Exodus Encyclopedia:

G - J

Gad
     One of the twelve sons of Jacob/Israel, and the head of one of the subdivisions of the Israelites. He relocated to Egypt along with his brothers before the Book of Exodus takes place. (1:1-4)

Gershom (also called Gershon) - There are two:
     1. A Levite. A son of Levi. (6:16) The father of Libni and Shimei (also called Shimi). (6:17)
     2. The oldest son of Moses and Zipporah. He was born in the country of Midian. (chapter 2) When Moses to returned to Egypt, Zipporah and Gershom went with him. (4:20) On the way, Zipporah circumcised Gershom. (4:24-26)
     Zipporah and Gershom later went back to Jethro. Later, when the Israelites were at Rephidim, Jethro visited Moses, and brought Zipporah and Gershom back to him. With them came a second son of Moses and Zipporah, named Eliezer. (18:2-6)

Gershon (also called Gershom) - There are two:
     1. A Levite. A son of Levi. (6:16) The father of Libni and Shimei (also called Shimi). (6:17)
     2. The oldest son of Moses and Zipporah. He was born in the country of Midian. (chapter 2) When Moses to returned to Egypt, Zipporah and Gershon went with him. (4:20) On the way, Zipporah circumcised Gershon. (4:24-26)
     Zipporah and Gershon later went back to Jethro. Later, when the Israelites were at Rephidim, Jethro visited Moses, and brought Zipporah and Gershon back to him. With them came a second son of Moses and Zipporah, named Eliezer. (18:2-6)

Golden Calf
     An idol that the Israelites worshiped while Moses was talking to God on Mt. Sinai.
     Moses had been up on the mountain for a long time. The Israelites told Aaron "We don't know what happened to Moses. Create a god for us." Aaron had the Israelites break off their gold earrings, and give them to him. Aaron melted the earrings, and made a statue of a golden calf. The Israelites worshiped it (right).
     Up on Mt. Sinai, God told Moses what the Israelites were doing. "Leave me alone, so that my wrath will burn against them. I will consume them. But of you I will make a great nation. Moses pleaded "Don't. The Egyptians will say that you brought them out of Egypt to kill them. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You promised to multiply their descendants and give them the land of Canaan." God agreed.
     Moses went down the mountain, carrying the tablets God had given him. He saw what the Israelites are doing. He got angry. In a fury of anger, he accidentally broke the tablets. He destroyed the golden calf, broke it into powder, put the powder into water, and made the Israelites drink it.
     Then Moses asked "Who is on the Lord's side? Come to me." The Levites came to him. They were made priests. Moses made them kill 3000 of the Israelites. Then he went back up the mountain. God sent a plague to punish the people. (chapter 32)

Goshen
     A region in Egypt where the Israelites lived while they were still slaves in Egypt. (8:22; 9:26)

Hebrews
     Another name for the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob/Israel. The word "Israelite" or "Hebrew" means any person who can trace his ancestry back to Jacob/Israel.

Hebron
     A Levite. A son of Kohath. (6:18)

Hezron
     A son of Reuben. (6:14)

Hittites
     A tribe that lives in Canaan. (3:8,17; 13:5; 23:23; 33:2; 34:11)

Hivites
     A tribe that lives in Canaan. (3:8,17; 13:5; 23:23; 33:2; 34:11)

Horeb
     Another name for Mt. Sinai. (It is called Mt. Horeb in 3:1, 17:6, and 33:6.) Moses brought water out of a rock there. (17:6)
     The location of Mt. Horeb is a little confusing. 3:1 says that is located west of Midian. 17:6 says that it is at Rephidim. 19:2 says that it is in the wilderness of Sinai.

Hur
     A Judite. The father of Uri. (31:2) He helped Moses hold up his hands during the battle with the Amalekites, so that the Israelites would win. (17:10-13). Later, while Moses was on Mt. Sinai, Hur and Aaron presided over the Israelites in Moses' absence. (24:14)

Isaac
     One of the ancestors of Jacob/Israel. God made a covenant with him. (2:24; 3:6,15-16; 4:5; 6:3,8; 32:13; 33:1)

Israel (also called Jacob)
     The father of the Israelites. All of the Israelites are descended from him. God made a covenant with him. (2:24; 3:6,15-16; 4:5; 6:3,8; 32:13; 33:1)
     Jacob/Israel had twelve sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, Asher, Dan, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin. The twelve sons, along with their own children and grandchildren, relocated to Egypt before the Book of Exodus takes place. Each son started his own subdivision of the Israelites. (1:1-5)

Israelites (also called Hebrews)
     The Israelites have their own page. To read about them, click here.

