גֵּרְשֹׁם
Gereshom, the name of four Israelites
Definition
Gērᵉshōm is a proper name meaning 'a stranger there' or 'exile in a foreign land.' It most famously belongs to the firstborn son of Moses and Zipporah, named during Moses' exile in Midian (Exodus 2:22, 18:3). The name also belongs to a descendant of Phinehas, who served as a priest for the Danites' idolatrous shrine (Judges 18:30). In the post-exilic genealogies of 1 Chronicles, it refers to several Levites, including a son of Levi and ancestors of the musician Asaph (1 Chronicles 6:16-17, 6:20, 6:43, 6:62).
Biblical Usage
The name is used exclusively in narrative and genealogical contexts across the Pentateuch, Historical Books, and Chronicles. Its primary narrative use is for Moses' son, highlighting a key period in Moses' life. In Judges 18:30, it identifies a priest in a story of tribal apostasy. The majority of its occurrences are in the detailed Levitical genealogies of 1 Chronicles, establishing priestly and musical lineages.
Etymology
The name גֵּרְשֹׁם (Gērᵉshōm) is a compound, likely derived from גֵּר (gēr, H1616), meaning 'sojourner' or 'stranger,' and שָׁם (shām), meaning 'there.' Thus, it literally means 'a stranger there.' It is a variant spelling of the more common name גֵּרְשׁוֹן (Gērᵉshôn, H1648), or Gershon, with the final 'n' (נ) often dropped. Both names share the same core meaning related to foreign residency.
Semantic Range
The name Gērᵉshōm, especially for Moses' son, serves as a powerful theological marker. It memorializes Moses' own status as a refugee and alien in Midian, reflecting the broader biblical theme of God's people as sojourners on earth (Hebrews 11:13). Its use in Judges 18:30 for an idolatrous priest (where some manuscripts read 'Manasseh') also presents a sobering contrast, showing how a name meaning 'stranger' can be attached to one who leads Israel into spiritual estrangement from God.
In ancient Israelite culture, names often encapsulated a person's circumstances or destiny. Naming Moses' son Gērᵉshōm was a direct reflection of Moses' personal experience of displacement and alienation after fleeing Egypt. It functioned as a living reminder of his foreign status, a practice common in the Ancient Near East where names recorded significant life events.
Gērᵉshôn (H1648) — The more common full form of the same name, typically translated as Gershon. Gēr (H1616) — The root word for 'sojourner' or 'stranger,' embedded within the name.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →