Who was Gad in the Bible?
Prophet, during the united monarchy
Gad was a prophet who served during the reigns of King David and his son Solomon. Gad appears in 16 verses across 5 books of the Bible.
The Bible uses the name Gad for 2 different people. All 2 are below, each with its own passages.
Gad in 1 Chronicles
Gad was a prophet who served during the reigns of King David and his son Solomon. He first appears in 1Sa.22.5, where he advises David to leave his stronghold in Moab and return to the land of Judah. Gad played a significant role in the events surrounding David's census of Israel (2Samuel 24; 1Chronicles 21). After David had sinned by taking the census, Gad was sent by God to offer David a choice of three punishments: three years of famine, three months of fleeing from enemies, or three days of plague (2Sa.24.11-14; 1Ch.21.9-13). David chose the plague, and Gad instructed him to build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite to stop the plague (2Sa.24.18-19; 1Ch.21.18-19). Gad is described as David's seer (2Sa.24.11; 1Ch.21.9) and is credited with writing a book about David's acts (1Ch.29.29). He was also involved in organizing the music and worship in the tabernacle (2Ch.29.25). Gad's ministry as a prophet spanned the latter years of David's reign and continued into the early years of Solomon's reign.
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.
Gad in Genesis
Gad was one of the twelve tribes of Israel, named after Gad, the seventh son of Israel (or 'Jacob') and Zilpah, Leah's maidservant (Gen.30.11; 35.26). The tribe of Gad played a significant role throughout Israel's history. During the Exodus, the tribe of Gad was counted among the Israelites (Num.1.14, 24-25) and was positioned on the south side of the tabernacle, along with the tribes of Reuben and Simeon (Num.2.14). The tribe of Gad, along with Reuben and half of Manasseh, settled in the region east of the Jordan River (Numbers 32; Jos.13.24-28). They were known for their military prowess and bravery (1Ch.12.8, 14). The Gadites were among the first to help David when he was hiding from Saul (1Ch.12.8-15). They also supported David during the census and the purchase of the threshing floor for the temple (2Sa.24.5; 1Ch.21.2). The Gadites were blessed by Moses for their faithfulness and strength (Deu.33.20-21). The tribe of Gad was allotted cities and pasturelands in the region of Gilead (Jos.13.24-28; 1Ch.6.63, 80). They, along with the other tribes east of the Jordan, built an altar as a witness to their unity with the rest of Israel (Joshua 22). The Gadites were among the first tribes to be taken into captivity by the Assyrians (1Ch.5.26). In Ezekiel's vision of the restored Israel, the tribe of Gad is allotted a portion of land in the far north (Ezk.48.27-28, 34). In the book of Revelation, Gad is mentioned as one of the tribes with 12,000 sealed servants of God (Rev.7.5).
4 verses: Genesis 30:11, Genesis 35:26, Genesis 46:16, Genesis 49:19
Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.
Where does Gad appear in the Bible?
Gad is referenced in 16 verses across 5 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.
- 1 Chronicles 21:9
- 1 Chronicles 21:11
- 1 Chronicles 21:13
- 1 Chronicles 21:18
- 1 Chronicles 21:19
- 1 Samuel 22:5
- 2 Chronicles 29:25
- 2 Samuel 24:11
- 2 Samuel 24:13
- 2 Samuel 24:14
- 2 Samuel 24:18
- 2 Samuel 24:19
Showing the first 12 of 16.
Open all 16 references in ProtosWhat else appears in these passages?
These turn up in the same passages as Gad.
Common questions
How many people in the Bible are called Gad?
Gad refers to 2 different people in the Bible: Gad in 1 Chronicles; Gad in Genesis.
How many times does the Bible mention Gad?
Gad appears in 16 verses across 5 books, most often in 1 Chronicles, which accounts for 5 of them.
Which books of the Bible mention Gad?
1 Chronicles, 2 Samuel, Genesis, 1 Samuel, 2 Chronicles.
Where can I read every verse about Gad?
This page lists 12 of them. Protos carries all 16, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.