Issachar
     One of the twelve sons of Jacob/Israel, and the head of one of the subdivisions of the Israelites. He relocated to Egypt along with his brothers before the Book of Exodus takes place. (1:1-3)

Ithamar
     A child of Aaron by his wife Elisheba. (6:23) He and his brothers were appointed to serve as priests with his father. (28:1,40-43)

Izhar
     A Levite. A son of Kohath. (6:18) The father of Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. (6:21)

Jachin
     A son of Simeon. (6:18)

Jacob (also called Israel)
     The father of the Israelites. All of the Israelites are descended from him. God made a covenant with him. (2:24; 3:6,15-16; 4:5; 6:3,8; 32:13; 33:1)
     Jacob/Israel had twelve sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, Asher, Dan, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin. Jacob and his twelve sons, along with their own children and grandchildren, relocated to Egypt before the Book of Exodus takes place. Each son started his own subdivision of the Israelites. (1:1-5)

Jamin
     A son of Simeon. (6:18)

Jebusites
     A tribe that lives in Canaan. (3:8,17; 13:5; 23:23; 33:2; 34:11)

Jemuel
     A son of Simeon. (6:18)

Jethro
     The priest of the country of Midian, and Moses' father-in-law. He had seven daughters. One of them was Zipporah, who became Moses' wife.
     Moses fled to the country of Midian after he was branded an outlaw. (2:11-15) There, he met seven women who were the daughters of the priest of Midian. One of them was Zipporah. Moses helped the daughters water their father's flock. They introduced him to their father, the priest of Midian. (2:16-20) (There is a discrepancy as to Jethro's name. In most passages, he is called Jethro. But 2:18 gives his name as Reuel.)
     Moses married Zipporah. She bore Moses a son named Gershom (also called Gershon). (2:21-22) When Moses to returned to Egypt, Zipporah and Gershom went with him. (4:20)
     Zipporah and Gershom later went back to Jethro. Later, when the Israelites were at Rephidim, Jethro visited Moses, and brought Zipporah and Gershom back to him. With them came a second son of Moses and Zipporah, named Eliezer. Jethro noticed how Moses was the judge when there was a dispute. He told Moses "You and the people with you will wear yourselves out. You can't do it alone." He helped Moses arrange a council of judges to decide matters. Then Jethro went home. (chapter 18)

Jochebed
     The daughter of Levi. She married her own nephew, Amram. She became the mother of Moses and Aaron. (6:20)
     The pharaoh of Egypt made a law: "All Hebrew male babies will be drowned in the river." Jochebed couldn't bring herself to kill her child, then three months old. So she put the baby in a basket, and sent it in the river. The baby's older sister watched the basket float down the river. (1:22-2:4)
     The basket floated to where the pharaoh's daughter was bathing. The pharaoh's daughter recognized the baby as a Hebrew male baby, but she had compassion for him. She took the child, and decided to raise it as her own. The baby's older sister asked the pharaoh's daughter "Shall I get a nurse of the Hebrew women to be the baby's nurse for you?" The pharaoh's daughter agreed. The sister got Jochebed to be the nurse! (2:5-9)
     Although it is never stated, it is assumed that Jochebed also had at least one daughter. 2:1-8 mentions that Moses had an older sister who followed the basket with Moses in it down the Nile to the pharaoh's daughter. Later, 15:20-21 mentions that Moses and Aaron had a sister named Miriam. It was never stated that the older sister who followed the basket was actually Miriam or another sister. But apparently Jochebed had at least one daughter.

Joseph
     One of the twelve sons of Jacob/Israel. He relocated to Egypt before the Book of Exodus takes place But he didn't go with his brothers because he was already in Egypt at the time. (1:1-6)

Joshua
     The son of Nun. (33:11) He led the Israelites during their fight with the Amalekites. (17:8-14) Later, he was Moses' servant. (24:13; 32:17; 33:11)

Judah
     One of the twelve sons of Jacob/Israel, and the head of one of the subdivisions. He relocated to Egypt along with his brothers before the Book of Exodus takes place. (1:1-2)

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