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גֵּרְשֹׁם

𐤂𐤓𐤔𐤌

Gereshom

H1647 noun

SILEX Entry

Root גרש to drive out, banish, expel, to cast out

Definition

A personal name meaning 'a sojourner there' or 'an alien there.' Most frequently, Gershom is used as an Israelite male name, notably the firstborn son of Moses, and in other genealogical contexts, often indicating individuals within Levitical lineages or priestly families. The name likely expresses a sense of dwelling as a temporary resident or being a foreigner in a place not one's ancestral homeland.

Semantic Range

personal name; sojourner there, alien there, one staying as a foreigner; occasionally understood as someone expelled or sent away, though not its primary sense in personal naming

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root גרש (g-r-sh), which generally means 'to drive out, expel, banish,' but here may be a folk etymology associated with the noun גֵּר (gēr, 'sojourner, resident alien') combined with the adverb שם (sham, 'there'). The name likely capitalizes on the similarity between 'gēr' and 'geresh' to imply 'a sojourner there.' The actual derivation is debated; some see a play on words rather than direct derivation from the verb.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Gershom appears chiefly as the son of Moses and Zipporah (Exodus 2:22; 18:3), with the naming occasion explicitly connected to Moses' sojourning in Midian, emphasizing his status as a non-native or outsider. Other bearers of the name appear in priestly or Levitical genealogies (1 Chronicles 6:16, 43, 62, 71), sometimes leading to ambiguity with the separate but similar name Gershon (גֵּרְשׁוֹן). English Bibles universally render the name as 'Gershom,' but its connotation as 'sojourner' or 'temporary resident' is not always made clear. The term 'Jew' does not pertain to any bearer of this name in the Hebrew Bible context; all references are to Israelites (and, usually, Levites). The significance of 'sojourner' in the name reflects wider ancient Israelite concerns with status and identity, particularly in exile or landless settings.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

for גֵּרְשׁוֹן; Gereshom, the name of four Israelites; Gershom.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

גרש (g-r-sh) — to drive out, banish, expel, cast out

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1644 גָּרַשׁ I will forcefully expel
H1648 גֵּרְשׁוֹן Sojourner-There
H1649 גֵּרְשֻׁנִּי the Gershon-descendant
H4054 מִגְרָשׁ outlying pasture-land of

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H1647-01 גֵּרְשֹׁ֑ם gereshom HNp Gershom sojourner there 12
H1647-02 לְֽ/גֵרְשׁ֑וֹם legereshom HR/Np to Gershom to Sojourner-There 1
H1647-03 לְ/גֵרְשׁ֖וֹן legereshon HR/Np Gershon to Sojourner-There 1

Occurrences in Scripture

14 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H1647-01 Exodus 2:22 גֵּרְשֹׁ֑ם gereshom HNp Gershom, sojourner there
H1647-01 Exodus 18:3 גֵּֽרְשֹׁ֔ם gereshom HNp Gershom sojourner there
H1647-01 Judges 18:30 גֵּרְשֹׁ֨ם gereshom HNp Gershom sojourner there
H1647-01 Ezra 8:2 גֵּֽרְשֹׁ֔ם gereshom HNp Gershom sojourner there
H1647-01 1 Chronicles 6:1 גֵּרְשֹׁ֕ם gereshom HNp Gershom sojourner there
H1647-01 1 Chronicles 6:2 גֵרְשׁ֖וֹם gereshom HNp Gershom sojourner there
H1647-02 1 Chronicles 6:5 לְֽ/גֵרְשׁ֑וֹם legereshom HR/Np to Gershom to Sojourner-There
H1647-01 1 Chronicles 6:28 גֵּרְשֹׁ֖ם gereshom HNp Gershom sojourner there
H1647-01 1 Chronicles 6:47 גֵרְשׁ֜וֹם gereshom HNp Gershom sojourner there
H1647-01 1 Chronicles 6:56 גֵּרְשׁוֹם֒ gereshom HNp Gershom sojourner there
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