Lexical Definition

‎גִּלְעָד‎ Gilʻâd (ghil-awd') Gilead N:N--L
probably from ‎גַּלְעֵד‎

Gilead, Gileadite.

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

Usage: 2 forms in 2 verses
Form Translated As     In Verse(s)
גִּלְעָ֛ד Gilead Judg.11.2
גִּלְעָ֖ד Gilead Judg.11.1

Extended Information

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

Book Refs
Genesis 31:21 · 31:23 · 31:25 · 31:54 · 37:25
Numbers 26:29 · 26:30 · 27:1 · 32:1 · 32:26 · 32:29 · 32:39 · 32:40 · 36:1
Deuteronomy 2:36 · 3:10 · 3:12 · 3:13 · 3:15 · 3:16 · 4:43 · 34:1
Joshua 12:2 · 12:5 · 13:11 · 13:25 · 13:31 · 17:1 · 17:3 · 17:5 · 17:6 · 20:8 · 21:38 · 22:9 · 22:13 · 22:15 · 22:32
Judges 5:17 · 7:3 · 10:4 · 10:8 · 10:17 · 10:18 · 11:1 · 11:2 · 11:5 · 11:7 · 11:8 · 11:9 · 11:10 · 11:11 · 11:29 · 12:4 · 12:5 · 12:7 · 20:1 · 21:8 · 21:9 · 21:10 · 21:12 · 21:14
1 Samuel 11:1 · 11:9 · 13:7 · 31:11
2 Samuel 2:4 · 2:5 · 2:9 · 17:26 · 21:12 · 24:6
1 Kings 4:13 · 4:19 · 17:1 · 22:3 · 22:4 · 22:6 · 22:12 · 22:15 · 22:20 · 22:29
2 Kings 8:28 · 9:1 · 9:4 · 9:14 · 10:33 · 10:38 · 15:29
1 Chronicles 2:21 · 2:22 · 2:23 · 5:9 · 5:10 · 5:14 · 5:16 · 6:65* · 7:14 · 7:17 · 10:11 · 26:31 · 27:21
2 Chronicles 18:2 · 18:3 · 18:5 · 18:11 · 18:14 · 18:19 · 18:28 · 22:5
Psalms 60:9* · 108:9*
Song of Solomon 4:1 · 6:5
Jeremiah 8:22 · 22:6 · 46:11 · 50:19
Ezekiel 47:18
Hosea 6:8 · 12:12*
Amos 1:3 · 1:13
Obadiah 1:19
Micah 7:14
Zechariah 10:10

Profile

Male • Father of a Judge • Father of Jephthah, a judge of Israel.

Man living before Israel's Monarchy

Gilead was the father of Jephthah, a mighty warrior and judge of Israel who delivered the Israelites from the Ammonites.

Gilead is mentioned in Judges 11:1-2 as the father of Jephthah, a judge of Israel. Jephthah is described as a mighty warrior and the son of Gilead by a prostitute. Gilead's legitimate sons, born to his wife, drove Jephthah away, denying him a share in the inheritance because of his mother's status. As a result, Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where he gathered a group of worthless men around him. Later, when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead approached Jephthah and asked him to be their commander in the fight against the Ammonites (Judges 11:4-6). Jephthah agreed on the condition that he would become the head over Gilead if he successfully defeated the Ammonites (Judges 11:7-11). Gilead's role in this narrative is limited to being the father of Jephthah and the namesake of the region where Jephthah and his brothers lived. The story of Jephthah and his relationship with Gilead and his half-brothers provides insight into the social dynamics and family conflicts of the time, as well as the role of judges in delivering Israel from its enemies.

All entries for Gilead: גִּלְעָד