Boy Old Testament Rare
Gilead
the heap or mass of testimony
גִּלְעָד gil.ad
Gilead (Hebrew: גִּלְעָד, gil.ad) means “the heap or mass of testimony”, by traditional interpretation. Three men in scripture bear the name; the best attested belongs to the Exodus period. In 2024 it was given to 8 children in the United States. Use is falling away. Appears with Abihail in 1 Chronicles 5.
Which Gilead?
Three men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
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Gilead
son of Machir; father of Shechem; father of Helek
-
Gilead
father of Jephthah
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Gilead
father of Jaroah; son of Michael
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 13 across 4 books
- Bearers
- 3 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Exodus
Using it today
Based on 2024 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 2024 | 8 | Falling |
| All-time total | 90 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 11 in 2015 | Its highest year on record |
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Numbers 26:29 |
| Last appears | 1 Chronicles 7:17 |
| Cross-references | 123 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Peresh attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Machir.
- Sheresh attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Machir.
- Huppim attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Machir.
- Machir co-occurrence Appears with Machir in 1 Chronicles 2.
- Tirzah co-occurrence Appears with Tirzah in Joshua 17.
- Milcah co-occurrence Appears with Milcah in Joshua 17.
- Mahlah co-occurrence Appears with Mahlah in Joshua 17.
- Noah co-occurrence Appears with Noah in Joshua 17.
Origin & meaning
A man of the tribe of Gad living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ch.5.14;
son of: Michael (H4317I);
father of: Jaroah (H3386)
§ Gilead = "rocky region"
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
4) son of Machir and grandson of Manasseh
5) father of Jephthah
6) a Gadite
Gilead, a descendant of Manasseh, was the son of Michael and the father of Jaroah, as recorded in the genealogy of the tribe of Gad.
The biblical story
Gilead is briefly mentioned in 1Ch.5.14 as part of the genealogy of the tribe of Gad. He is described as the son of Michael and the father of Jaroah. This genealogy traces the lineage of the Gadites who lived in the land of Bashan, east of the Jordan River, until the time of the Assyrian captivity (1Ch.5.11-17). The mention of Gilead in this genealogy helps to establish the family lineage and territorial location of a portion of the tribe of Gad. It is important to note that this Gilead is a different individual from the other Gileads mentioned in the Bible, such as the son of Machir or the father of Jephthah. The name Gilead, which means "heap of witness" or "rocky region," was commonly used both as a personal name and as a geographical designation for the region east of the Jordan River.
Key verses
Gilead appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
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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;
1 Chronicles 5:14
Show all 1 reference
1 Chronicles (1)
- 1 Chronicles 5:14