one of the principal angels of heaven. He was sent to the
Prophet Daniel, to explain to him the visions of the ram and goat, and
the mystery of the seventy weeks, which had been revealed to him, Dan.
viii, 15; ix, 21; xi, 1, &c. The same angel was sent to Zechariah, to
declare to him the future birth of John the Baptist, Luke i, 11, &c. Six
months after this he appeared to a virgin, whose name was Mary, of the
city of Nazareth, as related Luke i, 26, &c.
GAD was the name of the son of Jacob and Zilpah, Leah’s servant, Gen.
xxx, 9–11. Leah, Jacob’s wife, gave him also Zilpah, that by her she
might have children. Zilpah brought a son, whom Leah called Gad, saying,
“A troop cometh.” Gad had seven sons, Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri,
Arodi, and Areli, Genesis xlvi, 16. Jacob, blessing Gad, said, “A troop
shall overcome him, but he shall overcome at the last,” Gen. xlix, 19;
and Moses, in his last song, mentions Gad as “a lion which teareth the
arm with the crown of the head,” &c, Deut. xxxiii, 20, 21. The tribe of
Gad came out of Egypt in number forty-five thousand six hundred and
fifty. After the defeat of the kings Og and Sihon, Gad and Reuben
desired to have their lot in the conquered country, and alleged their
great number of cattle. Moses granted their request, on condition that
they would accompany their brethren, and assist in the conquest of the
land beyond Jordan. Gad had his inheritance between Reuben south, and
Manasseh north, with the mountains of Gilead east, and Jordan west.
2. GAD, a prophet, David’s friend, who followed him when persecuted by
Saul. The Scripture calls him a prophet and David’s seer, 2 Sam. xxiv,
11. The first time we find him with this prince is when he fled into the
land of Moab, 1 Sam. xxii, 5, to secure his father and mother in the
first year of Saul’s persecution. The Prophet Gad warned him to return
into the land of Judah. After David had determined to number his people,
the Lord sent to him the Prophet Gad, to offer him his choice of three
scourges: seven years’ famine, or three months’ flight before his
enemies, or three days’ pestilence. Gad also directed David to erect an
altar to the Lord, in the threshing floor of Ornan or Araunah, the
Jebusite, 2 Sam. xxiv, 13–19; and he wrote a history of David’s life,
cited in 1 Chron. xxix, 29.
Prophet Daniel, to explain to him the visions of the ram and goat, and
the mystery of the seventy weeks, which had been revealed to him, Dan.
viii, 15; ix, 21; xi, 1, &c. The same angel was sent to Zechariah, to
declare to him the future birth of John the Baptist, Luke i, 11, &c. Six
months after this he appeared to a virgin, whose name was Mary, of the
city of Nazareth, as related Luke i, 26, &c.
GAD was the name of the son of Jacob and Zilpah, Leah’s servant, Gen.
xxx, 9–11. Leah, Jacob’s wife, gave him also Zilpah, that by her she
might have children. Zilpah brought a son, whom Leah called Gad, saying,
“A troop cometh.” Gad had seven sons, Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri,
Arodi, and Areli, Genesis xlvi, 16. Jacob, blessing Gad, said, “A troop
shall overcome him, but he shall overcome at the last,” Gen. xlix, 19;
and Moses, in his last song, mentions Gad as “a lion which teareth the
arm with the crown of the head,” &c, Deut. xxxiii, 20, 21. The tribe of
Gad came out of Egypt in number forty-five thousand six hundred and
fifty. After the defeat of the kings Og and Sihon, Gad and Reuben
desired to have their lot in the conquered country, and alleged their
great number of cattle. Moses granted their request, on condition that
they would accompany their brethren, and assist in the conquest of the
land beyond Jordan. Gad had his inheritance between Reuben south, and
Manasseh north, with the mountains of Gilead east, and Jordan west.
2. GAD, a prophet, David’s friend, who followed him when persecuted by
Saul. The Scripture calls him a prophet and David’s seer, 2 Sam. xxiv,
11. The first time we find him with this prince is when he fled into the
land of Moab, 1 Sam. xxii, 5, to secure his father and mother in the
first year of Saul’s persecution. The Prophet Gad warned him to return
into the land of Judah. After David had determined to number his people,
the Lord sent to him the Prophet Gad, to offer him his choice of three
scourges: seven years’ famine, or three months’ flight before his
enemies, or three days’ pestilence. Gad also directed David to erect an
altar to the Lord, in the threshing floor of Ornan or Araunah, the
Jebusite, 2 Sam. xxiv, 13–19; and he wrote a history of David’s life,
cited in 1 Chron. xxix, 29.