Gad in the Bible

Meaning: a band; a troop

Thematic Bible



The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram.

Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

Leah said, "How fortunate!" So she named him Gad.

Gad will be raided by marauding bands, but he will attack them at their heels.

The Gadites by their families: from Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; from Haggi, the family of the Haggites; from Shuni, the family of the Shunites;

The descendants of Gad lived near them in the land of Bashan, as far as Salecah.


King David's accomplishments, from start to finish, are recorded in the Annals of Samuel the prophet, the Annals of Nathan the prophet, and the Annals of Gad the prophet.

King Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the Lord's temple with cymbals and stringed instruments, just as David, Gad the king's prophet, and Nathan the prophet had ordered. (The Lord had actually given these orders through his prophets.)

Then Gad the prophet said to David, "Don't stay in the stronghold. Go to the land of Judah." So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

When David got up the next morning, the Lord had already spoken to Gad the prophet, David's seer:


Then they came very close to him and said, "We will build sheep folds here for our flocks and cities for our families, but we will maintain ourselves in armed readiness and go before the Israelites until whenever we have brought them to their place. Our descendants will be living in fortified towns as a protection against the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has his inheritance. read more.
For we will not accept any inheritance on the other side of the Jordan River and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this eastern side of the Jordan." Then Moses replied, "If you will do this thing, and if you will arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, and if all your armed men cross the Jordan before the Lord until he drives out his enemies from his presence and the land is subdued before the Lord, then afterward you may return and be free of your obligation to the Lord and to Israel. This land will then be your possession in the Lord's sight. "But if you do not do this, then look, you will have sinned against the Lord. And know that your sin will find you out. So build cities for your descendants and pens for your sheep, but do what you have said you would do." So the Gadites and the Reubenites replied to Moses, "Your servants will do as my lord commands. Our children, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock will be there in the cities of Gilead, but your servants will cross over, every man armed for war, to do battle in the Lord's presence, just as my lord says." So Moses gave orders about them to Eleazar the priest, to Joshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the families of the Israelite tribes. Moses said to them: "If the Gadites and the Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, each one equipped for battle in the Lord's presence, and you conquer the land, then you must allot them the territory of Gilead as their possession. But if they do not cross over with you armed, they must receive possessions among you in Canaan." Then the Gadites and the Reubenites answered, "Your servants will do what the Lord has spoken. We will cross armed in the Lord's presence into the land of Canaan, and then the possession of our inheritance that we inherit will be ours on this side of the Jordan River."

The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed for battle ahead of the Israelites, just as Moses had instructed them. About forty thousand battle-ready troops marched past the Lord to fight on the plains of Jericho.

Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh and told them: "You have carried out all the instructions of Moses the Lord's servant, and you have obeyed all I have told you. You have not abandoned your fellow Israelites this entire time, right up to this very day. You have completed the task given you by the Lord your God. read more.
Now the Lord your God has made your fellow Israelites secure, just as he promised them. So now you may turn around and go to your homes in your own land which Moses the Lord's servant assigned to you east of the Jordan. But carefully obey the commands and instructions Moses the Lord's servant gave you. Love the Lord your God, follow all his instructions, obey his commands, be loyal to him, and serve him with all your heart and being!" Joshua rewarded them and sent them on their way; they returned to their homes. (Now to one half-tribe of Manasseh, Moses had assigned land in Bashan; and to the other half Joshua had assigned land on the west side of the Jordan with their fellow Israelites.) When Joshua sent them home, he rewarded them, saying, "Take home great wealth, a lot of cattle, silver, gold, bronze, iron, and a lot of clothing. Divide up the goods captured from your enemies with your brothers."


The sons of Gad: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

The descendants of Gad lived near them in the land of Bashan, as far as Salecah.

The Gadites by their families: from Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; from Haggi, the family of the Haggites; from Shuni, the family of the Shunites; from Ozni, the family of the Oznites; from Eri, the family of the Erites; from Arod, the family of the Arodites, and from Areli, the family of the Arelites. read more.
These were the families of the Gadites according to those numbered of them, 40,500.


