Gad in Easton's Bible Dictionary
fortune; luck. (1.) Jacob's seventh son, by Zilpah, Leah's
handmaid, and the brother of Asher (Gen. 30:11-13;
46:16, 18).
In the Authorized Version of 30:11 the words, "A
troop cometh:
and she called," etc., should rather be rendered,
"In fortune
[R.V., 'Fortunate']: and she called," etc., or
"Fortune cometh,"
etc.
The tribe of Gad during the march through the
wilderness had
their place with Simeon and Reuben on the south side
of the
tabernacle (Num. 2:14). The tribes of Reuben and Gad
continued
all through their history to follow the pastoral
pursuits of the
patriarchs (Num. 32:1-5).
The portion allotted to the tribe of Gad was on the
east of
Jordan, and comprehended the half of Gilead, a
region of great
beauty and fertility (Deut. 3:12), bounded on the
east by the
Arabian desert, on the west by the Jordan (Josh.
13:27), and on
the north by the river Jabbok. It thus included the
whole of the
Jordan valley as far north as to the Sea of Galilee,
where it
narrowed almost to a point.
This tribe was fierce and warlike; they were "strong
men of
might, men of war for the battle, that could handle
shield and
buckler, their faces the faces of lions, and like
roes upon the
mountains for swiftness" (1 Chr. 12:8; 5:19-22).
Barzillai (2
Sam. 17:27) and Elijah (1 Kings 17:1) were of this
tribe. It was
carried into captivity at the same time as the other
tribes of
the northern kingdom by Tiglath-pileser (1 Chr.
5:26), and in
the time of Jeremiah (49:1) their cities were
inhabited by the
Ammonites.
(2.) A prophet who joined David in the "hold," and
at whose
advice he quitted it for the forest of Hareth (1
Chr. 29:29; 2
Chr. 29:25; 1 Sam. 22:5). Many years after we find
mention made
of him in connection with the punishment inflicted
for numbering
the people (2 Sam. 24:11-19; 1 Chr. 21:9-19). He
wrote a book
called the "Acts of David" (1 Chr. 29:29), and
assisted in the
arrangements for the musical services of the "house
of God" (2
Chr. 29:25). He bore the title of "the king's seer"
(2 Sam.
24:11, 13; 1 Chr. 21:9).
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