גִּלְעָד
𐤂𐤋𐤏𐤃
Gilead
H1568 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Gilʻâd — a geographical region east of the Jordan River, known for its hilly terrain and forests; also the personal name of several individuals in the Hebrew Bible. The region is associated with tribe territories (Gad, Reuben, and half-Manasseh), and prominent in narratives involving early Israelite, and later monarchic, identities. The personal name likely denotes 'one from Gilead' or originally may have signified 'rocky region' or 'heap of witness.' Included in the semantic range are the regional designation, personal name, and collective reference to inhabitants (Gileadites).
Semantic Range
region east of the Jordan (Gilead), personal name (Gilead), inhabitant/collective (Gileadite), name of a tribal or clan subdivision, reference to treaty or memorial cairn
Root / Etymology
From the noun גַּלְעֵד (Galʻêd, 'heap of witness'), which is itself a combination of גַּל (gal, 'heap, mound, cairn') and עֵד (ʻêd, 'witness, testimony'), indicating an etymological sense of 'stone cairn as a memorial/witness.' As the name of a region, it may originally have described the landscape, or commemorated a treaty location (see Genesis 31). As a personal name, it denotes either an inhabitant of Gilead or one associated with the region.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, גִּלְעָד refers primarily to a region of hilly country east of the Jordan, bounded broadly by the Yarmuk River in the north and the Arnon River in the south. In earlier texts (Genesis–Joshua), it designates a geographical region—originally tribal land for Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh. Later, it also occurs as a collective for the inhabitants ('Gileadites'). Additionally, it functions as a personal name for individuals of varying tribes: (1) the son of Machir, grandson of Manasseh (Numbers 26:29), (2) a leader of Gad (1 Chronicles 5:14), and (3) an ancestor of Jephthah (Judges 11:1). English translations sometimes render 'Gileadite' as 'the Gilead,' which obscures the distinction between the region and its inhabitants. The term's meaning is context-dependent: it can refer to the highland territory, an individual, or the population collectively. Post-exilic references to Gilead retain these senses, though the territorial boundaries and identities evolved. The translation 'Jew' should not be used for inhabitants of Gilead in early contexts, as the term is anachronistic; 'Gileadite' is more historically and geographically accurate. The etymological sense derived from 'heap of witness' is only explicit in the context of the Genesis 31 treaty, and for most references, the name functions as a geographic or personal designation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably from גַּלְעֵד; Gilad, a region East of the Jordan; also the name of three Israelites; Gilead, Gileadite.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
גלעד (g-l-ʿ-d) — heap, mound, witness, testimony
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1569 | גִּלְעָדִי | Gileadite men |
Word Forms
11 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1568-03 |
גִּלְעָ֑ד | gilead | HNp |
Gilead | Heap-of-Witness | 75 |
H1568-05 |
הַ/גִּלְעָֽד | hagilead | HTd/Np |
Gilead | the Heap-of-Witness | 39 |
H1568-01 |
בַּ/גִּלְעָד֙ | bagilead | HRd/Np |
in Gilead | in Heap-of-Witness | 8 |
H1568-11 |
וְ/הַ/גִּלְעָ֞ד | vehagilead | HC/Td/Np |
and Gilead | and the Heap-of-Witness region | 3 |
H1568-04 |
גִּלְעָ֖דָ/ה | gileadah | HNp/Sd |
Gilead | Heap-of-Witness | 2 |
H1568-10 |
וְ/גִלְעָ֑ד | vegilead | HC/Np |
and Gilead | and Heap-of-Witness | 2 |
H1568-09 |
מִ/גִּלְעָ֑ד | migilead | HR/Np |
from Gilead | from Heap-of-Witness | 1 |
H1568-08 |
לְ/גִלְעָ֕ד | legilead | HR/Np |
of Gilead | to Heap-of-Witness | 1 |
H1568-07 |
לַ/גִּלְעָֽד | lagilead | HRd/Np |
of Gilead | to Heap-of-Witness | 1 |
H1568-02 |
בְּ/גִלְעָ֔ד | begilead | HR/Np |
in Gilead | in Heap-of-Witness | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
134 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1568-05 |
Genesis 31:21 | הַ/גִּלְעָֽד | hagilead | HTd/Np |
Gilead | the Heap-of-Witness |
H1568-05 |
Genesis 31:23 | הַ/גִּלְעָֽד | hagilead | HTd/Np |
of Gilead | the Heap-of-Witness |
H1568-05 |
Genesis 31:25 | הַ/גִּלְעָֽד | hagilead | HTd/Np |
of Gilead | the Heap-of-Witness |
H1568-09 |
Genesis 37:25 | מִ/גִּלְעָ֑ד | migilead | HR/Np |
from Gilead | from Heap-of-Witness |
H1568-03 |
Numbers 26:29 | גִּלְעָ֑ד | gilead | HNp |
Gilead | Heap-of-Witness |
H1568-08 |
Numbers 26:29 | לְ/גִלְעָ֕ד | legilead | HR/Np |
of Gilead | to Heap-of-Witness |
H1568-03 |
Numbers 26:30 | גִלְעָ֔ד | gilead | HNp |
Gilead | Heap-of-Witness |
H1568-03 |
Numbers 27:1 | גִּלְעָד֙ | gilead | HNp |
of Gilead | Heap-of-Witness |
H1568-03 |
Numbers 32:1 | גִּלְעָ֔ד | gilead | HNp |
Gilead | Heap-of-Witness |
H1568-05 |
Numbers 32:26 | הַ/גִּלְעָֽד | hagilead | HTd/Np |
of Gilead | the Heap-of-Witness |