This is the land we brought under our control at that time: The territory extending from Aroer by the Wadi Arnon and half the Gilead hill country with its cities I gave to the Reubenites and Gadites.

Now the Reubenites and the Gadites possessed a very large number of cattle. When they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideal for cattle, the Gadites and the Reubenites came and addressed Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the community. They said, "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, read more.
the land that the Lord subdued before the community of Israel, is ideal for cattle, and your servants have cattle." So they said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for our inheritance. Do not have us cross the Jordan River."

To the Reubenites and Gadites I allocated the territory extending from Gilead as far as Wadi Arnon (the exact middle of the wadi was a boundary) all the way to the Wadi Jabbok, the Ammonite border. The Arabah and the Jordan River were also a border, from the sea of Chinnereth to the sea of the Arabah (that is, the Salt Sea), beneath the watershed of Pisgah to the east.

Then we took their land and gave it as an inheritance to Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh.


So Gad went to David that day and told him, "Go up and build an altar for the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite." So David went up as Gad instructed him to do, according to the Lord's instructions.

So the Lord's messenger told Gad to instruct David to go up and build an altar for the Lord on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. So David went up as Gad instructed him to do in the name of the Lord.


When David got up the next morning, the Lord had already spoken to Gad the prophet, David's seer: "Go, tell David, 'This is what the Lord says: I am offering you three forms of judgment. Pick one of them and I will carry it out against you.'" Gad went to David and told him, "Shall seven years of famine come upon your land? Or shall you flee for three months from your enemy with him in hot pursuit? Or shall there be three days of plague in your land? Now decide what I should tell the one who sent me." read more.
David said to Gad, "I am very upset! I prefer that we be attacked by the Lord, for his mercy is great; I do not want to be attacked by men!"

The Lord told Gad, David's prophet, "Go, tell David, 'This is what the Lord says: "I am offering you three forms of judgment from which to choose. Pick one of them."'" Gad went to David and told him, "This is what the Lord says: 'Pick one of these: read more.
three years of famine, or three months being chased by your enemies and struck down by their swords, or three days being struck down by the Lord, during which a plague will invade the land and the Lord's messenger will destroy throughout Israel's territory.' Now, decide what I should tell the one who sent me." David said to Gad, "I am very upset! I prefer to be attacked by the Lord, for his mercy is very great; I do not want to be attacked by men!"


The sons of Zilpah, Leah's servant, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram.

Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

Leah said, "How fortunate!" So she named him Gad.


The descendants of Gad lived near them in the land of Bashan, as far as Salecah.

Moses assigned land to the tribe of Gad by its clans. Their territory included Jazer, all the cities of Gilead, and half of Ammonite territory as far as Aroer near Rabbah. Their territory ran from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir. read more.
It included the valley of Beth Haram, Beth Nimrah, Succoth, and Zaphon, and the rest of the realm of King Sihon of Heshbon, the area east of the Jordan to the end of the Sea of Kinnereth. The land allotted to the tribe of Gad by its clans included these cities and their towns.


Some of the Gadites joined David at the stronghold in the desert. They were warriors who were trained for battle; they carried shields and spears. They were as fierce as lions and could run as quickly as gazelles across the hills. Ezer was the leader, Obadiah the second in command, Eliab the third, Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, read more.
Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbannai the eleventh. These Gadites were military leaders; the least led a hundred men, the greatest a thousand. They crossed the Jordan River in the first month, when it was overflowing its banks, and routed those living in all the valleys to the east and west.

From the other side of the Jordan, from Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh, there were 120,000 men armed with all kinds of weapons. All these men were warriors who were ready to march. They came to Hebron to make David king over all Israel by acclamation; all the rest of the Israelites also were in agreement that David should become king.


Now the Reubenites and the Gadites possessed a very large number of cattle. When they saw that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were ideal for cattle,

saying, "Take home great wealth, a lot of cattle, silver, gold, bronze, iron, and a lot of clothing. Divide up the goods captured from your enemies with your brothers."


from Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel;

From the descendants of Gad: According to the records of their clans and families, all the males twenty years old or older who could serve in the army were listed by name. Those of them who were numbered from the tribe of Gad were 45,650.


