Exodus 2:22
And she bare him a sonne, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I haue bene a stranger in a strange land. Exodus 2:22 (KJV)
The book of Exodus, the second book of the Old Testament, tells the story of Israel’s liberation from Egyptian slavery. In chapter 2 we encounter the early life of Moses. After killing an Egyptian who was mistreating an Israelite, Moses fled Egypt and settled in the land of Midian.
In Exodus 2:22 we read that Moses’ wife Zipporah bore him a son, and they named him Gershom. The name “Gershom” means “a stranger there,” and Moses chose it because he felt like a stranger in a foreign land, reflecting his own experience as an outsider in Midian.
Moses’ sojourn in Midian began when he helped a group of women at a well water their flocks. Their father, Jethro (also called Reuel), welcomed Moses into his household and gave his daughter Zipporah to him in marriage, providing refuge after Moses’ flight from Egypt.
This period marked a significant transition for Moses. From being a prince in Egypt, he became a shepherd in Midian. In that role he grew, matured, and acquired the leadership skills he would later use to deliver Israel from bondage.
Naming his son Gershom reveals Moses’ sense of displacement. He saw himself as a stranger and an alien in a foreign land, a reminder of his past life in Egypt and the alienation he felt while living among the Midianites.
The naming also foreshadows Israel’s own journey. The people of God would later become strangers in a strange land—slaves in Egypt—before God liberated them and led them through the wilderness toward the Promised Land.
Like Moses, believers today may find themselves in unfamiliar situations, feeling like strangers in a strange land. Yet just as God was with Moses throughout his journey, Scripture assures us that God is with us wherever we go (Joshua 1:9), a constant companion guiding us through every season of life.
This study highlights the historical and personal significance of Exodus 2:22, showing how Moses’ experience and the naming of Gershom carry both immediate meaning and broader biblical symbolism, offering encouragement and spiritual insight for our own walks of faith.
