The Sojourner as One Who Honors God

Philo

Questions and Answers on Exodus 2.2

First Half of 1st Century

Why does (Scripture) in admonishing, “Thou shalt not oppress a sojourner,” add, “For ye were sojourners in the land of the Egyptians”?

(Scripture) first makes it clearly apparent and demonstrable that in reality the sojourner is one who circumcises not his uncircumcision but his desires and sensual pleasures and the other passions of the soul. For…

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In the antiquity, some gentiles attached themselves to Judaism by worshiping in synagogues and observing some laws and traditions, even as they retained a non-Jewish identity. In this comment on Exodus 22:20, Philo asserts that the term proselyte (the Septuagint Greek translation for Hebrew ger, sometimes translated into English as “sojourner”) can refer not only to persons who undergo circumcision and thereby join the covenant but also to persons of moral character who take “refuge in God the savior.” (See also Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael’s similar interpretation of this verse.)

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Creator Bio

Philo

ca. 25 BCE–ca. 40

Philo of Alexandria was one of the most important figures in Hellenistic Judaism and a significant influence on early Christianity. Raised in a wealthy Jewish family and educated in Greek rhetoric and logic, Philo served as a delegate to Rome on behalf of the Jewish community of Alexandria. Most innovative among his writings are his commentaries on the Pentateuch, which approach the text allegorically and employ various Platonic perspectives in their interpretations. Philo appears to have had only minimal exposure to the Hebrew and likely relied on the Septuagint and synagogue orations on the biblical texts.

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