Exodus 18:3

Exodus 18:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:
• New International Version (NIV)and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”;
• English Standard Version (ESV)along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land"),
• New King James Version (NKJV)with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land”)

Context of Exodus 18:3

1The father of Moses' wife was called Jethro. He was the priest for the Midian people. He heard about all the things that God had done for Moses and for the Israelites. He also heard how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2Moses had sent his wife, Zipporah, back to her home. He also sent his two sons with her. Jethro took care of them. Moses' older son was called Gershom. Moses said about him, ‘I have become a stranger in a foreign country.’ 4The other son was called Eliezer. Moses said about him, ‘My ancestors' God gave me help. He saved me from Pharaoh, when Pharaoh wanted to kill me.’ 5Jethro came to visit Moses in the wilderness. He brought with him Moses' wife and two sons. The Israelites had put up their tents near the mountain of God.

Exodus 18:3 word by word

וְאֵ֖ת שְׁנֵ֣י בָנֶ֑יהָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר שֵׁ֤ם הָֽאֶחָד֙ גֵּֽרְשֹׁ֔ם כִּ֣י אָמַ֔ר גֵּ֣ר הָיִ֔יתִי בְּאֶ֖רֶץ נָכְרִיָּֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And her twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
• sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• of which the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• of the oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• Gershomגֵּרְשֹׁםgêreshôm · GershomH1647
• for he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• I have been an alienגֵּרgêr gêyr · sojournerH1616
• in a strangeנׇכְרִיnokrîy · foreignH5237
• landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776

Cross-references for Exodus 18:3

• Acts 7:29When Moses heard this, he decided to run away. He went to the land of Midian and he lived there. He married a wife and they had two sons.
• Exodus 2:22Later, Zipporah gave birth to a son for Moses. Moses gave the boy the name ‘Gershom’. He called him that because he said, ‘I am living as a stranger in a foreign country.’
• Psalms 39:12Lord, please hear my prayer. Listen to me when I call to you for help. Do not turn away from me when I weep. I need your help, like a foreign person who lives away from his home. I live on earth as a stranger, like all my ancestors did.
• Hebrews 11:13All these people continued to believe God until they died. But they did not receive all the things that God had promised to give them. They were like people who saw those things far away. That made them happy. These people understood that they lived as strangers and travellers on the earth.
• 1 Peter 2:11My friends, remember that you are really strangers in this world. You do not belong here. So I am telling you not to do the bad things that your bodies may want to do. Those bad things fight against what is good for your soul.

Commentaries on Exodus 18:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3The name of the one was Gershom - See Clarke's note on Exodus 2:22.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-12Moses had sent his wife and children back to stay with his father-in-law at some point. During the intense confrontation with Pharaoh, Moses might have feared for their lives. Jethro now came to meet Moses and the Israelites, bringing the family of Moses with him (18:2–6). During the visit, Moses gave him a report. Jethro came to trust in the Lord through the testimony of the Lord's work.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-271-5. Jethro ... came ... unto Moses, &c.--It is thought by many eminent commentators that this episode is inserted out of its chronological order, for it is described as occurring when the Israelites were "encamped at the mount of God." And yet they did not reach it till the third month after their departure from Egypt (Ex 19:1, 2; compare De 1:6, 9-15).Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 18:3

• Gershom
• Moses
• Zipporah

In the dictionaries

• Gershom
• Goodness
• Hard
• Heavy
• Jethro
• Matter
• Wear
• Alien
• Blindness, Judicial
• Courts, Judicial

Commentaries on Exodus 18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings