Alien

Holman Bible Dictionary

 1 Kings 17:20 Genesis 26:3 Isaiah 16:4 2 Samuel 4:3 Deuteronomy 18:6 2 Samuel 1:13 1 Chronicles 22:2 Genesis 19:9 Genesis 20:1 Genesis 26:3 Genesis 32:5 Exodus 23:12 Deuteronomy 31:12 Exodus 23:9 Deuteronomy 24:19-20 Deuteronomy 26:12 Deuteronomy 24:17 Deuteronomy 27:19 Deuteronomy 14:21 Leviticus 17:15 Deuteronomy 10:19 Numbers 9:14 Leviticus 17:8 Leviticus 18:26 Jeremiah 7:6 Jeremiah 22:3 Ezekiel 22:7 22:29 Jeremiah 14:8 Psalm 39:13 Psalm 119:19 Leviticus 25:23Stranger

King James Dictionary

A'LIEN, a. alyen, L. alienus, from alius, another. L. alieno, to alienate alter, another, to altercate.

1. Foreign not belonging to the same country, land or government. 2. Belonging to one who is not a citizen. 3. Estranged foreign not allied adverse to as, principles alien from our religion.

A'LIEN, n. alyen.

1. A foreigner one born in, or belonging to, another country one who is not a denizen, or entitled to the privileges of a citizen. 2. In scripture, one who is a stranger to the church of Christ, or to the covenant of grace.

At that time, ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel.  Ephesians 2 .

In France, a child born of residents who are not citizens, is an alien. In Great Britain, the children of aliens born in that country, are mostly natural born subjects and the children of British subjects, owing allegiance to the crown of England, though born in other countries, are natural subjects, and entitled to the privileges or resident citizens.

Alien-duty, a tax upon goods imported by aliens, beyond the duty on the like goods imported by citizens a discriminating duty on the tonnage of ships belonging to aliens, or any extra duties imposed by laws or edicts on aliens.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Strangers dwelling in another country without being naturalized ( Leviticus 22:10;  Psalm 39:12 ).

Both of these classes were to enjoy, under certain conditions, the same rights as other citizens ( Leviticus 19:33,34;  Deuteronomy 10:19 ). They might be naturalized and permitted to enter into the congregation of the Lord by submitting to circumcision and abandoning idolatry ( Deuteronomy 23:3-8 ).

This term is used ( Ephesians 2:12 ) to denote persons who have no interest in Christ.

Copyright Statement These dictionary topics are from M.G. Easton M.A., DD Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain.

Bibliography Information Easton, Matthew George. Entry for 'Alien'. Easton's Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/ebd/a/alien.html. 1897.

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: Ἀλλότριος (Strong'S #245 — Adjective — allotrios — al-lot'-ree-os )

primarily, "belonging to another" (the opposite to idios, "one's own"), came to mean "foreign, strange, not of one's own family, alien, an enemy;" "aliens" in  Hebrews 11:34 , elsewhere "strange," etc. See Man'S , Note (1), Strange , Stranger.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): (a.) Not belonging to the same country, land, or government, or to the citizens or subjects thereof; foreign; as, alien subjects, enemies, property, shores.

(2): (n.) A foreigner; one owing allegiance, or belonging, to another country; a foreign-born resident of a country in which he does not possess the privileges of a citizen. Hence, a stranger. See Alienage.

(3): (v. t.) To alienate; to estrange; to transfer, as property or ownership.

(4): (n.) One excluded from certain privileges; one alienated or estranged; as, aliens from God's mercies.

(5): (a.) Wholly different in nature; foreign; adverse; inconsistent (with); incongruous; - followed by from or sometimes by to; as, principles alien from our religion.

Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology

See Foreigner

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Alien . See Nations, Stranger.

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

See Stranger.

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

( גֵּר , Ger, also נֵכָר , nekar', or נָכְרַי , Nokri', both meaning Stranger, as often rendered; Ἀλλότριος ) , a foreigner; or person born in another country, and not having the usual rights and privileges of the citizens of the country in which he lives. Among the Hebrew there were two classes of persons denominated thus: 1. The proper aliens ( גֵּרַים ), those who were strangers generally, and who possessed no landed property, though they might have purchased houses; 2. Those less properly so called ( תּוֹשָׁבַים , Toshabim', Sojourners), i.e. strangers dwelling in another country without being naturalized ( Leviticus 22:10;  Psalms 39:12). Both of these classes were to be treated with kindness, and were to enjoy the same rights with other citizens ( Leviticus 19:33-34;  Deuteronomy 10:19;  Deuteronomy 23:7;  Deuteronomy 24:17). Strangers might be naturalized, or permitted to enter into the congregation of the Lord, by submitting to circumcision and renouncing idolatry ( Deuteronomy 23:1-8).

The Edomites and Egyptians were capable of becoming citizens of Israel after the third generation. It appears also that other nations were not entirely excluded from being incorporated with the people of Israel. But the Ammonites and Moabites, in consequence of the hostile disposition which they had manifested to the Israelites in the wilderness, were absolutely excluded from the right of citizenship (Michaelis, Mos. Recht, § 63).

In the earlier periods of the Hebrew state, persons who were natives of another country, but who had come, either from choice or necessity, to take up their residence among the Hebrew, appear to have been placed in favorable circumstances. At a later period, viz., the reigns of David and Solomon, they were compelled to labor on the religious edifices which were erected by those princes ( 2 Chronicles 2:1;  2 Chronicles 2:17-18, comp. with  1 Chronicles 22:2). These, however, were probably prisoners of war

(Jahn, Bibl. Archoeol. § 181). (See Citizenship); (See Gentile).

The term alien is used figuratively in  Ephesians 2:12, to denote those persons who were without Christ, and who had no interest in the blood of the covenant. (See Adoption).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

āl´yen  : Found in the King James Version for גּר , gēr , ( Exodus 18:3 ) = "guest," hence: "foreigner," "sojourner" the Revised Version (British and American); also for נכר , nēkhār ( Isaiah 61:5 ) = "foreign," "a foreigner" the Revised Version (British and American) (concrete), "heathendom" (abstract), "alien," "strange" (-er), and for נכרי , nokhrı̄ ( Deuteronomy 14:21 the Revised Version (British and American) "foreigner"; compare   Job 19:15;  Psalm 69:8;  Lamentations 5:2 ) - "strange," in a variety of degrees and meanings: "foreign," "non-relative," "adulterous," "different," "wonderful," "alien," "outlandish," "strange." In the New Testament we find ἀπηλλοτριωμένος , apēllotriōménos ( Ephesians 4:18;  Colossians 1:21 ) = "being alienated," and allótrios ( Hebrews 11:34 ) = "another's," "not one's own," hence: "foreign," "not akin," "hostile." In the Old Testament the expression was taken in its literal sense, referring to those who were not Israelites - the heathen; in the New Testament it is given a figurative meaning, as indicating those who have not become naturalized in the kingdom of God, hence are outside of Christ and the blessing of the gospel.