In brief
Gershom and Eliezer are the two sons of Moses and Zipporah, the daughter of the priest of Midian. They are born during Moses' exile, far from Egypt. Their names tell their father's story: the stranger in a foreign land, then the man whom God delivered from Pharaoh's sword. Jethro brings them back to Moses in the wilderness. Their descendants are not priests like those of Aaron, but they are counted among the Levites.
What does the name Gershom and Eliezer mean?
The Bible explains both names itself. Gershom is generally linked to the Hebrew word for a stranger, because Moses says, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land” (Exodus 2:22). Eliezer is understood as my God is help, because Moses says, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword” (Exodus 18:4).
The story of Gershom and Eliezer
Gershom, born in a foreign land
Exodus 2:15-22Moses flees from Pharaoh, who seeks to kill him, and takes refuge in the land of Midian. Beside a well, he defends the daughters of the priest Reuel against some shepherds. He then stays with this man, who gives him his daughter Zipporah as a wife. She bears a son, whom Moses names Gershom, because he lives in a foreign land.
The return toward Egypt
Exodus 4:20-26When God sends him to deliver Israel, Moses takes his wife and sons, sets them on donkeys and returns to Egypt. On the way, the Lord meets Moses and seeks to kill him. Zipporah then circumcises her son, though the text does not say which one, and the Lord lets Moses go. The episode recalls the importance of the sign of the covenant.
Brought back by Jethro
Exodus 18:1-6Zipporah had been sent away with her two sons, though the Bible does not say when. After the exodus from Egypt, Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brings them back to the wilderness, near the mountain of God. The text then recalls the meaning of each name: Gershom, the stranger, and Eliezer, in memory of God's help.
A family gathered around a testimony
Exodus 18:7-12Moses goes out to meet his father-in-law and welcomes him into his tent. He tells him everything the Lord has done to Pharaoh and how he has delivered Israel. Jethro rejoices, blesses the Lord and offers a burnt offering. The sons of Moses thus arrive in the camp just as God's faithfulness is being celebrated.
Counted among the Levites
1 Chronicles 23:13-17Chronicles distinguishes the descendants of Aaron, set apart for the priesthood, from those of Moses, the man of God, who are counted in the tribe of Levi. Gershom has a son, Shebuel, the chief. Eliezer has only one son, Rehabiah, but the sons of Rehabiah become very numerous.
Descendants in charge of the treasuries
1 Chronicles 26:24-28In David's time, Shebuel, son of Gershom, is ruler over the treasuries. Shelomoth, a descendant of Eliezer through Rehabiah, guards with his brothers the things dedicated by David, Samuel, Saul, Abner and Joab for the upkeep of the house of the Lord. Moses' descendants serve God in a quiet place.
What Gershom and Eliezer teaches us
- A believer may feel like a stranger on earth, as Moses did in Midian, while remaining under God's gaze.
- Keeping the memory of God's help alive, even in a family's names and memories, feeds the faith of the next generations.
- God does not forget the families of his servants, even when they go through times of separation.
- Serving God in a quiet place has value: the sons of Moses were not priests, but their descendants served faithfully.
Key verses
Moses names his son Gershom, saying, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land.” He expresses his exile, but it is in this wilderness that God will call him.
The name Eliezer is a memorial: Moses recognizes in it that his father's God was his help and delivered him from Pharaoh's sword. The name recalls that Moses' life is a gift from God.
“But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were named among the tribe of Levi.” The sons of the great deliverer inherit no special privilege: they serve alongside their fellow Levites.
Like Moses, who named his son after his condition as a stranger, believers confess that they are strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Their hope is fixed on what God has promised.
Sermons about Gershom and Eliezer
Frequently asked questions
What do the names Gershom and Eliezer mean?
The Bible itself gives the meaning of both names. Gershom is tied to the idea of a stranger, because Moses says he lives in a foreign land (Exodus 2:22). Eliezer is generally understood as my God is help, because Moses declares that his father's God helped him and delivered him from Pharaoh's sword (Exodus 18:4).
Why did the sons of Moses not become priests?
God had reserved the priesthood for Aaron and his sons. 1 Chronicles 23:13-14 states that Aaron was set apart to burn incense and to bless in the name of the Lord, while the sons of Moses were counted in the tribe of Levi. They therefore served as Levites, without being priests.
Where can I find the story of Gershom and Eliezer in the Bible?
Gershom is born in Exodus 2:22. Moses takes his sons toward Egypt in Exodus 4:20, then Jethro brings them back to the wilderness in Exodus 18:1-6, where the name Eliezer is explained. Their descendants are mentioned in 1 Chronicles 23:14-17 and 26:24-25.