The Immigration Crisis: Immigrants, Aliens, and the Bible by James K. Hoffmeir

Level of difficulty: Dense in content but accessible

This book, written by a seasoned Old Testament scholar James Hoffmeir who was born and raised in Egypt, is an insightful and thought-provoking study on immigration. Hoffmeir looks at the topic of immigration from a biblical perspective, yet his findings set his work apart from more popular books. His historical and exegetical work shed fresh light on key issues, such as the role of borders in the ancient world, the meaning of the term ger, “stranger, sojourner,” and the difference between “stranger, sojourner” (ger) and “foreigner” (nekhar and zar). He has a superb chapter on “Immigration and Immigrants in Abraham’s World” (ch. 2), where Hoffmeir explains the differences between illegal and legal immigrants in the Old Testament and the laws governing Israel’s posture toward both groups. The book is worth the price for this chapter alone! His book is rich in content and thought-provoking, well worth the read.