What does the Bible say about refugees?

Understanding Leviticus 19:33-34

The Bible has far more to say about refugees, immigrants, and displaced people than most readers realize. The Hebrew word 'ger' (sojourner, foreigner, stranger, alien) appears over 90 times in the Old Testament alone, and the treatment of the displaced person is woven into the fabric of Israel's law, worship, and prophetic tradition.

God's people were refugees first:

The entire story of Israel begins with displacement. Abraham was called to leave his homeland and become a stranger in a foreign land (Genesis 12:1). Jacob's family fled famine and became refugees in Egypt (Genesis 46). After 400 years of slavery, the Israelites themselves were displaced people — wandering in the wilderness for 40 years before entering the Promised Land.

God repeatedly invokes this history as the basis for how Israel should treat foreigners: 'Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt' (Exodus 23:9). The command is rooted in empathy — remember what it felt like, and act accordingly.

The legal framework:

Israel's law contained specific protections for foreigners that were remarkable in the ancient Near East:

• Equal justice: 'You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born' (Leviticus 24:22). Foreigners were entitled to the same legal protections as Israelite citizens.

• Economic provision: Farmers were commanded to leave the edges of their fields unharvested and not to go back for missed sheaves — these belonged to 'the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow' (Deuteronomy 24:19-21). The gleaning laws of Ruth 2 illustrate this in practice.

• Rest and dignity: Foreigners were included in the Sabbath rest (Exodus 20:10, Deuteronomy 5:14). Even the weekly day off was extended to non-Israelites living among them.

• Worship inclusion: Foreigners could participate in Israel's religious festivals and even offer sacrifices (Numbers 15:14-16). They were welcome in the worshipping community.

• No exploitation: 'Do not take advantage of a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether that worker is a fellow Israelite or a foreigner residing in one of your towns' (Deuteronomy 24:14). Wage theft against immigrants was a violation of God's law.

The prophetic tradition:

The prophets repeatedly condemned Israel for failing to protect the vulnerable, including foreigners:

• Jeremiah 7:5-7: God conditions Israel's continued dwelling in the land on their treatment of 'the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow.'
• Ezekiel 22:7: Among the sins that provoke God's judgment on Jerusalem: 'the foreigner living among you suffers extortion.'
• Zechariah 7:10: 'Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor.'
• Malachi 3:5: God declares He will judge those who 'deprive the foreigners among you of justice.'

In prophetic theology, how a nation treats its most vulnerable members — including displaced foreigners — is a direct measure of its faithfulness to God.

Jesus as refugee:

Matthew 2:13-15 records that Jesus Himself was a refugee. After Herod's decree to kill the infant boys of Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt with the baby Jesus. The Son of God entered the world as a displaced person, dependent on the hospitality of a foreign country.

Jesus later identified Himself with the stranger: 'I was a stranger and you invited me in' (Matthew 25:35). In the parable of the sheep and the goats, how people treat 'the least of these' — including strangers — determines their standing before God. 'Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me' (Matthew 25:40).

The New Testament ethic:

The early church extended the Old Testament hospitality commands:

• Romans 12:13: 'Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.'
• Hebrews 13:2: 'Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.'
• 1 Peter 2:11: Peter addresses believers as 'foreigners and exiles' — Christians are themselves sojourners in this world, which should produce solidarity with others who are displaced.

The tension — borders and sovereignty:

The Bible does not prescribe a specific immigration policy for modern nation-states. It does not address visa categories, border enforcement, or citizenship requirements. What it does establish are moral principles:

1. Every displaced person bears the image of God and deserves dignity
2. God's people have a special obligation to the vulnerable, including foreigners
3. Exploitation of immigrants is a sin that provokes God's judgment
4. National prosperity that ignores the suffering of strangers is condemned by the prophets
5. Christians are themselves 'foreigners and exiles' and should identify with the displaced

How these principles translate into specific policy is a matter of prudential judgment where faithful Christians may disagree. But the direction of Scripture is unmistakable: God stands with the displaced, and He expects His people to do the same.