H8453a H8453a
Resident alien, sojourner — a non-native dwelling among a community, with varying degrees of permanence
The noun toshav designates a person living among a community that is not their own, occupying a legal and social status distinct from both the native citizen and the more established ger (resident foreigner). Found exclusively in Priestly and late texts, it often appears paired with ger or with sakir ('hired worker'), marking a dependent, somewhat marginal position. Abraham calls himself a ger-wetoshav among the Hittites (Gen 23:4), and David echoes the phrase in prayer, confessing that Israel are 'sojourners and settlers' before God (1 Chr 29:15).
Senses
1. resident alien, settled foreigner — A resident alien or settled foreigner who dwells among the covenant community with a recognized though limited status. This is the majority usage, concentrated in Leviticus 25 and Numbers 35, where the toshav has defined rights: to live alongside Israelites, to benefit from Sabbath rest provisions (Lev 25:6), to access cities of refuge (Num 35:15), and to purchase or be purchased as a servant (Lev 25:45, 47). Spanish renders it 'residente' and French 'resident,' capturing the semi-permanent, legal quality of this residency. In Leviticus 22:10, the 'toshav of a priest' — a dependent living in the priestly household — may not eat holy food, distinguishing the toshav from family members. The consistent pairing with ger across languages ('and-a-resident,' 'como-residente,' 'et-pour-le-resident') underscores that this sense describes an established social category, not merely a passing visitor. 10×
AR["النُّزَلَاءِ", "كَ-نَزِيلٍ", "نَزِيلٍ", "نَزِيلُ", "وَ-نَزِيلٌ", "وَلِ-نَزِيلِكَ", "وَلِلنَّزِيلِ", "وَنَزِيلٌ", "وَنَزِيلٍ", "وَنُزَلَاءُ"]·ben["এবং-জন্য-সেই-প্রবাসীর", "এবং-তোমার-বিদেশীর-জন্য", "এবং-বিদেশী", "এবং-বিদেশীর", "ও-প্রবাসী", "বিদেশী", "বিদেশীদের", "বিদেশীর-মতো", "সাময়িক-বাসিন্দা"]·DE["der-residents", "ein-Ansaessiger", "ein-Fremdling-von", "und-Beisasse", "und-ein-Ansaessiger", "und-fuer-dein-Fremdling", "und-fuer-der-Ansaessiger", "und-residents", "wie-ein-Ansaessiger"]·EN["a-resident", "a-sojourner-of", "and-a-resident", "and-for-the-resident", "and-for-your-sojourner", "and-residents", "as-a-resident", "the-residents"]·FR["comme-un-résident", "et-pour-le-résident", "et-pour-ton-étranger-résident", "et-residents", "et-un-résident", "le-residents", "un-résident", "un-étranger-résident-de"]·heb["ה-תושבים", "ו-ל-ה-ולתושב", "ו-לתושבך", "ו-תושב", "ו-תושבים", "כ-כתושב", "תושב"]·HI["अतिथि", "अतिथियों-के", "और-अतिथि", "और-अतिथि-का", "और-तेरे-परदेशी-के-लिए", "और-निवासी", "और-निवासी-के-लिए", "जैसे-अतिथि", "महेमान"]·ID["bersamamu", "dan-bagi-pendatang", "dan-bagi-pendatangmu", "dan-pendatang", "pendatang", "penumpang", "seperti-pendatang"]·IT["come-un-resident", "e-per-il-resident", "e-per-tuo-forestiero", "e-residents", "e-un-resident", "il-residents", "un-forestiero-di", "un-resident"]·jav["kados-tiyang-mondhok", "lan-kangge-tiyang-manggèn", "lan-kanggé-tiyang-mondhok-ira", "lan-tiyang-manggen", "lan-tiyang-mondhok", "tiyang-mondhok"]·KO["같이", "거류인들의", "거류인에게", "그리고-거류민", "그리고-거류민에게", "그리고-거류인들이다", "그리고-거류인으로", "그리고-거류인의", "그리고-네-거류인에게", "손님-의"]·PT["como-residente", "e-para-o-residente", "e-para-teu-residente", "e-residente", "e-residentes", "os-residentes", "residente", "residente-de"]·RU["и-для-поселенца", "и-поселенец", "и-поселенца", "и-поселенцу-твоему", "и-поселенцы", "как-поселенец", "поселенец", "поселенцев", "поселенцу"]·ES["como-residente", "los-residentes", "residente", "residente-de", "y-para-el-residente", "y-para-tu-residente", "y-residente", "y-residentes"]·SW["kama-mkazi", "mkazi", "na-kwa-mkazi", "na-kwa-mkazi-wako", "na-mkazi", "na-wakazi", "wakazi"]·TR["-gibi-geçici", "geçici", "geçicilerin", "misafir", "ve--e-geçicinin", "ve-geçici", "ve-geçiciler", "ve-için-sığınanın", "ve-oturan"]·urd["اور-باشندہ", "اور-باشندہ-کا", "اور-باشندہ-کی-طرح", "اور-باشندے", "اور-باشندے-تیرے", "اور-کے-لیے-باشندے", "باسی", "باشندوں-کے", "باشندہ", "باشندہ-کی-طرح"]
2. sojourner, temporary dweller — A sojourner or temporary dweller whose stay is transient and whose identity is marked by impermanence and alien status. Exodus 12:45 pairs toshav with sakir (hired worker), barring both from the Passover meal — a cultic exclusion that highlights outsider status. In 1 Chronicles 29:15 David declares 'we are sojourners and temporary dwellers before you,' and Psalm 39:12 echoes the same existential confession: life itself is a brief sojourn. The Spanish shift from 'residente' (sense 1) to 'peregrino' and 'forasteros' confirms the more transient, pilgrim-like quality of these occurrences. French renders it 'etranger' (stranger) rather than 'resident,' reinforcing the emphasis on alienness over settlement. 3×
AR["المُقِيمُ", "نَزيلٌ", "وَنُزَلَاءُ"]·ben["আর-বিদেশী", "প্রবাসী"]·DE["[ותושבים]", "ein-resident-alien", "ein-sojourner"]·EN["a-resident-alien", "a-sojourner", "and-settlers"]·FR["[ותושבים]", "un-étranger", "étranger"]·heb["ו-תושבים", "תושב"]·HI["और-बसने-वाले", "परदेशी", "मुसाफिर"]·ID["dan-pendatang", "pendatang"]·IT["[ותושבים]", "[תושב]", "un-forestiero"]·jav["Tiyang-neneka-sementawis", "lan-tiyang-sumusul", "tiyang-lumebet"]·KO["거류자", "그리고-거류하는-자들", "임시-거주자와"]·PT["e-peregrinos", "forasteiro", "residente"]·RU["Поселенец", "и-жители", "поселенец"]·ES["Residente", "peregrino", "y-forasteros"]·SW["Mkazi", "mpita-njia", "na-wasafiri"]·TR["konuk", "oturan", "ve-konuklar"]·urd["اور-باسی", "باشندہ", "مسافر"]
Related Senses
H5971a 1. people, nation (1836×)H5973a 1. accompaniment, together with (956×)H0854 1. with (accompaniment) (665×)H1471a 1. nations, peoples (plural/collective) (466×)G3326 1. with (368×)H1285 1. covenant, pact, treaty (284×)G2453 1. Jewish person, Jew (194×)H4150 1. meeting (tent of meeting) (151×)G2992 1. people/nation (an ethnic or political community) (142×)G4862 1. (129×)G1484 1. Gentiles, non-Jewish nations (128×)H1471a 2. nation, people-group (singular) (98×)H3162b 1. together (97×)H1616 1. sojourner, resident alien (92×)H0567 1. Amorite (people group) (87×)H3064 1. Jew, Jewish person (81×)H3669a 1. Canaanite (ethnic designation) (70×)G1122 1. scribe / expert in the Law (63×)H2114a 1. stranger, foreigner (person) (54×)H5608b 1. scribe, royal secretary (48×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† תּוֹשָׁב n.m. Lv 25:45 sojourner, only P (H) and late; abs. ת׳ Gn 23:4 + 6 times; cstr. תּוֹשַׁב Lv 22:10; sf. תּוֹשָֽׁבְךָ 25:6; pl. תּוֹשָׁבִים v 6 + 2 times; cstr. תֹּשָׁבֵי 1 K 17:1, but read תִּשְׁבֶּה (q.v.) 𝔊 Ew Th Hi;—sojourner, appar. of a more temporary and dependent (Lv 22:10; 25:6) kind than the גֵּר (with which it is often joined): ‖ שָׂכִיר Ex 12:45 (P), Lv 22:10 (ת׳ כֹּהֵן a…