Gad

Gad (meaning: a band; a troop) was the seventh son of Jacob and the firstborn son of Leah's maidservant Zilpah (Genesis 30:11). His name, exclaimed by Leah at his birth, expresses the sense of a fortunate troop coming. Gad became the ancestor of the tribe bearing his name, which settled in the Transjordan territory east of the Jordan River — a region of good pastureland suitable for the tribe's large herds (Numbers 32). Jacob's blessing prophesied that Gad would be pressed by raiders but would raid at their heels (Genesis 49:19).

A distinct figure named Gad was the prophet and seer who served as David's personal prophet. This Gad advised David to leave the stronghold during Saul's pursuit, transmitted God's judgment regarding the census David had taken, and instructed him to build an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah (2 Samuel 24:11–19). He is also credited with helping to organize the musical guilds of the temple worship and with writing a record of David's acts (1 Chronicles 29:29). The name Gad was also used for a pagan deity of fortune mentioned in Isaiah 65:11.