Gad, the seventh son of Jacob and the firstborn of Zilpah, Leah's maidservant, holds a significant place in the lineage of the tribes of Israel. His birth is recorded in Genesis 30:9-11, where Leah, seeking to increase her own offspring, gives Zilpah to Jacob as a wife. Upon Gad's birth, Leah declares, "How fortunate!" and thus names him Gad, which means "good fortune" or "troop."

The descendants of Gad became one of the twelve tribes of Israel, known for their valor and military prowess. The tribe of Gad settled on the eastern side of the Jordan River, in the land of Gilead, a region well-suited for their pastoral lifestyle and known for its rugged terrain. This location was granted to them after they requested it from Moses, as recorded in Numbers 32:1-5. The Gadites, along with the Reubenites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, received this land on the condition that they would assist the other tribes in conquering the land west of the Jordan.

The genealogical record of Gad's descendants is detailed in Genesis 46:16, which lists his sons: "The sons of Gad: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli." These sons became the heads of their respective families, forming the clans within the tribe of Gad. Each clan played a role in the development and sustenance of the tribe's identity and strength.

In the wilderness, the tribe of Gad was part of the camp of Reuben, positioned on the south side of the tabernacle, as described in Numbers 2:10-16. This strategic placement highlights their role as protectors and warriors, a reputation that continued throughout their history. The Gadites were renowned for their skill in battle, as noted in 1 Chronicles 12:8, which describes them as "mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and who were as swift as gazelles on the mountains."

The tribe of Gad also played a significant role during the reign of King David. Many Gadites joined David while he was in the wilderness, fleeing from King Saul. Their loyalty and military expertise were instrumental in David's rise to power, as recorded in 1 Chronicles 12:14-15: "These Gadites were army commanders; the least was a match for a hundred, and the greatest for a thousand. These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was overflowing all its banks, and put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west."

The legacy of Gad and his descendants is one of strength, loyalty, and faithfulness to the covenant promises given to their forefathers. Their account is interwoven with the broader narrative of Israel's history, reflecting the providence and faithfulness of God in fulfilling His promises to the patriarchs.Genesis 46:16
And the sons of Gad; Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli.
Nave's Topical Index

Numbers 26:15-18
The children of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites: of Haggi, the family of the Haggites: of Shuni, the family of the Shunites:
Nave's Topical Index

1 Chronicles 5:11
And the children of Gad dwelled over against them, in the land of Bashan to Salcah:
Nave's Topical Index

Concerning Jacob's Flight into Mesopotamia, by Reason of the Fear ...
... had by Zilpha a son, whose name was Gad, which may ... after one day's time, being
acquainted with Jacob's and his ... of men with him; and on the seventh day overtook ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 19 concerning jacobs flight.htm

Chapter xxx
... Asher is practically only a synonym of Gad, as is ... and Rachel's toward the end of
the seventh, leaving Dinah ... be born later." So by this time Jacob's family was ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xxx.htm

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs.
... branch; the sixth put a crown on his head; the seventh gave him ... Jacob and his sons
embark, a tempest arises and carries away the father ... Gad"Concerning Hatred. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the testaments of the twelve.htm

Scriptural Poems; Being Several Portions of Scripture Digested ...
... he, By reason of her importunity, Did on the seventh day to ... And Jacob knew the coat
full well, and said, Now hath ... on, He for a long time mourned for his son. ...
/.../scriptural poems being several portions.htm

Of Antichrist, and his Ruin: and of the Slaying the Witnesses.
... for at this day, 'the remnant of Jacob shall be ... The sixth, upon her Euphrates: And
the seventh, into her ... Tis evident that this man of sin, this son of perdition ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/of antichrist and his ruin .htm

From the Close of the General Conference of 1824 to the ...
... sooner did this great change take place in Jacob's heart than ... until his death, which
happened on the seventh day of ... in England, and he educated his son John in ...
/.../chapter 8 from the close.htm

Who was Gad in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What can we learn from the tribe of Gad? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Gad the seer? | GotQuestions.org

Gad: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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