Hebrews 13:1-6, Strangers, angels, prisoners

Hospitality meant lodging and caring for travelers, and Jewish texts held up Abraham, who welcomed three visitors of whom at least two were angels, as its great example (Keener; the cultural backgrounds notes). Josephus tells it so: Abraham "saw three angels; and thinking them to be strangers," greeted them and asked them to stay for a meal (Antiquities 1.11.2). Greek tales of gods visiting in disguise show how readily ancient readers took the point (Keener), and the ESV Study Bible adds that travel was hard and inns could be dangerous. Keener writes that "Roman law used prison as detention until punishment rather than as punishment itself", and prisoners depended on friends outside for food and clothing, with guards who sometimes demanded bribes for that much access (Keener; the cultural backgrounds notes). Some philosophers counted prison visiting a virtue, and second-century Christians had a reputation for looking after prisoners (Keener; the cultural backgrounds notes). The bed was a common way of speaking of intercourse; Greek men often married about thirty and before then used prostitutes, slaves or boys, which Jewish circles following Scripture counted immoral (Keener; the cultural backgrounds notes).