Gad
“Fortune or troop”
Summary
The name of Jacob's seventh son who became the patriarch of one of the twelve tribes of Israel, and also a prophet who served King David.
☩Gad the Patriarch
Gad was Jacob's seventh son, the firstborn of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid, and whole-brother to Asher. At his birth, Leah exclaimed a word interpreted variously as 'fortune' or 'a troop comes.' Seven sons went down with him into Egypt. In Jacob's blessing, the name is given a military interpretation: 'Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last,' referring to the warlike character of his descendants who would face raids from desert tribes.
☩The Tribe of Gad
The Gadites were known for their warlike prowess, described as 'men of might and men of war, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains.' At the first census, Gad numbered 45,650 men; at the second, 40,500. Along with Reuben, Gad chose to settle east of the Jordan because of their abundant cattle and the excellent pastureland there. They received territory from around Heshbon northward to roughly the Jabbok River, comprising half of Gilead. The tribe agreed to help conquer western Canaan before returning to their inheritance.
☩Later History of the Tribe
The tribe of Gad served as a buffer against eastern enemies, experiencing frequent conflicts with Syria and surrounding peoples. Their exposed position made them the first to suffer in invasions. In 734 BC, Tiglath-pileser III conquered the region and carried the inhabitants captive to Assyria. The Ammonites subsequently occupied their former territory. In Ezekiel's prophetic vision of restored Israel, Gad receives an allotment in the extreme south.
☩Gad the Prophet
A different Gad served as 'the king's seer' to David. He first appears advising David to leave the cave of Adullam during his flight from Saul. Later, Gad delivered God's message offering David a choice of three punishments for the sin of numbering the people. He also instructed David to build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah (Ornan) and assisted in organizing the musical service of the temple. His chronicles of David's reign are referenced in Scripture.
Related Verses91 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Gad," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. III (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Gad (1)," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Gad," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 4.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Gad," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).