She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The name "Gershom" isn't just a label; it's a profound declaration of hope. Moses named his son this to remind himself and his family that even this place of refuge was temporary, and their true inheritance lay in the promised land God had yet to give them.
She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
After fleeing Egypt for murder, Moses finds refuge in Midian, where he marries the daughter of a priest and begins a life tending sheep. This verse marks the birth of their first son, Gershom, a name Moses chooses to reflect his own status as an exile in a foreign land, a constant reminder of his true homeland and God's promises.
Moses, the future liberator of Israel, was once a stranger in a foreign land. How did God use this unexpected exile to prepare him?
Moses' settlement in Midian wasn't an accident; it was God's careful plan. Even in exile, God provides refuge and prepares His servants.
A Safe Haven
During the intense oppression in Egypt, God found a hiding place for Moses. His time in Midian, marrying Jethro's daughter and becoming a shepherd, offered him shelter and a new life away from Pharaoh's reach.
Shepherd's Training
This humble life as a shepherd was more than just a way to survive. It was a divine apprenticeship. The quiet solitude of tending flocks prepared Moses for deep communion with God, fostering patience, hardship endurance, and a contemplative spirit crucial for his future role.
The name Gershom means 'a stranger there.' Why would a father give his son such a name, and what does it reveal about his heart?
Naming a child is a significant act, often carrying deep meaning and hope. For Moses, naming his son Gershom was a powerful declaration of his faith and his unwavering hope.
A Constant Reminder
By calling his son Gershom (meaning 'stranger there'), Moses kept a constant reminder for himself, his wife, and his father-in-law. It wasn't just about his current status as a foreigner in Midian, but a declaration that Midian was not his true home.
Looking Beyond
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This name was a profound expression of faith. Moses, even while finding rest and family in Midian, never forgot God's promise of the land of Canaan to his people. Gershom's name served as a perpetual acknowledgment that he was a sojourner, living by faith and waiting for the promised inheritance.
Understand the original words
ger · Hebrew Noun
A descriptive term for one who lives temporarily in a place that is not their home, often implying a state of vulnerability or lack of inheritance in that location. In Scripture, it emphasizes the believer's status as a stranger in the world, whose true home is with God.
The naming of Gershom reflects Moses's identity as an exile, deeply aware of his temporary status in Midian while holding onto the hope of returning to the promised land of Canaan.
c. 1490 BC
Moses Flees Egypt
Moses, after killing an Egyptian taskmaster, flees from Egypt to the land of Midian to escape Pharaoh's wrath.
c. 1465 BC— this verse
Moses Settles in Midian
Moses marries Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, a priest in Midian, and begins a new life as a shepherd.
c. 1445 BC
The Burning Bush
While tending his flock on Mount Horeb, Moses encounters God in a burning bush, receiving his divine commission to liberate the Israelites.
c. 1445 BC
Moses Returns to Egypt
Accompanied by his wife and sons, Moses journeys back to Egypt, confronting Pharaoh and initiating the Exodus.
This passage directly echoes Moses' sentiment, with God telling Abraham that his descendants would be strangers and oppressed in a foreign land for 400 years, highlighting the long historical theme of Israel's sojourning.
Hebrews 11:13The New Testament author points to Abraham and his descendants, including Moses, as those who 'died in faith, not having received the things promised but having seen them and welcomed them from a distance, and acknowledging that they were strangers and exiles on the earth,' reinforcing the spiritual meaning of being a sojourner.
1 Peter 2:11Peter applies this same concept to all believers, calling us 'sojourners and exiles' who should abstain from sinful desires, connecting Moses' literal state to the spiritual reality of Christians living in a fallen world.
Psalm 119:19This psalm expresses a similar feeling of being a temporary resident on earth, declaring 'I am a sojourner on earth; hide not your commandments from me,' showing that this perspective is a motivator for seeking God's guidance.
bensonExodus 2:22: "And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land."
Exodus 2:22 . Gershom — That is, A stranger there. Now this settlement of Moses in Midian was designed by Providence to shelter him for the present; God will find hiding-places for his people in the day of their distress. It was also designed to prepare him for the services he was to be called to. His manner of life in Midian, where he kept the flock of his father-in-law…
calvinExodus 2:16-22: "Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock."
- Now the priest of Midian. The profane would attribute this meeting to good fortune, whereas God affords us in it a striking picture of his providence, in thus with an outstretched hand directing the steps of his servant. Those damsels were in the habit of coming daily to the well; and Moses sat down to ask for hospitality at the waterside, whith…
The name "Gershom" isn't just a label; it's a profound declaration of hope. Moses named his son this to remind himself and his family that even this place of refuge was temporary, and their true inheritance lay in the promised land God had yet to give them.
After fleeing Egypt for murder, Moses finds refuge in Midian, where he marries the daughter of a priest and begins a life tending sheep. This verse marks the birth of their first son, Gershom, a name Moses chooses to reflect his own status as an exile in a foreign land, a constant reminder of his true homeland and God's promises.
After fleeing Egypt for murder, Moses finds refuge in Midian, where he marries the daughter of a priest and begins a life tending sheep. This verse marks the birth of their first son, Gershom, a name Moses chooses to reflect his own status as an exile in a foreign land, a constant reminder of his true homeland and God's promises.
"She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”" — The name "Gershom" isn't just a label; it's a profound declaration of hope. Moses named his son this to remind himself and his family that even this place of refuge was temporary, and their true inhe…
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Last reviewed October 2026