This verb describes the active practice of welcoming strangers into one's home, providing food and shelter. In 1 Timothy 5:10, it appears among the qualifications for widows to be enrolled for church support: she must have 'shown hospitality to strangers.' The cultural context is crucial—ancient hospitality involved risk and sacrifice, not mere politeness. The multilingual evidence (Spanish 'hospedó extranjeros,' 'she lodged foreigners') captures the tangible, costly nature of this virtue, which was foundational to early Christian community life.