Illustration created for this project.
Gershom (son of Moses)
What we know — and how we know it
Bible — stated in scripture (with verse) · 3
Scholarly — supported scholarly belief · 2
Origin & birthplace
Family & lineage
ScholarlyA descendant of Gershom, Jonathan, is named as priest of Dan in Judges, where the Masoretic text writes the father's name with a suspended letter nun, turning 'Moses' (Mosheh) into 'Manasseh' (Menasheh). Scholars read this as a deliberate scribal device to shield Moses from association with idolatrous worship.
A recognized text-critical feature (nun teluyah / suspended nun) in the Masoretic tradition, discussed in critical apparatus and commentaries.
Tribe & people
BibleOf the tribe of Levi.
Exodus 2:22
Name & titles
ScholarlyThe name Gershom is explained in the text itself as a play on ger sham, 'a sojourner there,' reflecting Moses's status as a stranger in Midian; the folk etymology links it to the root g-r-sh, 'to drive out.'
Onomastic wordplay noted in the verse and in standard Hebrew lexica (BDB, HALOT).
Where in scripture
ExodusShe bore a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land.”
Exodus 2:22 — 'I have been a foreigner'
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, a public-domain translation.
Family
Places in their life
Photo: Marc Ryckaert — CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)