet honneur revient
normalement au sheikh," p.25.
27. R. De Vaux, in his description of the customs of hospitality of some
present-day nomads, shows that the same customs still exist today.
"L'étranger peut profiter de cette hospitalité pendant trois jours et,
quand il est parti, on lui doit encore une protection, dont la durée est
variable: dans certaines tribus 'jusqu'à ce que le sel qu'il a mangé soit
sorti de son ventre', dans de grandes tribus comme les Rwala de Syrie
trois autres jours et dans un rayon de 150 km" {Les Institutions de
VAncien Testament, Vol. 1, p. 25).
28. See the list given by W. Janzen, Old Testament Ethics, p. 53 note 40 to
which T.R. Hobbs adds Judg 19; 1 Sam 25; 2 Kgs 4 ("Hospitality in the
First Testament," 22).
29. For the similarity between Abraham's and Lot's hospitality see W.
Vogels, Abraham et sa légende, 234-40; and for the social model as seen
in this story, V.H. Matthews, "Hospitality and Hostility in Judges 4," 3-
11. See also T.D. Alexander, "Lot's Hospitality: A Clue to His
Vogels: Hospitality in Biblical Perspective
Righteousness," Journal of Biblical Literature 104 (1985) 289-91; R.J.
Letellier, Day in Mamre, Night in Sodom: Abraham and Lot in Genesis
18 and 19, Coll. Biblical Interpetation Series 10 (Leiden: Brill, 1995).
30. Hobbs, "Man, Woman and Hospitality," 91-100; see also T. Hoover
Rentería, "The Elijah/Elisha Stories: A Socio-cultural Analysis of
Prophets and People in Ninth-Century B.C.E. Israel," Elijah and Elisha
in Socioliterary Perspective, R.B. Coote, ed., Coll. The Society of Biblical
Literature Semeia Studies 22 (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1992) 75-126;
M.E. Shields, "Subverting a Man of God. Elevating a Woman: Role and
Power Reversals in 2 Kings 4:8-37 and 8:1-6 read in Conjunction,"
Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 91 (2000) 109-27.
31. S.D. Hill, "The Local Hero in Palestine in Comparative Perspective,"
Elijah and Elisha in Socioliterary Perspective, 37-73.
32. A. Myre, "Jésus avait-il une maison?" 'Où demeures-tu?" La maison
depuis le monde biblique, 305-22.
33. T.L. Brodie, "Luke 7:36-50 as an Internalization of 2 Kings 4:1-37: A
Study in Luke's Use of Rhetorical Imitation," Biblica 64 (1983) 457-85.
34. W. Vogels, "Structural Analysis and Pastoral Work. The Story of
Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)," Lumen Vitae 33 (1978) 482-92; W. Vogels,
Reading and Preaching the Bible: A New Semiotic Approach, Coll.
Background Books 4 (Wilmington, Delaware: Michael Glazier, 1986)
148-64.
35. It is interesting that some translations add to the word "hospitality" the
phrase "to strangers" even if that is not in the Greek text, as if hospi-
tality would imply a relationship with strangers. "Contribute to the
needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers" (Rom 12:13; added
by NRSV, not in REB, NAB, NJB); "Do not neglect to show hospitality
to strangers" (Heb 13:2, added by NRSV and NJB; but REB and NAB,
faithful to the original text, do not make this addition); "been hos-
pitable to strangers" (1 Tim 5:10 in NJB, but not in NRSV, REB, NAB).
This shows how arbitrary it is to add "to strangers?
36. The Greek language has two words to speak about "strangers" (see
above the two words in Hebrew: ger and nokri, but they do not cover
the same reality): "Thus the Greek distinction between xenoi =
strangers who know how to behave as Greek guests, barbaroi =
strangers who know nothing, not even the language, hence who are
totally uncivilized" (Malina, "The Received View and What It Cannot
Do," 183.)
37. See my similar conclusion after comparing biblical proverbs with
proverbs, ancient and modern, from all over the world: W. Vogels,
Words of Wisdom: Proverbs for Everyday Living (Ottawa: Novalis, 1999)
127-29.
Page 173
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