Lexical Summary Gereshom: Gershom Original Word: גֵּרְשׁם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Gershom For Gershown; Gereshom, the name of four Israelites -- Gershom. see HEBREW Gershown NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom garash Definition three Isr. NASB Translation Gershom (14). Brown-Driver-Briggs גֵּרְשֹׁם proper name, masculine 1 son of Moses & Sipporah Exodus 2:22 (explanation as if from גור) = Exodus 18:3; גֵּרְשׁוֺם 1 Chronicles 23:15,16; 1 Chronicles 26:24; so also גֵּרְשֹׁם Judges 18:30 ᵑ0 בֶּןֿ מְנַשֶּׁה compare VB. 2 a son of Levi גֵּרְשֹׁם 1 Chronicles 6:1; 1 Chronicles 6:28; 1 Chronicles 15:7 (compare גֵּרְשׁוֺן); גֵּרְשׁוֺם 1 Chronicles 6:2; 1 Chronicles 6:5; 1 Chronicles 6:47; 1 Chronicles 6:56. 3 a son of Phinehas Ezra 8:2. Topical Lexicon Etymology and Symbolism Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for “sojourner there” (ger sham, cf. Exodus 2:22). Moses’ choice of the name—“I have been a sojourner in a foreign land”—captures the pilgrim motif that runs through Scripture, anticipating the theological truth that God’s people are aliens and strangers on the earth (Hebrews 11:13). Occurrences and Principal Bearers 1. Gershom, firstborn of Moses and Zipporah (Exodus 2:22; 18:3; 1 Chronicles 23:15-17; 26:24). Gershom Son of Moses • Birth in Midian: His arrival marks the transition in Moses’ life from prince of Egypt to wilderness exile. The boy’s name memorializes the experience so that every mention of Gershom calls Israel to remember God’s faithfulness during decades of obscurity. Gershom in the Period of the Judges Judges 18:30 records that “Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan.” Ancient scribes suspended the nun in מנשה (Manasseh), suggesting the original reading “Moses.” The inspired text therefore exposes the tragic drift of a priestly family into idolatry. The very line that once preserved the Ark’s pattern succumbed to a graven image, demonstrating that apostasy is always a danger when worship is detached from God’s word. Gershom in Levitical Genealogies 1 Chronicles interweaves Gershom with the tribal divisions of Levi. Whether spelling fluctuates as Gershom or Gershon, the Chronicler’s purpose is theological: to show orderly worship under David’s reforms. Gershom stands alongside Kohath and Merari as a charter ancestor (1 Chronicles 23:6), reminding Israel that genuine worship requires both priestly lineage and obedient hearts. Post-Exilic Gershom Ezra 8:2 lists Gershom among those who “came with me from Babylon.” His inclusion affirms continuity between pre-exilic faith and the restored community. Those who bore the name of “sojourner” now literally traverse the desert in a second Exodus, fulfilling prophetic promises of return. Ministerial Legacy • Guardians of the treasuries (1 Chronicles 26:24). The legacy is therefore mixed—at once a testimony to covenant faithfulness and a warning against compromise. Theological Reflections 1. Pilgrimage identity: Gershom crystallizes the faith stance of living as “sojourners” awaiting the city whose architect is God (Hebrews 11:10). Gershom’s fourteen appearances, though scattered, weave a single narrative strand: the God who meets exiles, disciplines wanderers and restores worshippers remains faithful across generations. Forms and Transliterations גֵּֽרְשֹׁ֔ם גֵּרְשֹׁ֑ם גֵּרְשֹׁ֕ם גֵּרְשֹׁ֖ם גֵּרְשֹׁ֨ם גֵּרְשׁ֣וֹם גֵּרְשׁוֹם֒ גֵרְשׁ֖וֹם גֵרְשׁ֜וֹם גרשום גרשם לְֽגֵרְשׁ֑וֹם לְגֵרְשׁ֖וֹן לגרשום לגרשון gê·rə·šō·wm ḡê·rə·šō·wm gê·rə·šōm gereShom gêrəšōm gêrəšōwm ḡêrəšōwm lə·ḡê·rə·šō·wm lə·ḡê·rə·šō·wn legereShom legereShon ləḡêrəšōwm ləḡêrəšōwnLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 2:22 HEB: אֶת־ שְׁמ֖וֹ גֵּרְשֹׁ֑ם כִּ֣י אָמַ֔ר NAS: and he named him Gershom, for he said, KJV: his name Gershom: for he said, INT: called his name Gershom for said Exodus 18:3 Judges 18:30 1 Chronicles 6:16 1 Chronicles 6:17 1 Chronicles 6:20 1 Chronicles 6:43 1 Chronicles 6:62 1 Chronicles 6:71 1 Chronicles 23:6 1 Chronicles 23:15 1 Chronicles 23:16 1 Chronicles 26:24 Ezra 8:2 14 Occurrences |
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