THEOSISAmbrose of Milan
In earlier times, individuals referred to their adversaries with a soft term, calling them ‘strangers’. This practice was rooted in tradition, as seen in Cicero’s writings where he notes such terminology used for enemies. Similarly, biblical texts indicate that the Jews referred to their opponents as foreigners, while the Romans also used ‘strangers’ for their foes. In the First Book of Kings, it is recorded: "And it came to pass in those days, that the foreigners were gathered together to make war against Israel."
It is noteworthy that ancient peoples often softened the term for foe, opting instead for the word stranger, as they referred to adversaries by this more neutral term. We can confidently suggest that this usage may also have roots in our own texts, given that the Jewish people referred to their enemies as allophiles, which translates into Latin as foreigners. This is evident in the first book of Kings: “and it happened in those days that the foreigners gathered for war against Israel.” It is intriguing to note that while St. Ambrose cleverly referenced this idea, he may not have accurately represented the example.
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Indeed, the Septuagint uses the term οί άλλλόφυλοι, translating the Hebrew word Pelischtim, but this designation pertains specifically to a well-known group, the Philistines, rather than all adversaries. The term Pelischtim derives from Philisteia, a region located along the southwestern coastal area of the Holy Land, inhabited by the local people, and it is connected to a verb in Arabic meaning to run or to move swiftly. Thus, Pelischtim referred specifically to the natives of that area, rather than to enemies in a broader sense. Additionally, it is interesting that the entire eastern coast of the Mediterranean is referred to as Palestine.