The Gileadites were a group of people from the region of Gilead, a mountainous area east of the Jordan River, known for its balm and rugged terrain. The name "Gilead" is often associated with the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, who settled in this region after the Israelites entered the Promised Land. The Gileadites are frequently mentioned in the Old Testament, particularly in the context of tribal and familial affiliations.

Geographical and Historical Context

Gilead is a significant region in biblical history, located in present-day Jordan. It is bounded by the Yarmouk River to the north, the Arnon River to the south, the Jordan River to the west, and the Arabian Desert to the east. The area is known for its fertile land and was a strategic location for trade and military campaigns. The balm of Gilead, a resin used for medicinal purposes, is famously referenced in the Bible, highlighting the region's economic importance.

Tribal Associations

The Gileadites are primarily associated with the tribe of Manasseh, as Gilead was a descendant of Manasseh. In Numbers 26:29-30 , it is recorded: "The descendants of Manasseh: through Makir, the Makirite clan (Makir was the father of Gilead); through Gilead, the Gileadite clan." This lineage establishes the Gileadites as part of the larger tribal confederation of Israel, with specific ties to the half-tribe of Manasseh that settled east of the Jordan.

Biblical References and Notable Figures

One of the most notable Gileadites in the Bible is Jephthah, a judge of Israel. Jephthah's account is recounted in Judges 11, where he is described as a "mighty warrior" and the son of Gilead. Despite being the son of a prostitute, Jephthah rose to prominence and led the Israelites to victory against the Ammonites. Judges 11:1-2 states: "Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute, and Gilead was his father. And Gilead’s wife bore him sons, who grew up, drove Jephthah away, and said to him, 'You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, because you are the son of another woman.'"

The Gileadites also played a role in the conflict between the tribes of Israel. In Judges 12, a civil war erupted between the Gileadites and the Ephraimites. The Gileadites, under Jephthah's leadership, defeated the Ephraimites, and the conflict is remembered for the use of the word "Shibboleth" as a test to identify the fleeing Ephraimites. Judges 12:5-6 recounts: "The Gileadites captured the fords of the Jordan leading to Ephraim, and whenever a fugitive from Ephraim would say, 'Let me cross over,' the Gileadites would ask him, 'Are you an Ephraimite?' If he answered, 'No,' they told him, 'Please say Shibboleth.' If he said, 'Sibboleth,' because he could not pronounce it correctly, they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time, forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed."

Cultural and Religious Significance

The Gileadites, like other Israelite tribes, were part of the covenant community of Israel, bound by the laws and religious practices given through Moses. Their history reflects the broader narrative of Israel's struggle to maintain faithfulness to God amidst internal and external challenges. The accounts of the Gileadites, particularly through figures like Jephthah, illustrate themes of redemption, leadership, and the consequences of vows and decisions made before God.

In summary, the Gileadites hold a distinct place in biblical history as a people tied to the land of Gilead, with significant contributions to the narrative of Israel through their leaders and their role in the tribal dynamics of ancient Israel.The Gileadites

(Numbers 26:29; Judges 10:3; 12:4,5), a branch of the tribe of Manasseh, descended from Gilead.

1569. Giladi -- a descendant of Gilead, also an inhabitant of ...
... Word Origin from Gilad Definition a desc. of Gilead, also an inhab. of Gilead NASB
Word Usage Gileadite (9), Gileadites (1), Gileadites* (1). Gileadite. ...
/hebrew/1569.htm - 6k

1568. Gilad -- a region in Palestine, also the name of several ...
... of several Isr. NASB Word Usage Gilead (99), Gilead's (1), Gileadites
(2), Jabesh-gilead* (12). Gilead, Gileadite. Probably from ...
/hebrew/1568.htm - 6k

1121. ben -- son
... 5), father* (1), fellow* (3), fellows (2), fertile* (1), foal (1), fools* (1),
foreigner* (6), foreigners (1), foreigners* (10), Gileadites* (1), grandchildren ...
/hebrew/1121.htm - 8k

Saul's Expedition against the Nation of the Ammonites and victory ...
... Now when the king of the Ammonites had served those beyond Jordan in this manner,
he led his army against those that were called Gileadites, and having pitched ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 5 sauls expedition against.htm

How Alexander, Upon the League of Mutual Defense which Cleopatra ...
... Both these brothers did Antiochus vehemently oppose, but presently died; for when
he was come as an auxiliary to Laodice, queen of the Gileadites, [38] when ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 13 how alexander upon.htm

Barzillai
... in almost all the necessaries of life, and they could hardly fail also to have been
a little apprehensive of the kind of welcome the Gileadites would extend to ...
/.../milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/barzillai.htm

The Bright Dawn of a Reign
... If the Jabesh-Gileadites are a pattern of long-memoried gratitude, David's commendation
of them is a model of love which survives injuries, and of ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the bright dawn of a.htm

The First Kings.
... eye put out. The Jabesh-Gileadites agreed to the hard conditions, unless
help reached them within seven days. Messengers hastened ...
/.../headley/half hours in bible lands volume 2/the first kings.htm

The Scope of the Apocalypse is Indicated by Its Place in the ...
... Judges 12:6 tells us that the number of the apostate Ephraimites which fell before
the Gileadites were 42 thousand. See also 2 Kings 2:4 and 10:14. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/the scope of the apocalypse.htm

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