Exodus 18:2-6 Meaning: Reunited at the Mountain of God
2Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, received Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,
3and her two sons. The name of one son was Gershom, for Moses said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land”.
4The name of the other was Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my help and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”
5Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with Moses’ sons and his wife to Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the Mountain of God.
6He said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, have come to you with your wife, and her two sons with her.”
2Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,
3And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:
4And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:
5And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:
6And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
2And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her away,
3and her two sons; of whom the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land:
4and the name of the other was Eliezer; forhe said, The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.
5And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness where he was encamped, at the mount of God:
6and he said unto Moses, I, thy father-in-law Jethro, am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
2and Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, taketh Zipporah, wife of Moses, besides her parents,
3and her two sons, of whom the name of the one is Gershom, for he said, `a sojourner I have been in a strange land:'
4and the name of the other is Eliezer, for, `the God of my father is for my help, and doth deliver me from the sword of Pharaoh.'
5And Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, cometh, and his sons, and his wife, unto Moses, unto the wilderness where he is encamping--the mount of God;
6and he saith unto Moses, `I, thy father-in-law, Jethro, am coming unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.'
2And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,
3and her two sons, of whom the name of the one was Gershom — for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land,
4— and the name of the other, Eliezer — For the God of my father has been my help, and has delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.
5And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came to Moses with his sons and his wife into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mountain of God.
6And he sent word to Moses: I, thy father-in-law Jethro, am come to thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
Meaning in one sentence
Why did Moses send Zipporah away? See how God reunites Moses with his family at Sinai, fulfilling the hope in his sons' names.
Context
This passage sits near the end of Israel's journey to Sinai. God has just given Moses victory over the Amalekites (Exodus 17). Now Jethro, Moses' Midianite father-in-law, arrives with Moses' wife Zipporah and their two sons. The chapter does not explain why Moses sent Zipporah back to Midian after bringing her to Egypt (Exodus 4:20). But the names of the sons tell a story. Gershom means “a foreigner there.” Eliezer means “my God is help.” Together they capture Moses' forty years as a stranger in Midian and God's rescue from Pharaoh. Jethro comes not only to return his daughter but to hear what God has done.
Key Words
Two names are the heart of this passage. Gershom (גֵּרְשֹׁם) sounds like “a sojourner there”, a word that recalls Moses' early words in Exodus 2:22. A ger was someone living in a place that wasn't home, without full rights. Moses never let himself forget that Midian was not his final home. Eliezer (אֱלִיעֶזֶר) means “God is help.” The Hebrew root behind “help” (ezer) is the same word God uses for Eve in Genesis 2: a strong support. Moses credits his father's God, not his own strength, for saving him from Pharaoh's sword. And the verb for “he has delivered” (natsal) means to snatch away. It is a rescue that involves active pulling from danger. Both names are statements of trust spoken in a foreign land, and they still ring true when Jethro arrives at Sinai.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this reunion in different lights. Matthew Henry sees it as a visit that fittingly comes before the giving of the law, a family moment that shows the beauty of godly kinship. John Calvin notes that Jethro came not out of ambition but because he had heard the reports of God's wonders, and points out that Jethro eventually returned home after worshiping. Some interpreters, like those in the Cambridge Bible, think the verses about the sons' names were added later to harmonize with earlier passages. Keil and Delitzsch view Jethro as a believing priest who appears positively alongside Israel, not as an outsider. Across traditions, readers agree that Jethro's warmth and the naming of the sons highlight God's faithfulness through the wilderness years.
A common misunderstanding
A common misunderstanding is that Moses sent Zipporah away because he divorced her or because they had conflict. The text does not say that. In fact, the word translated “sent her away” (shilluach) can mean a sending off with provision, possibly for her safety after the crisis at the inn (Exodus 4:24-26). Jethro now brings her back, and Moses receives them warmly (verse 7). The passage never hints at personal rejection; it points instead to a family restored by God's grace.
Living This Out
You may have a season in your life that feels like a foreign land, a place where you do not quite belong, where you wait. Moses named his son Gershom to remember that feeling honestly, and he named Eliezer to say out loud that God helps. This week, consider what name you would give your current season. Is it exile? Is it help? Or maybe both? The same God who brought Moses' family back together at the mountain is at work in your waiting, too. You don't have to pretend the foreign land is home. You can tell the truth and trust the Helper at the same time.
Main takeaway: God who was help to Moses in a foreign land is the same God who reunites families and keeps every promise He has made.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Moses had two sons. One son was named “Foreigner” and the other was named “God helps.” God brought Moses' whole family back together.
For ages 9, 12
Way back when Moses ran away to Midian, he named his two sons with hope: Gershom (meaning “I'm a foreigner here”) and Eliezer (“God is my help”). Later, when Moses led Israel out of Egypt, his father-in-law Jethro brought Moses' wife and sons to meet him at Mount Sinai. God had kept them safe and brought them back. The names Moses chose years before turned out to be true.
Questions People Ask
Why did Moses send Zipporah away?
The Bible does not give a clear reason. The incident at the inn in Exodus 4:24-26 may have led Moses to send her back to Midian for safety. The Hebrew word used (shilluach) can mean a sending off with provision, not a divorce. Jethro now brings her back to Moses at Sinai.
What does the name Gershom mean?
Gershom sounds like the Hebrew phrase "a sojourner there." It comes from ger (foreigner) and sham (there). Moses chose this name because he was living as a stranger in Midian, far from his people.
What does the name Eliezer mean?
Eliezer means "my God is help" or "God is help." Moses said God rescued him from Pharaoh's sword. This name looks back to the time Moses fled Egypt after killing the Egyptian (Exodus 2:15).
Does this visit happen before or after the Ten Commandments?
The passage appears before the law is given at Sinai. Most Bible readers take it as happening shortly before Exodus 19, though a few think it fits better later (around Numbers 10). The text places it here, and Matthew Henry and others accept this order as natural.
Was Jethro a believer in the true God?
The text calls Jethro a priest of Midian, and many Christians (including Calvin and Matthew Henry) see him as a worshiper of the true God. In verse 10 he blesses Yahweh and offers a burnt offering. The New Testament does not treat him negatively.
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