Biblical Gad
Rabbi Yehudah ben Shomeyr
The Tribe of Gad. Though often forgotten and usually least to be named when one recalls the names of the 12 tribes and though not as prominent as Judah or Levi who never have been lost; nonetheless Gad is direly important to prophetic history and events. They must be found!
To do a thorough and solid investigation we must start at the beginning.
A brief and basic genealogical break down from Adam to Gad is as follows:
Adam-Noah-Shem-Eber-Abram (Abraham)-Jacob (Israel)-Gad (Gen.11:10-26, I Chron. 1:24-27, Mt. 1:1-2).
A more detailed break down based on Ronald Lutz’s “Master Timeline from Creation” ( * indicates traditionally used dates) is:
Adam (Gen. 1:26-27, 5:4-5 = 3968-3066 *4004-? BCE), Seth (Gen. 5:3-7 = 3842-2958 *3874-2962 BCE), Enos (Gen. 5:6-11 = 3741-2864 *3769-2864 BCE), Kenan (Gen. 5:9-14 = 3653-2771 83679-2794 BCE), Mahalalel (Gen. 5:12-17 = 3585-2718 *3609-2714 BCE), Jared (Gen. 5:15-21 = 3522-2590 *3544-2582 BCE), Enoch (Gen. 5:16-23 = 3365-3011 *3382-3017 BCE), Methuselah (Gen. 5:21 = 3302-2362 *3317-2348 BCE), Lamech (Gen. 5:25-31 = 3121-2368 *3000-? BCE), Noah (Gen. 5:28, 9:29 = 2942-2024 *2948-1998 BCE), Shem (Gen. 5:32, 11:10-11 = 2458-1877 *2240-? BCE), The Flood (Gen. 7:11 = 2363 BCE), Arphaxad (Gen. 11:10 = 2361-1938 *2348-1904 BCE), Shelar (Gen. 11:12-15 = 2327-1907 *2333-1900 BCE), Eber (Gen. 11:14-17 = 2298-1848 *2255-1791 BCE), Peleg (Gen. 11:16-19 = 2265-2033 *2222-1983 BCE), Reu (Gen. 11:18-21 = 2236-2009 *2200-1961 BCE), Serug (Gen. 11:20-23 = 2205-1982 *2180-1950 BCE), Nahor (Gen. 11:22-25 = 2176-2036 *2140-1992 BCE), Terah (Gen. 11:24-32 = 2148-1949 *2000-1795 BCE), Abram/Abraham (Gen. 11:26-25:7 = 2080-1911 *1996-1821 BCE), Isaac (Gen. 21:3- 35:28 = 1984-1809 *1896-1716 BCE), Jacob/Israel (Gen. 25:26-47:28 1925-1783 *1770-1623 BCE), Gad, according to the Testament of Gad 1:1 and Jasher 62:5 Gad lived 125 years (Gen. 30:11 = 1938-1813 *1749-1624 BCE).
From Adam to Noah 10 Generations.
From Shem to Abraham 9 Generations.
From Abraham to Gad 5 Generations.
Totaling 24 Generations.
Gad was the 7th son of Jacob, the 1st son of Jacob and Zilpah the handmaid of Leah (Gen. 30:9-11, Gen. 35:26, Ex. 1:4) and was considered Leah’s 5th son .
Let us also consult the Book of Jasher as a confirming witness to the well known established facts:
Jasher 59:4 And the sons of Zilpah, the handmaid of Leah, were Gad and Asher.
Wow, pretty significant and meaningful biblical numbers; 1, 5, 7. One = Unity/YHWH, Five = Torah and Grace, and Seven = Completion and Perfection.
Gad means, an army or a troop and also implies good fortune, for in a sister language to Hebrew there is a pagan deity named Gad, pronounced, “Gawd.”
Gen. 30:11 And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.
Gen. 35:26 And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these [are] the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram.