"On the south will be the divisions of the camp of Reuben under their standard. The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur.

Next will be the tribe of Gad. The leader of the people of Gad is Eliasaph son of Deuel.

All those numbered of the camp of Reuben, according to their divisions, are 151,450. They will travel second.


The Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh came to Geliloth near the Jordan in the land of Canaan and built there, near the Jordan, an impressive altar. The Israelites received this report: "Look, the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh have built an altar at the entrance to the land of Canaan, at Geliloth near the Jordan on the Israelite side." When the Israelites heard this, the entire Israelite community assembled at Shiloh to launch an attack against them. read more.
The Israelites sent Phinehas, son of Eleazar, the priest, to the land of Gilead to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. He was accompanied by ten leaders, one from each of the Israelite tribes, each one a family leader among the Israelite clans.


Next to the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west side, Gad will have one portion.

This is the land which you will allot to the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, declares the sovereign Lord.


In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel's territory. Hazael attacked their eastern border. He conquered all the land of Gilead, including the territory of Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh, extending all the way from the Aroer in the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan.


The descendants of Gad lived near them in the land of Bashan, as far as Salecah. They included Joel the leader, Shapham the second in command, Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan. Their relatives, listed according to their families, included Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber -- seven in all. read more.
These were the sons of Abihail son of Huri, son of Jaroah, son of Gilead, son of Michael, son of Jeshishai, son of Jahdo, son of Buz. Ahi son of Abdiel, son of Guni, was the leader of the family. They lived in Gilead, in Bashan and its surrounding settlements, and in the pasturelands of Sharon to their very borders. All of them were listed in the genealogical records in the time of King Jotham of Judah and in the time of King Jeroboam of Israel.


The Gadites by their families: from Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; from Haggi, the family of the Haggites; from Shuni, the family of the Shunites; from Ozni, the family of the Oznites; from Eri, the family of the Erites; from Arod, the family of the Arodites, and from Areli, the family of the Arelites. read more.
These were the families of the Gadites according to those numbered of them, 40,500.


King Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the Lord's temple with cymbals and stringed instruments, just as David, Gad the king's prophet, and Nathan the prophet had ordered. (The Lord had actually given these orders through his prophets.)


King David's accomplishments, from start to finish, are recorded in the Annals of Samuel the prophet, the Annals of Nathan the prophet, and the Annals of Gad the prophet.


When David got up the next morning, the Lord had already spoken to Gad the prophet, David's seer:


Gad will be raided by marauding bands, but he will attack them at their heels.


Then Gad the prophet said to David, "Don't stay in the stronghold. Go to the land of Judah." So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.


The Lord spoke about the Ammonites. "Do you think there are not any people of the nation of Israel remaining? Do you think there are not any of them remaining to reinherit their land? Is that why you people who worship the god Milcom have taken possession of the territory of Gad and live in his cities?


During the time of Saul they attacked the Hagrites and defeated them. They took over their territory in the entire eastern region of Gilead.


So the God of Israel stirred up King Pul of Assyria (that is, King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria), and he carried away the Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh and took them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan, where they remain to this very day.


Of Gad he said: Blessed be the one who enlarges Gad. Like a lioness he will dwell; he will tear at an arm -- indeed, a scalp.


These were the sons of Abihail son of Huri, son of Jaroah, son of Gilead, son of Michael, son of Jeshishai, son of Jahdo, son of Buz.


Gad will be raided by marauding bands, but he will attack them at their heels.


Then Gad the prophet said to David, "Don't stay in the stronghold. Go to the land of Judah." So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.


King David's accomplishments, from start to finish, are recorded in the Annals of Samuel the prophet, the Annals of Nathan the prophet, and the Annals of Gad the prophet.

When David got up the next morning, the Lord had already spoken to Gad the prophet, David's seer:


Then Gad the prophet said to David, "Don't stay in the stronghold. Go to the land of Judah." So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.


Then Gad the prophet said to David, "Don't stay in the stronghold. Go to the land of Judah." So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.


They crossed the Jordan and camped at Aroer, on the south side of the city, at the wadi of Gad, near Jazer.


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