Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

GAD

(Heb. gāḏ)

(PERSON)

1. The son of Jacob and Zilpah, Leah’s handmaiden. The verbal root gdd means “to cut off,” but Leah’s welcoming of Gad’s birth in Gen. 30:11 indicates that name may mean “fortune”; other references suggest “troop” or “marauding band” (Gen. 49:19), “crouching lion” (Deut. 33:20), or “lion” and “gazelle” (1 Chr. 12:8). Gad took seven sons into Egypt (Gen. 46:16). During the wilderness wanderings the Gadites numbered between 45,650 (Num. 1:24-25) and 40,500 (26:18), making them tenth in size among the 12 tribes. The tribe of Gad settled in the Transjordanian highlands in eight settlements (Num. 32:24-36). Most of the sites have been identified, each showing new occupation at the beginning of the Israelite period. The Mesha inscription (mid-9th century b.c.e.) indicates that Gad expanded into the territory of Reuben.

2. David’s prophet (Heb. nāḇîʾ) or seer (ḥōzeh). Gad is mentioned in accounts of David fleeing from Saul (1 Sam. 22:5) and taking a census (2 Sam. 24:11-14 = 1 Chr. 21:9-12). He commanded David to build an altar on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite (2 Sam. 24:18-19 = 1 Chr. 21:18-19), supervised the levitical music (2 Chr. 29:25), and was the author of a part of the history of David’s reign (1 Chr. 29:29). Several passages in Chronicles connect Gad closely with Nathan.

Bibliography. H. Baruch, The Emergence of Israel in Canaan. SBLMS 29 (Chico, 1983); J. M. Miller and J. H. Hayes, A History of Ancient Israel and Judah (Philadelphia, 1986).

Nancy L. deClaissé-Walford