Hebrews 13:2 (KJV)

Passage

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Nearby Context

Hebrews 13:1 Let brotherly love continue.

Hebrews 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Hebrews 13:3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "forgetful", "entertain", "strangers", "thereby", "some", "entertained", "angels", and "unawares". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "forgetful" and "entertain", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 1's "Let brotherly love continue..." into verse 3's "Remember them that are in bonds as...", so "forgetful" and "entertain" belong inside that flow. In Hebrews context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "forgetful" and "entertain" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.