John Calvin Commentary Exodus 2:22

"And she bare a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land." — Exodus 2:22 (ASV)

He called his name Gershom. I do not approve of the view of those who think this was a name of congratulation to alleviate the pain of banishment; instead, I imagine that Moses gave this name to his son to remind himself, as well as his father-in-law and his wife, that he was seeking a country elsewhere and that he was only a sojourner there.

Nor does his promise to his father-in-law to remain present any objection, because he did not bind himself in such a way as to shake off or break the yoke of his divine vocation. It was only a provision to this effect: that Moses should not lightly abandon the home where he had been so kindly welcomed. Furthermore, it is not believable that he was silent about the cause of his exile: firstly, to avert the suspicion of wrongdoing and to attest to his innocence; and secondly, so that he might proclaim the unique favor with which God had honored the people of Israel.

Therefore, in the name of his son, he would set before himself an unceasing memorial by which he might be kept alive to the hope of redemption, for he declares that land, in which he had apparently found a peaceful resting-place and a pleasant home, to be “strange” to him. Nor does he compare Midian with Egypt, for he was only a sojourner in either land; but wherever he might dwell, he declares himself a stranger until he should obtain the inheritance that God has promised.

Indeed, it would have been absurd to call that land where he had found a settled home a foreign land in reference to Egypt, especially since the Apostle testifies that he had left that land under the influence of faith (Hebrews 11:27). In conclusion, we see that he sought a means of cherishing and, at the same time, testifying to his faith when he professed that he was a sojourner in a foreign land.