Lexical Definition
גִּלְעָד Gilʻâd (ghil-awd') Gilead N:N--L
probably from גַּלְעֵד
Gilead, Gileadite.
- § n pr loc Gilead = "rocky region"
- Gilad, a region East of the Jordan
- also the name of three Israelites
1) a mountainous region bounded on the west by the Jordan, on the north by Bashan, on the east by the Arabian plateau, and on the south by Moab and Ammon; sometimes called 'Mount Gilead' or the 'land of Gilead' or just 'Gilead'. Divided into north and south Gilead
2) a city (with prefix 'Jabesh')
3) the people of the region
n pr m
4) son of Machir and grandson of Manasseh
5) father of Jephthah
6) a Gadite
Extended Information
- A man of the tribe of Manasseh living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Num.26.29
- son of: Machir (מָכִיר)
- brother of: daughter_of_Machir (מָכִיר), Peresh (פֶּרֶשׁ), Sheresh (שֶׁרֶשׁ) and Hammolecheth (מֹלֶכֶת)
- father of: Abiezer (אֲבִיעֶזֶר), Helek (חֵלֶק), Asriel (אַשְׂרִיאֵל), Shechem (שֶׁכֶם), Shemida (שְׁמִידָע) and Hepher (חֵפֶר)
Brown-Driver-Briggs
גִּלְעָד proper name, of a location of mountain-range or hill-country, land & city, east of Jordan (compare Arabic 
durus, fortis Frey, so Thes; HiGeschichte. Israel 26 compare same √ used of camel (
camelus robustus ac firmus, compare HomNS 144), whence camel hump, originally name of mountain) — ׳ג Gen 37:25 + 79 t. (mostly as proper name, masculine and in combination with other proper name, of a location compare below); ׳הַגּ Gen 31:21 + 50 t. (so usually as name of mountain and land); גִּלְעָ֫דָה Num 32:39; 1Chr 27:21 הִגְּלְעָ֫דָה 2Sam 24:6 — Gilead, used of territory between the Arnon and the Jabbok, modern Bel‡a; also of that between the Jabbok and the Jarmuk, modern Jebel Ajlûn; also of the entire east Jordan land occupied by Israel, including both the parts just named (compare Di Gen 31:54 Stu Judg 10:4 BdPal 178; also L. OliphantLand of Gilead, 1880); —
1. territory south of Jabbok,
a. ׳אֶרֶץ הַגּ Num 32:29 (P), ׳אֶרֶץ ג vNum 32:1 (JE), both connected with Reuben and Gad; so ׳חֲצִי הַר הַגּ Deut 3:12 ׳אֶרֶץ ג also 1Chr 5:9 (of Reuben); 1Kgs 4:19 (of Sihon and Og); compare ׳אֶרֶץ גַּד וְג 1Sam 13:7 further,
b. ׳הַגּ alone, Judg 10:17 (or possibly here name of city ?), Judg 11:29 (probably); also 1Chr 5:10 (of Reuben) v1Chr 5:16 (of Gad); compare חֲצִי וְעַד יַבֹּק ׳הַגּ Josh 12:2 (of Sihon), so vJosh 12:5 (both D);
c. similarly ׳ג alone (without article) in poetry Ps 60:9* (|| Manasseh) = Ps 108:9* but also in prose in phrases ׳שָׂרֵי ג Judg 10:18, ׳ישְׁבֵי ג vJudg 10:18; Judg 11:8, ׳זִקְנֵי ג Judg 11:5; Judg 11:7; Judg 11:8; Judg 11:9; Judg 11:10; Judg 11:11, ׳אַנְשֵׁי ג Judg 12:4 (twice in verse); Judg 12:5 compare also
d. עָרֵי ׳הַגּ Num 32:26 (J E; of Reuben and Gad); so of Jephthah's burial-place Judg 12:7 even כָּלעָֿרֵי ׳הַגּ Josh 13:25 (P; of Gad); besides these, or particular cities, especially ׳רָאמֹת בַּגּ Deut 4:43 (of Gad); compare ׳רָאמוֺת בַּגּ Josh 20:8 (P), 1Chr 6:65* (of Gad), and ׳רָמֹת בַּגּ Josh 21:38 (P); usually ׳רָמֹת ג 1Kgs 4:13; 1Kgs 22:3; 1Kgs 22:4; 1Kgs 22:6; 1Kgs 22:12; 1Kgs 22:15; 1Kgs 22:20; 1Kgs 22:29 = 2Chr 18:2; 2Chr 18:3; 2Chr 18:5; 2Chr 18:11; 2Chr 18:14; 2Chr 18:19; 2Chr 18:28; 2Kgs 8:28; 2Kgs 9:1; 2Kgs 9:4; 2Kgs 9:14; 2Chr 22:5 also ׳מִצְפֵּה ג Judg 11:29 (twice in verse); further ׳יַעְזֵיר ג 1Chr 26:31.
