This list gives you Bible verses about welcoming strangers, arranged by the situations where hospitality is most often tested: the ordinary day, the unexpected guest, the person who feels like an outsider, and the moment you are asked to give more than you planned. It is written for anyone who wants Scripture to shape how they open their door, their table, and their heart to people they do not yet know. Across these passages, God’s people are told to remember their own history as outsiders and to treat the stranger as someone whose dignity is worth protecting.
Verses for Ordinary Days and Everyday Encounters
Most hospitality happens in small moments: a neighbor who just moved in, a coworker eating alone, a cashier who seems lonely. These verses speak to the habit of noticing people you do not know and making room for them without waiting for a special occasion.
Leviticus 19:34
The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
(WEB)
This command reminds you that the stranger living among you is to be loved as yourself, and that God grounds this love in your own memory of being an outsider. Carry it through your day by asking one new person a simple question about where they are from or how their week is going.
Hebrews 13:2
Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it.
(WEB)
The writer says that some people have entertained angels without knowing it, which makes every unfamiliar face worth a second look. Let this shape your attitude at the grocery store or the bus stop by treating each stranger as someone who might carry more than you can see.
Romans 12:13
Contributing to the needs of the saints; given to hospitality.
(WEB)
Paul lists hospitality alongside sharing with those in need, presenting it as a normal part of Christian life rather than a rare act. Practice it this week by offering a meal, a cup of coffee, or a spare chair to someone who would not expect it from you.
Verses for the Unexpected Guest and Open Door
Hospitality becomes real when plans change and a visitor arrives early, uninvited, or at an inconvenient hour. These passages show Abraham, Lot, and the early church opening their homes when it cost them something.
Genesis 18:2
He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth…
(WEB)
Abraham runs to meet three travelers and bows low before them, treating them with honor before he knows who they are. When an unexpected visitor knocks, let your first instinct be to greet them warmly and set aside what you were doing for a few minutes.
Genesis 19:2
And he said, “See now, my lords, please come into your servant’s house, stay all night, wash your feet, and you can rise up early, and go on your way.” They said, “No, but we will stay in the street all night.”
(WEB)
Lot urges the travelers to stay in his house rather than spend the night in the street, insisting on their safety and rest. Think of a practical way to offer shelter, whether that is a spare bed, a warm drink, or a ride to where someone needs to be.
Romans 15:7
Therefore accept one another, even as Christ also accepted you, to the glory of God.
(WEB)
Paul asks believers to welcome one another as Christ welcomed them, which sets the standard for how wide your welcome should be. Write this sentence on a card and place it where you will see it before you host or greet anyone new this week.
Verses for Those Who Feel Like Outsiders
Some of the most moving passages about welcome speak directly to people who feel unwanted, displaced, or on the margins. These verses name God as the one who protects and sustains the foreigner, and call his people to do the same.
Deuteronomy 10:18-19
18 He does execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loves the foreigner, in giving him food and clothing. 19 Therefore love the foreigner; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
(WEB)
God is described as the one who defends the orphan and the widow and loves the foreigner by giving him food and clothing. Let this shape how you respond to someone who seems out of place, by looking for a concrete need you can meet rather than only offering kind words.
Psalm 146:9
The LORD preserves the foreigners. He upholds the fatherless and widow, but the way of the wicked he turns upside down.
(WEB)
The psalmist celebrates a God who watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow. When you feel like an outsider yourself, rest in the reminder that God is actively guarding people at the edges, and pray for someone who is facing that loneliness today.
Matthew 25:35
For I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in.
(WEB)
Jesus identifies himself with the stranger and says that welcoming a stranger is the same as welcoming him. Consider reaching out to a newcomer at church, school, or work and letting them know that someone noticed their presence.
Verses for Costly and Costly Generosity
Welcoming strangers sometimes asks for more than a smile. These passages speak to the moments when hospitality requires time, money, or the courage to break social barriers.
1 Peter 4:9
Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.
(WEB)
Peter urges believers to show hospitality to one another without complaining, treating it as a gift to be shared willingly. When your schedule feels full, decide in advance on one hospitable act you can offer without grumbling, such as inviting someone to share a simple meal.
Luke 14:13-14
13 But when you make a feast, ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind; 14 and you will be blessed, because they don’t have the resources to repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous.”
(WEB)
Jesus tells his host to invite those who cannot repay the favor, promising a reward that comes from God. Look for someone in your circle who has nothing to offer you in return and make a plan to include them in something this month.
Acts 28:2
The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire, and received us all, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.
(WEB)
On the island of Malta, strangers shipwrecked by storm receive unusual kindness from the local people, who light a fire to warm them. Think about how a simple act of warmth, such as a blanket, a hot drink, or a place by the fire, can make a stranger feel cared for in the middle of their trouble.
How to Use These Verses
Write one or two of these verses on a card or note on your phone and keep it where you will see it before you leave the house or open your door. Reading them in the morning helps you enter the day expecting to meet people God cares about, rather than hoping to avoid them.
Pray the verses before a specific encounter, asking God to show you what welcome looks like for that person. Afterward, take a moment to notice what happened and thank God for any small step you were able to take, even if it felt awkward.
A Short Prayer for Welcoming Strangers
Lord, you welcomed me when I was far from you, and I ask you to make me willing to welcome others in the same way. Open my eyes to the people I pass each day who feel unseen, and give me courage to speak, to share, and to make room when it costs me something. Keep me from fear that I will not have enough or do enough, and remind me that you are the one who sustains the stranger. Help me to be a home for people you bring across my path. Amen.
