Original Word: πάροικος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: paroikos
Pronunciation: PAH-roi-kos
Phonetic Spelling: (par'-oy-kos)
KJV: foreigner, sojourn, stranger
NASB: aliens, alien
Word Origin: [from G3844 (παρά - than) and G3624 (οἶκος - house)]

1. having a home near
2. (as noun) a by-dweller (alien resident)

foreigner, sojourn, stranger.

From para and oikos; having a home near, i.e. (as noun) a by-dweller (alien resident) -- foreigner, sojourn, stranger.

see GREEK para

see GREEK oikos

3941 pároikos (from 3844 /pará, "close beside" and 3624 /oíkos, "house") – properly, someone living close to others as a temporary dweller, i.e. in a specific locale as a non-citizen with limited rights (identification).

Word Origin
from para and oikos
Definition
dwelling near, foreign
NASB Translation
alien (1), aliens (3).

STRONGS NT 3941: πάροικος

πάροικος, πάροικον (παρά and οἶκος);

1. in classical Greek dwelling near, neighboring.

2. in the Scriptures a stranger, foreigner, one who lives in a place without the right of citizenship; (R. V. sojourner); the Sept. for גֵּר and תּושָׁב (see παροικέω 2, and παροικία (and cf. Schmidt, Syn., 43, 5; Liddell and Scott, under the word)): followed by ἐν with the dative of place, Acts 7:6, 29; metaphorically, without citizenship in God's kingdom: joined with ξένος and opposed to συμπολίτης, Ephesians 2:19 (μόνος κύριος ὁ Θεός πολίτης ἐστι, πάροικον δέ καί ἐπηλυτον τό γενητον ἅπαν, Philo de cherub. § 34 (cf. Mangey 1:161 note)); one who lives on earth as a stranger, a sojourner on the earth: joined with παρεπίδημος (which see), of Christians, whose fatherland is heaven, 1 Peter 2:11. (Cf. Ep. ad Diognet. § 5, 5 [ET].)

Overview

Strong’s Greek 3941 portrays the situation of one who lives alongside a people not originally his own. The term colors biblical narratives of pilgrimage, exile, covenant inclusion, and holy distinction.

Old Testament Background of the Sojourner

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob confessed, “We are foreigners and sojourners before You” (compare Genesis 23:4; Psalm 39:12). In the Septuagint this confession is regularly rendered with 3941, preparing the New Testament reader to see God’s people as pilgrims awaiting a promised inheritance. Mosaic law therefore commanded generous protection for the resident alien (Exodus 22:21; Leviticus 19:34), foreshadowing gospel hospitality.

New Testament Occurrences

Acts 7 twice recalls Israel’s formative exile.
• Acts 7:6—Stephen cites God’s pledge to Abraham: “Your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, and they will enslave and mistreat them for four hundred years.” Temporary alienation serves God’s redemptive design.
• Acts 7:29—“Moses fled to the land of Midian, where he lived as a foreigner and had two sons.” The future deliverer shares his people’s stranger-status before he leads them home.

Paul adopts the imagery for Gentile believers:
• Ephesians 2:19—“Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household.” In Christ, the distance inherent in 3941 is abolished; aliens become family.

Peter turns the word back upon Christians in their earthly situation:
• 1 Peter 2:11—“Beloved, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” Though reconciled to God, believers remain social outsiders whose conduct must reflect their heavenly homeland.

Theological Themes

1. Pilgrimage and Promise—The sojourner motif underscores life’s transience and directs hope toward the consummated kingdom (Hebrews 11:13-16).
2. Inclusion in Christ—Former outsiders now share full citizenship in God’s covenant community, showcasing the unifying power of the cross (Ephesians 2:13-22).
3. Holy Distinction—Remaining “foreign” to the world’s values safeguards purity and mission (1 Peter 1:17; Romans 12:2).
4. Compassion for the Marginalized—Having known alienation, God’s people extend justice and hospitality to modern migrants and refugees (Matthew 25:35).

Historical Setting

In the Greco-Roman world a πάροικος lacked civic rights and relied on a patron’s protection. Paul’s contrast in Ephesians would strike first-century hearers: the gospel grants immediate, irreversible citizenship. Peter’s audience in Asia Minor—often slandered and socially ostracized—would resonate with the label “foreigners,” finding both realism and comfort in it.

Ministry Implications

• Discipleship—Teach believers to hold possessions loosely and to measure success by eternal outcomes.
• Pastoral Care—Encourage those experiencing cultural displacement with the truth that God specializes in shepherding strangers.
• Evangelism—A pilgrim lifestyle provokes questions that open doors for witness (1 Peter 3:15).
• Social Ethics—Churches that remember their redeemed alienage become advocates for equitable treatment of immigrants and refugees.

Related Concepts

xenos (G3581) “stranger,” paroikia “sojourning,” politeia “citizenship.”

See Also

Hebrews 11:8-16; Philippians 3:20; Revelation 21:1-4

παροικοι πάροικοι παροικον πάροικον παροικος πάροικος πάροικός παροίκου παροικους παροίκους παροίκω παροίκων paroikoi pároikoi paroikon pároikon paroikos pároikos paroikous paroíkousInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts