The Meaning of Exodus 2:22 Explained

Exodus 2:22

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

YLT: and she beareth a son, and he calleth his name Gershom, for he said, 'A sojourner I have been in a strange land.'

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

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Exodus 2:22 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 2:11-25 - Moses Slays An Egyptian And Flees To Midian
Amid all the allurements of Pharaoh's court, the heart of Moses beat true to his own people. Neither the treasures of Egypt, nor the pleasures of sin; the attraction of human love, nor the glamour of the world's smile, could turn him aside from his own folk. A light shone for him over the humble huts of Goshen, before which that of Pharaoh's palaces paled. Some glimmering knowledge of the promised Christ appears to have been present to his mind; and he esteemed that hope to be greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. Hebrews 11:26.
He had, however, much to learn. By strength no man can prevail. The battle is not to the strong, nor the race to the swift. The salvation of Israel from their untold miseries must be due, from first to last, to the outstretched hand of their Almighty Protector. Hence the failure of Moses' first attempt. Instead of looking "this way and that," he must look upward. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 2

1  Moses is born, and placed in a basket in the reeds of Nile
5  He is found, and brought up by Pharaoh's daughter;
7  who employs his mother to nurse him
11  He kills an Egyptian
13  He reproves a Hebrew
15  He flees into Midian, and marries Zipporah
22  Gershom is born
23  God respects the Israelites' cry

What do the individual words in Exodus 2:22 mean?

And she bore [him] a son and he called - his name Gershom for he said a stranger I have been in a land Strange -
וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־ שְׁמ֖וֹ גֵּרְשֹׁ֑ם כִּ֣י אָמַ֔ר גֵּ֣ר הָיִ֔יתִי בְּאֶ֖רֶץ נָכְרִיָּֽה פ

וַתֵּ֣לֶד  And  she  bore  [him] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָלַד 
Sense: to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail.
בֵּ֔ן  a  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וַיִּקְרָ֥א  and  he  called 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שְׁמ֖וֹ  his  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
גֵּרְשֹׁ֑ם  Gershom 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֵּרְשֹׁם  
Sense: firstborn son of Moses and Zipporah.
אָמַ֔ר  he  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
גֵּ֣ר  a  stranger 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: גֵּר  
Sense: sojourner.
הָיִ֔יתִי  I  have  been 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בְּאֶ֖רֶץ  in  a  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
נָכְרִיָּֽה  Strange 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: נָכְרִי  
Sense: foreign, alien.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation