Exodus 2:22

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And she bare [him] a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

Complete Jewish Bible:

She gave birth to a son, and he named him Gershom [foreigner there], for he said, "I have been a foreigner in a foreign land."

Berean Standard Bible:

And she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”

American Standard Version:

And she bare a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And she bare^{H3205} him a son^{H1121}, and he called^{H7121} his name^{H8034} Gershom^{H1647}: for he said^{H559}, I have been a stranger^{H1616} in a strange^{H5237} land^{H776}.

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Commentary for Exodus 2:22

**Themes:**
- Stranger in a Strange Land: The naming of Gershom reflects the theme of alienation and displacement. Moses, having fled Egypt after killing an Egyptian, finds himself in the foreign land of Midian. The name Gershom, meaning "a stranger there," symbolizes Moses' feelings of being an outsider and the broader biblical motif of sojourning in a land that is not one's own.
- Divine Providence: Despite Moses' status as a fugitive and a stranger, God's hand is evident in his life. Moses' marriage to Zipporah and the birth of Gershom can be seen as part of God's plan to prepare Moses for his future role as a leader and deliverer of the Israelites.
- Identity and Transition: The birth of Gershom marks a transition in Moses' life. He moves from being an Egyptian prince to a Midianite shepherd, which prefigures his later transformation into the leader of the Hebrew people.

**Historical Context:**
- The verse is set during the period of Israelite enslavement in Egypt. Moses, born a Hebrew but raised in Pharaoh's palace, kills an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave and flees to Midian to escape Pharaoh's wrath.
- Midian, located east of Egypt and south of Canaan, was inhabited by a Semitic people also descended from Abraham through his wife Keturah. The Midianites were pastoralists, and their society would have been familiar with the role of a shepherd, which Moses takes on.
- The narrative reflects the broader historical context of the ancient Near East, where migration, intermarriage, and cultural exchange were common. Moses' integration into Midianite society illustrates these dynamics.
- The story of Moses is foundational to Jewish and Christian traditions, emphasizing themes of deliverance, covenant, and the formation of Israelite identity, which are central to the biblical narrative.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H3205
   There are 403 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָלַד
   Transliteration: yâlad
   Pronunciation: yaw-lad'
   Description: a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage; bear, beget, birth(-day), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).
   
2. Strong's Number: H1121
   There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: בֵּן
   Transliteration: bên
   Pronunciation: bane
   Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.
   
3. Strong's Number: H7121
   There are 689 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: קָרָא
   Transliteration: qârâʼ
   Pronunciation: kaw-raw'
   Description: a primitive root (rather identical with קָרָא through the idea of accosting a person met); to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications); bewray (self), that are bidden, call (for, forth, self, upon), cry (unto), (be) famous, guest, invite, mention, (give) name, preach, (make) proclaim(-ation), pronounce, publish, read, renowned, say.
   
4. Strong's Number: H8034
   There are 771 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שֵׁם
   Transliteration: shêm
   Pronunciation: shame
   Description: a primitive word (perhaps rather from through the idea of definite and conspicuous position; compare שָׁמַיִם); an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character; [phrase] base, (in-) fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.
   
5. Strong's Number: H1647
   There are 14 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: גֵּרְשֹׁם
   Transliteration: Gêrᵉshôm
   Pronunciation: gay-resh-ome'
   Description: for גֵּרְשׁוֹן; Gereshom, the name of four Israelites; Gershom.
   
6. Strong's Number: H559
   There are 4434 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אָמַר
   Transliteration: ʼâmar
   Pronunciation: aw-mar'
   Description: a primitive root; to say (used with great latitude); answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet.
   
7. Strong's Number: H1616
   There are 83 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: גֵּר
   Transliteration: gêr
   Pronunciation: gare
   Description: or (fully) geyr (gare); from גּוּר; properly, a guest; by implication, a foreigner; alien, sojourner, stranger.
   
8. Strong's Number: H5237
   There are 45 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: נׇכְרִי
   Transliteration: nokrîy
   Pronunciation: nok-ree'
   Description: from נֶכֶר (second form); strange, in a variety of degrees and applications (foreign, non-relative, adulterous, different, wonderful); alien, foreigner, outlandish, strange(-r, woman).
   
9. Strong's Number: H776
   There are 2739 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֶרֶץ
   Transliteration: ʼerets
   Pronunciation: eh'-rets
   Description: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.