2. Northern Gilead,
a. ׳אֶרֶץ הַגּ Josh 17:5; Josh 17:6 (J E; of Manasseh) compare Judg 10:4; 1Chr 2:22 (both of Jair); ׳הַר הַגּ Gen 31:21; Gen 31:23; Gen 31:25 (E); probably also ׳הַר ג (no article) Song 4:1 (compare Song 6:5 below).
b. ׳הַגּ alone Num 32:40 (J E; of Machir) Josh 17:1 (J E; id.) compare Josh 13:11 (D) Deut 2:36; 1Kgs 4:13 (of Jair); Deut 3:15; Deut 3:16 (boundary of Reuben and Gad); probably also Song 6:5 (compare Song 4:1 above); compare ׳יֶתֶר הַגּ Deut 3:13 & ׳חֲצִי הַגּ Josh 13:31 (P; of Machir); הַגִּלְעָ֫דָה 2Sam 24:6 (probably); compare also
c. ׳ג (no article) probably Jer 8:22; Jer 46:11 (in both reference to צֳרִי balm, probably from the wooded Northern Gilead); similarly Jer 22:6 and גִּלְעָ֫דָה 1Chr 27:21 also Num 32:39 (J E; of Machir).
d. in combination ׳יָבֵשׁ ג (city) Judg 21:8; Judg 21:9; Judg 21:10; Judg 21:12; Judg 21:14; 1Sam 11:1; 1Sam 11:9 (|| יָבֵשׁ alone) 1Sam 31:11 (|| id.) = 1Chr 10:11; 2Sam 2:4; 2Sam 2:5; 2Sam 21:12 perhaps also ׳(מִ)תִּשְׁבֵּה ג 1Kgs 17:1 (emendation, after ᵐ5, Ew Th and others see VB); — compare further below
6. proper name, masculine below — Judg 7:3 ׳וְיִצְפֹּר מֵהַר הַגּ and let him depart from Mt. Gilead, apparently belongs here, but מֵהַר הַגִּלְבֹּעַ is read by Cler Hi Gr Ke Be; against this compare Stu BuRS 112.
3. more generally, of all Gilead,
a. ׳אֶרֶץ הַגּ Josh 22:9; Josh 22:13; Josh 22:15; Josh 22:32 (P; of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh; opposed to land of Canaan); compare 2Sam 17:26 so ׳כָּלאֶֿרֶץ הַגּ 2Kgs 10:38.
b. ׳אֶרֶץ ג (no article) Zech 10:10 compare ׳הַר אֶפְרַיִם וְג Jer 50:19 (|| Carmel and Bashan); ׳ג alone, also Gen 37:25 likewise Mic 7:14 (|| Carmel & Bashan, reference to fertility).
c. ׳הַגּ alone, of Israel territory in general east of Jordan, Judg 10:8 compare 2Sam 2:9; 2Kgs 10:33 (of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh); ׳כָּלהַֿגּ Deut 3:10 אֶתכָּֿלהָֿאָרֶץ ׳אֶתהַֿגּ Deut 34:1 ׳הַגּ also in general sense Ezek 47:18; 2Kgs 15:29 (?) Obad 1:19.
4. ׳ג, name of a city Hos 6:8 (& Judg 10:17 ? compare
1. a. above); — on the ruined cities Jil±âd, Jil±aud on the Jebel Jil±âd, north of Es-Sal‰, and south of Jabbo‡ see Di Gen 31:54 & references
5. ׳אֶרֶץ הַגּ of Israelites living east of Jordan (as a whole) Judg 20:1 ׳הַגּ of people of Gilead Amos 1:3; Amos 1:13 so ׳ג Judg 5:17 (= גַּד), Judg 12:4; Judg 12:5 (|| ׳אַנְשֵׁי ג vJudg 12:4 vJudg 12:4 vJudg 12:5) Hos 12:12*. compare also גִּלְעָדִי below
6. treated as proper name, masculine a. ׳ג, son of Machir & grandson of Manasseh Num 26:29 (twice in verse); Num 26:30; Num 27:1; Num 36:1; Josh 17:3 (all P) 1Chr 2:21; 1Chr 2:23; 1Chr 7:14; 1Chr 7:17 once ׳הַגּ Josh 17:1 (JE) compare Di; — reference in all these to Northern Gilead.
b. father of Jephthah Judg 11:1; Judg 11:2 — reference to Gad (compare above especially below 5).
c. 1Chr 5:14 (a Gadite).
Brown-Driver-Briggs References
Profile
Male • Son of Machir • Son of Machir; grandson of Manasseh; father of six sons.
Man living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness
Gilead was the son of Machir, grandson of Manasseh, and father of six sons who became the heads of Gileadite clans.
- A man from the tribe of Manasseh living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Num.26.29;
- only referred to as Gilead גִּלְעָד;
- son of Machir מָכִיר;
- a brother of daughter_of_Machir מָכִיר, Peresh פֶּרֶשׁ, Sheresh שֶׁרֶשׁ and Hammolecheth מֹלֶכֶת;
- father of Abiezer אֲבִיעֶזֶר, Helek חֵלֶק, Asriel אַשְׂרִיאֵל, Shechem שֶׁכֶם, Shemida שְׁמִידָע and Hepher חֵפֶר.
Gilead, the son of Machir and grandson of Manasseh, is mentioned in several genealogical lists in the Old Testament. In Numbers 26:29-30, he is identified as the ancestor of the Gileadite clans, which included Iezer, Helek, Asriel, Shechem, Shemida, and Hepher. These clans are also mentioned in Joshua 17:1-2, where they are described as receiving an inheritance in the land of Canaan. In Numbers 27:1 and Joshua 17:3, Gilead's great-granddaughters, the daughters of Zelophehad, appeal to Moses for the right to inherit their father's property in the absence of male heirs. This incident leads to a change in the inheritance laws, allowing daughters to inherit property when there are no male heirs (Numbers 27:2-11). In 1 Chronicles 2:21-23 and 7:14-17, Gilead is mentioned in the genealogies of Manasseh, confirming his role as a significant ancestor of the tribe. The repeated mentions of Gilead in these genealogical lists highlight the importance of family lineage and tribal identity in ancient Israelite society.
All entries for Gilead: גִּלְעָד