Lexical Definition
גֵּרְשֹׁם Gêrᵉshôm (gay-resh-ome') Gershom N:N-M-P
for גֵּרְשׁוֹן
Gershom.
- § Gershom = "foreigner"
- Gereshom, the name of four Israelites
1) firstborn son of Moses and Zipporah
2) firstborn son of Levi
3) a son of the priestly family of Phinehas who returned from exile with Ezra
| Form | Translated As | In Verse(s) |
|---|---|---|
| גֵרְשׁ֖וֹם | Gershom | 1Chr.23.16 |
| גֵּרְשׁ֣וֹם | Gershom | 1Chr.26.24 |
| גֵּרְשֹׁ֨ם | Gershom | Judg.18.30 |
| גֵּרְשֹׁ֖ם | Gershom | 1Chr.23.15 |
| גֵּרְשֹׁ֑ם | Gershom | Exod.2.22 |
| גֵּֽרְשֹׁ֔ם | Gershom | Exod.18.3 |
Extended Information
- A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.2.22
- son of: Moses (מֹשֶׁה) and Zipporah (צִפֹּרָה)
- brother of: Eliezer (אֱלִיעֶזֶר)
- father of: Jonathan (יְהוֹנָתָן) and Shebuel (שְׁבוּאֵל)
Brown-Driver-Briggs
גֵּרְשֹׁם proper name, masculine
1. son of Moses & Sipporah Exod 2:22 (explanation as if from גור) = Exod 18:3 גֵּרְשׁוֺם 1Chr 23:15; 1Chr 23:16; 1Chr 26:24 so also גֵּרְשֹׁם Judg 18:30 ᵑ0 בֶּןֿ מְנַשֶּׁה compare VB.
2. a son of Levi גֵּרְשֹׁם 1Chr 6:1*; 1Chr 6:28*; 1Chr 15:7 (compare גֵּרְשׁוֺן); גֵּרְשׁוֺם 1Chr 6:2*; 1Chr 6:5*; 1Chr 6:47*; 1Chr 6:56*.
3. a son of Phinehas Ezra 8:2.
Brown-Driver-Briggs References
| Book | Refs |
|---|---|
| Exodus | 2:22 · 18:3 |
| Judges | 18:30 |
| 1 Chronicles | 6:1* · 6:2* · 6:5* · 6:28* · 6:47* · 6:56* · 15:7 · 23:15 · 23:16 · 26:24 |
| Ezra | 8:2 |
Profile
Male • Son of Moses • Son of Moses; father of Jonathan, a renegade priest.
Levite living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness
Gershom was the firstborn son of Moses and Zipporah, and his descendant Jonathan served as a priest for the idolatrous Danites.
- A man from the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.2.22;
- only referred to as Gershom גֵּרְשֹׁם;
- son of Moses מֹשֶׁה and Zipporah צִפֹּרָה;
- a brother of Eliezer אֱלִיעֶזֶר;
- father of Jonathan יְהוֹנָתָן and Shebuel שְׁבוּאֵל.
Gershom was the firstborn son of Moses and Zipporah, born during Moses' exile in Midian (Exodus 2:22). His name, which means "a stranger there," reflects Moses' feelings of being a foreigner in a strange land. Later, when Moses returned to Egypt to lead the Israelites out of slavery, Gershom and his brother Eliezer were reunited with their father (Exodus 18:3-4). As a descendant of Levi, Gershom and his descendants were counted among the Levites and assigned duties in the tabernacle and temple service (1 Chronicles 23:15-16; 26:24). However, one of Gershom's descendants, Jonathan, became involved in idolatrous worship. According to Judges 18:30, Jonathan and his sons served as priests for the tribe of Dan, who had set up a graven image and a shrine. This incident highlights the spiritual decline among some of the Levites and the Israelites during the period of the judges. Despite this unfaithful descendant, Gershom's lineage remained significant within the Levitical priesthood, as evidenced by the mention of his descendants in the genealogies of Chronicles.
All entries for Gershom: גֵּרְשֹׁם