So from this verse we ascertain the birthplace of Gad; Padanaram.
Padan-Aram means, “The plain of Aram” and it is an area in Upper Mesopotamia around Haran the home of Abraham after he moved from Ur of the Chaldeans (Gen. 25:20). This is also the place Abraham sent Eleazar to find Isaac a bride (Rebecca). This is where Jacob fled to avoid his angry and wrathful brother Esau to dwell with Laban (Gen. 28:2, 5-7). Sometimes it is just called Padan (Gen. 48:7).
Now let’s track the life of the Tribe of Gad from the Biblical accounts, perhaps it may give us clues to where he and his sons ended up. To understand where Gad had ultimately ended up, we must first see where they came from, the way they went until we lost track of them in historical black hole of Assyria.
Gad was approximately 40 years of age when he, his father Jacob (Israel) and the rest of his brothers moved to Egypt to be with Joseph who then ruled as second next to the Pharaoh to escape great famine (Gen. 42:15, 45:10, 46:6-7, 47:27, Ex. 12:40).
The Patriarch Gad is said to have died in Egypt prior to Moses coming with the power of YHWH to liberate the Children of Israel from Egyptian bondage.
Jasher 62:5 And in the eighty-third year died Gad, he was a hundred and twenty-five years old at his death, and he was put into a coffin in Egypt, and given into the hands of his children.
The Testament of Gad 1:1 The copy of the testament of Gad, what things he spake unto his sons, in the hundred and twenty-fifth year of his life, saying unto them:
Jasher 90:38-40 And it was in those days, when the children of Israel were dwelling securely in their cities, that they buried the coffins of the tribes of their ancestors, which they had brought up from Egypt, each man in the inheritance of his children, the twelve sons of Jacob did the children of Israel bury, each man in the possession of his children And these are the names of the cities wherein they buried the twelve sons of Jacob, whom the children of Israel had brought up from Egypt. And they buried Reuben and Gad on this side Jordan, in Romia, which Moses had given to their children.
If you have or know of a big family, after a family excursion to a holiday weekend, the parents of the brood will rally the troop and do a quick head count. We find in the first chapter of Numbers the tribes are counted twice after a whirlwind of events in the Sinai Desert.
Num. 26:1-4, 15-18 And it came to pass after the plague, that the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying, Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, throughout their fathers' house, all that are able to go to war in Israel. And Moses and Eleazar the priest spake with them in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying, Take the sum of the people, from twenty years old and upward; as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt… The children of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites: of Haggi, the family of the Haggites: of Shuni, the family of the Shunites: Of Ozni (Ezbon), the family of the Oznites (Ezbonites): of Eri, the family of the Erites: Of Arod, the family of the Arodites: of Areli, the family of the Arelites. These are the families of the children of Gad according to those that were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred.
This tells us that at least a portion of all of Gad’s sons left with Moses and the rest of the children of Israel during the Exodus, despite the legend of a pre-exodus-exodus from Egypt by Gad’s son Eri, Areli and Arodi.
By the time of King Jotham and Jereoboam we read the names of Gad’s descendants of Gad but are unsure of what sons and clans are being spoken of.
I Chron. 5:11-17 And the children of Gad dwelt over against them, in the land of Bashan unto Salcah: Joel the chief, and Shapham the next, and Jaanai, and Shaphat in Bashan. And their brethren of the house of their fathers were, Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jachan, and Zia, and Heber, seven. These are the children of Abihail the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz; Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of the house of their fathers.
We are given details regarding their marching and camp assignment among the other tribes during the 40 years in the wilderness under the banner of Reuben.
Num. 2:10-16 On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their armies: and the captain of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur. And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were forty and six thousand and five hundred. And those which pitch by him shall be the tribe of Simeon: and the captain of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred. Then the tribe of Gad: and the captain of the sons of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel. And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were forty and five thousand and six hundred and fifty. All that were numbered in the camp of Reuben were an hundred thousand and fifty and one thousand and four hundred and fifty, throughout their armies. And they shall set forth in the second rank.
Gad was considered a successful and wealthy tribe in the wilderness and when they settled on the East side of the Jordan River.
Num. 32:1 Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;
Josh. 22:8 And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.
We also read about the petition to settle on the East side of the Jordan.
Deut. 3:12, 16-17 And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, and half mount Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites… er Arnon half the valley, and the border even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon; The plain also, and Jordan, and the coast thereof, from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, under Ashdothpisgah eastward.
Deut. 29:8 And we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance unto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half tribe of Manasseh.
In the following Passage we are given territorial boundaries of Gad.
I Chron. 5:11-17 And the children of Gad dwelt over against them, in the land of Bashan unto Salcah: Joel the chief, and Shapham the next, and Jaanai, and Shaphat in Bashan. And their brethren of the house of their fathers were, Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jachan, and Zia, and Heber, seven. These are the children of Abihail the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz; Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of the house of their fathers.
Gad, being a mighty “troop” voluntarily and covenantally agreed to fight west of the Jordan on behalf of the other tribes who have not yet secured their allotment of inherited land.
Josh. 4:12-13 And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spake unto them: About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.
Josh. 22:1-8 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you: Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God. And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as he promised them: therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents, and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side Jordan. But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. So Joshua blessed them, and sent them away: and they went unto their tents. Now to the one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given possession in Bashan: but unto the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side Jordan westward. And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then he blessed them, And he spake unto them, saying, Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment: divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.
Nelsons Illustrated Bible Dictionary says of Gad, “…The territory this tribe inhabited, often referred to as Gilead (Num. 1:14). The territory of Gad lay east of the Jordan River between the half-tribe of Manasseh to the north and the tribe of Reuben to the south. It’s western boundary was the Jordan River; on the east it faced the territory of Ammonites.”
John Bright said in his book, A History of Israel 2nd Ed., “…The population of the highlands of Gilead – a mixture of Gadite and Josephite elements (Num. 23:39f; Josh. 13:24-31; etc.) – was designated as the clan Gilead (Judg. 5:17; 11:1.f; etc.).”
During the reign of King Saul, Gad defected and swore their allegiance to David in Hebron.
I Chron. 12:8-15, 37-38 And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the wilderness men of might, and men of war fit for the battle, that could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains; Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, Jeremiah the tenth, Machbanai the eleventh. These were of the sons of Gad, captains of the host: one of the least was over an hundred, and the greatest over a thousand. These are they that went over Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown all his banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east, and toward the west… And on the other side of Jordan, of the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and of the half tribe of Manasseh, with all manner of instruments of war for the battle, an hundred and twenty thousand. All these men of war, that could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.
We find they joined their camp and East Jordan Brothers, the Reubenites in their war against the Hagarites.
I Chron. 5:10, 18-22And in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagarites, who fell by their hand: and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the east land of Gilead… The sons of Reuben, and the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow, and skilful in war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore, that went out to the war. And they made war with the Hagarites, with Jetur, and Nephish, and Nodab. And they were helped against them, and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand, and all that were with them: for they cried to God in the battle, and he was intreated of them; because they put their trust in him. And they took away their cattle; of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men an hundred thousand. For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their steads until the captivity.
We see they were defeated by the Syrian King.
2 Kings 10:32-33 In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel; From Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.
Here is where we begin to lose our grasp on the whereabouts of Gad; when they were taken off into Assyrian captivity.
I Chron. 5:26 And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.
We know that after they were taken away into Assyria, the Amorites took over the territory of Gad.
Jer. 49:1 Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the LORD; Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities?
The John speaks of the survival of Gad who was lost in captivity and the Prophet Ezekiel speaks of Gad’s re-allotment of territory in the future.
Rev. 7:5c …Of the tribe of Gad [were] sealed twelve thousand.
Ezk. 48:27-29 And by the border of Zebulun, from the east side unto the west side, Gad a portion. And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea. This is the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their portions, saith the Lord GOD. We have already clearly established that Gad was taken off to and seemingly disappeared into Assyrian captivity (2 Kings 17:5-6), but why?
DISOBEDIENCE TO TORAH!
History has at least given us the tantalizing hint that Hebrews of the ten tribes that were carted off into Assyrian captivity; that there whereabouts were somewhat known to the 1st century believers in Yeshua. Some were located under Roman rule as far as Alexandria and Ethiopia (Africa).
James (Ya’akov) Yeshua’s (Jesus’) half brother, leader of the Sanhedrin of the 1st Century Torah obedient believers in Messiah Yeshua implied that during his day the location of all 12 tribes were somewhat known.
James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
But since the 1st century we have slowly lost track of the wanderings of the 10 tribes that were taken off into Assyrian captivity, and as a result these 10 tribes are lost to man, but not G-d. Regardless of the this uncertainty the Prophets tell us that the location of the 10 tribes will again be known and that they will eventually return to the Land of Promise and be united with their brother Judah. These verses tell us that some of the tribes can be found all over Africa as far as Ethiopia. Africa is often mentioned in the Tanak (Old Testament) as a place where some of the tribes have ended up and have lost their identity as Hebrews but will eventually wake up to who they really are and return home to Israel.
Zeph. 3:10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.
Psa. 68:31 Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.
So it is not a stretch by any means if some of these lost tribes, including Gad can be found n the continent of Africa today.
We must also take into consideration that in YHWH’s Omniscience He knew that Israel would become a world recognized state in 1948 CE, but would not occupy the boarders and dimensions promised by G-d to Abraham and the Patriarchs as recorded in the Torah. As of the writing of this book, the secular state of Israel only occupies a strip of land approximately the size of the U.S. state of New Jersey. G-d knew that Israel’s descendants, being as numerous as the sand and stars (Gen. 22, Heb. 11:12) would say:
And thus YHWH’s solution until Messiah’s return and the regathering of the scattered tribes would be:
Psa. 2:8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
That after their punishment for disobedience to Torah (Deut. 28) by the Babylonian and Assyrian captivities that their heart would turn once again to YHWH and HE would bring them back from the uttermost parts of the world, even Africa, beyond Ethiopia (Isa. 11:11-12, Zeph. 3:10).
Igbos occupy and are found in the following states in Nigeria, out of 37; Enugu, Imo, Abia, Delta, Ebonyi, and River State. At least 120 towns in Igboland claim direct or indirect descent from Eri. Nigeria is the most Populated country in all of Africa. Nigeria sometimes goes by the nickname, “the India of Africa.” 40% of all of Nigerians are Igbo. Out of approximately 120 million people in Nigeria approximately 40 million are said to be Igbo. Prof. Boniface Egboka of the National Environmental Watch Service said, “…the Igbo nation is the most populated ethnic group in Nigeria.”
D.J. Wiseman said that Hebrew/Igbo means, “Wanderer, people with no secure place in society.” Because YHWH commanded that people be fruitful and multiply (Gen. 1:22, 28) and that Israel’s descendants would be as numerous as sand and stars (Gen. 22); just as you can go to virtually any corner of the globe and find a Jew because of the captivities, holocausts and persecution, so to you can find an Igbo. HRM Eze A.E. Chukwuemeka-Eri Ezeora the 34th has cabinate members world wide, some all over North America and Europe.
“Anywhere I went and discovered that Igbos are not there, I will make haste to depart. Such absence of Igbo might suggest that the place is not habitable for a human being.” – Mr. Urakpo of the Urhobo tribe, an Assemblies of God minister.
Over 60% of Igbos have immigrated to various parts of the globe and due to the slave trade approximately 25% of all African Americans are Igbo as well as a good number of Haitians and Jamaicans.
