Lexical Summary toshab: Sojourner, resident alien, temporary dweller Original Word: תּוֹשָׁב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance manner Or toshab (1 Kings 17:1) {to-shawb'}; from yashab; a dweller (but not outlandish (nokriy)); especially (as distinguished from a native citizen (active participle of yashab) and a temporary inmate (ger) or mere lodger (luwn)) resident alien -- foreigner, inhabitant, sojourner, stranger. see HEBREW yashab see HEBREW nokriy see HEBREW yashab see HEBREW ger see HEBREW luwn NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom yashab Definition a sojourner NASB Translation foreign resident (1), settlers (1), sojourner (8), sojourners (2), sojourning (1), tenants (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs תּוֺשָׁב noun masculineLeviticus 25:45 sojourner, only P (H) and late; absolute ׳ת Genesis 23:4 6t; construct תּוֺשַׁב Leviticus 22:10; suffix תּוֺשָֽׁבְךָ Leviticus 25:6; plural תּוֺשָׁבִים Leviticus 25:6 2t.; construct תּשָׁבֵי 1 Kings 17:1, but read תִּשְׁבֶּה (q. v.) ᵐ5 Ew Th Hi; — sojourner, apparently of a more temporaty and dependent (Leviticus 22:10; 25:6) kind than the גֵּר (with which it is often joined): "" שָׂכִיר Exodus 12:45 (P), Leviticus 22:10 (כֹּהֵן ׳ת apriest's sojourner), Leviticus 25:6,40 (all H); הַתּוֺשָׁבִים הַגָּרִים עִמָּכֶם Leviticus 25:45 (c. participle גָּר also Leviticus 25:6); with עִם, also Leviticus 25:47 (twice in verse) (H); with בְּתוֺךְ Numbers 35:15 (P). Figurative of one enjoying only a temporary tenure, with עִם Genesis 23:4, with ׳י Leviticus 25:23; Psalm 39:13, with לִפְנֵי 1 Chronicles 29:15. — 1 Kings 17:1 see above Topical Lexicon Overview The noun תּוֹשָׁב (tôshāv) describes a person living temporarily within a community to which he does not ancestrally belong. Unlike a traveler merely passing through, the toshab resides in the land, participates in its economy, and benefits from certain civil protections, yet remains distinct from full‐fledged covenant members. Relation to Other Resident Categories Scripture speaks of the nokrî (foreigner), the gēr (sojourner), and the toshab. All three are non-Israelites, but the gēr is typically a permanent settler who has attached himself to Israel’s God and people, whereas the toshab is a less-settled resident, often a hired worker whose presence is temporary or economically driven. Genesis 23:4 unites gēr and toshab in Abraham’s self-description, setting the pattern for the tension between residence and alienation that marks the term throughout Scripture. Covenantal Boundaries Toshabim were welcomed yet restricted. Exodus 12:45 limits Passover participation: “A temporary resident or hired hand may not eat it.” Likewise, Leviticus 22:10 prohibits them from eating sacred food reserved for priests. These boundaries preserved the holiness of covenant ordinances while still recognizing the presence of outsiders within Israel’s borders. Economic and Social Protections Leviticus 25 places the toshab in view of Sabbath-rest principles. Produce from the Sabbath year was “for you, your male and female servants, the hired worker, and the temporary resident” (Leviticus 25:6), revealing God’s concern that the vulnerable share in His provision. Even in debt relief, the resident alien could be hired (Leviticus 25:40) or purchase an Israelite slave (Leviticus 25:47), yet Israel was commanded to treat Israelite brothers with dignity, reminding them, “for the Israelites belong to Me as servants” (Leviticus 25:55). Jubilee Theology Leviticus 25:23 grounds land tenure in divine ownership: “The land must not be sold permanently, because it is Mine, and you are but foreigners and sojourners with Me.” Israel itself stands before God in the same status it grants the toshab—resident aliens on the Lord’s property. Jubilee therefore tempers every claim to possession, instilling humility and generosity. Cities of Refuge Numbers 35:15 extends asylum to “the foreigner and resident alien,” equating the toshab’s life with that of the native Israelite. God’s justice safeguards all image-bearers, prefiguring the impartial refuge found in Christ. Prophetic and Wisdom Resonance Psalm 39:12 and 1 Chronicles 29:15 draw on the term to express life’s brevity and dependence: “For we are strangers before You and sojourners… Our days on earth are like a shadow.” The toshab motif thus becomes an emblem of human mortality and continual reliance on God. Historical Illustrations Elijah of Tishbe is introduced as “Elijah the Tishbite, one of the settlers of Gilead” (1 Kings 17:1). Though a prophet of Yahweh, he is presented as a toshab, underscoring how God raises messengers even from marginal contexts. Theological Themes 1. Ownership: Only the Lord possesses absolute title; all others, native or alien, are tenants. Ministry Applications • Extend material generosity to migrants and temporary workers, reflecting Leviticus 25:6. Key References Genesis 23:4; Exodus 12:45; Leviticus 22:10; Leviticus 25:6, 23, 35, 40, 45, 47; Numbers 35:15; 1 Kings 17:1; 1 Chronicles 29:15; Psalm 39:12 Forms and Transliterations הַתּוֹשָׁבִ֜ים התושבים וְלַתּוֹשָׁב֙ וְתוֹשָׁ֛ב וְתוֹשָׁ֥ב וְתוֹשָׁב֙ וְתוֹשָׁבִ֖ים וְתוֹשָׁבִ֛ים וּלְתוֹשָׁ֣בְךָ֔ ולתושב ולתושבך ותושב ותושבים כְּתוֹשָׁ֖ב כתושב מִתֹּשָׁבֵ֣י מתשבי תּ֝וֹשָׁ֗ב תּוֹשַׁ֥ב תּוֹשָׁ֥ב תּוֹשָׁב֙ תושב hat·tō·wō·šā·ḇîm hattoshaVim hattōwōšāḇîm kə·ṯō·wō·šāḇ ketoShav kəṯōwōšāḇ mit·tō·šā·ḇê mittōšāḇê mittoshaVei tō·wō·šaḇ tō·wō·šāḇ toShav tōwōšaḇ tōwōšāḇ ū·lə·ṯō·wō·šā·ḇə·ḵā ūləṯōwōšāḇəḵā ultoShavecha velattoShav vetoShav vetoshaVim wə·lat·tō·wō·šāḇ wə·ṯō·wō·šā·ḇîm wə·ṯō·wō·šāḇ wəlattōwōšāḇ wəṯōwōšāḇ wəṯōwōšāḇîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 23:4 HEB: גֵּר־ וְתוֹשָׁ֥ב אָנֹכִ֖י עִמָּכֶ֑ם NAS: I am a stranger and a sojourner among KJV: I [am] a stranger and a sojourner with you: give INT: stranger sojourner I among Exodus 12:45 Leviticus 22:10 Leviticus 25:6 Leviticus 25:23 Leviticus 25:35 Leviticus 25:40 Leviticus 25:45 Leviticus 25:47 Leviticus 25:47 Numbers 35:15 1 Kings 17:1 1 Chronicles 29:15 Psalm 39:12 14 Occurrences |
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