De Villiers, Gerda2020-09-042020-09-042019-03-19De Villiers, G., 2019, ‘The “foreigner in our midst” and the Hebrew Bible’, HTS Teologiese Studies/ Theological Studies 75(3), a5108. https://DOI.org/10.4102/hts.v75i3.5108.0259-9422 (print)2072-8050 (online)10.4102/hts.v75i3.5108http://hdl.handle.net/2263/76048This research is part of the project ‘The Book of Ruth and Contemporary Issues’, directed by Dr Gerda de Villiers, Department of Old Testament Studies, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria.On account of xenophobia, which seems to be a worldwide phenomenon, this article examines the issue of the ‘foreigner in our midst’ and approaches the problem from an Old Testament perspective. Firstly an overview is given on the concepts of ethnicity and group identity, and then two opposing groups of texts are briefly analysed: those that convey an exclusivist attitude and those that are more open and inclusive in their outlook. Consequently, the contexts in which these texts originated are examined. It appears that both groups, the exclusivists and the inclusivists, share the same religious convictions, namely the worship of YHWH, the God of Israel. The article concludes by urging caution when using the Bible in order to address complex social and political issues in contemporary societies.en© 2019. The Authors. Licensee: AOSIS. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.XenophobiaForeignerReligious convictionsBibleHebrew BibleSocial inclusionAncient IsraelCommunityTheology articles SDG-10SDG-10: Reduced inequalitiesTheology articles SDG-11SDG-11: Sustainable cities and communitiesTheology articles SDG-16SDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutionsArticle