ABSTRACT
This chapter explores provisions for the sojourner, which are prominent in the law books, and then consider those narratives which feature named individuals who are fleeing from Israel. In each case, one takes into account the ethical norms and values which are conveyed. In the law books, the people are told by Moses to love the sojourner and provide for him: he is not to be oppressed; he is to be treated well. This is especially important for the Israelites because they know from bitter experience what it feels like to be sojourners. This collective memory is part of their national identity. Concern for the sojourner is also part of a wider ethical vision that embraces widows, fatherless children, and the poor. Care for the sojourner may not be detached from other categories of social need. Moabites were callous and hard-hearted; they had given no food or water to the straggling Israelites in the desert.
