Gilead

Gilead is the hill country east of the Jordan. Reuben and Gad saw its good pasture for their cattle and asked Moses to let them settle there. He agreed on one condition: first cross the Jordan armed beside their brothers. If they did not, he warned, “be sure your sin will find you out.” Gilead returns later in grief. Mourning over his people’s hurt, Jeremiah asks, “Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?” The first story is in Numbers 32, and the lament is in Jeremiah 8:18-22.

49 verses

Genesis

Genesis 37:25

And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt.

Numbers

Numbers 26:29

Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites: and Machir begat Gilead: of Gilead come the family of the Gileadites.

Numbers 26:30

These are the sons of Gilead: of Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites: of Helek, the family of the Helekites:

Numbers 27:1

Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: and these are the names of his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.

Numbers 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;

Numbers 32:2

The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,

Numbers 32:3

Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

Numbers 32:4

Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:

Numbers 32:5

Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.

Numbers 32:6

And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?

Numbers 32:7

And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?

Numbers 32:8

Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.

Numbers 32:9

For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.

Numbers 32:10

And the LORD'S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying,

Numbers 32:11

Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me:

Numbers 32:12

Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.

Numbers 32:13

And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.

Numbers 32:14

And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.

Numbers 32:15

For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.

Numbers 32:16

And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones:

Numbers 32:17

But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

Numbers 32:18

We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.

Numbers 32:19

For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward.

Numbers 32:20

And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,

Numbers 32:21

And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him,

Numbers 32:22

And the land be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.

Numbers 32:23

But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

Numbers 32:24

Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth.

Numbers 32:25

And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.

Numbers 32:26

Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead:

Numbers 32:27

But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith.

Numbers 32:28

So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel:

Numbers 32:29

And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle, before the LORD, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession:

Numbers 32:30

But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan.

Numbers 36:1

And the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spake before Moses, and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel:

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 3:13

And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, being the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants.

Deuteronomy 34:1

And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the LORD shewed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan,

Joshua

Joshua 17:1

There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he was the firstborn of Joseph; to wit, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan.

Joshua 17:3

But Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, but daughters: and these are the names of his daughters, Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

Judges

Judges 7:3

Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

2 Kings

2 Kings 10:32

In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;

2 Kings 10:33

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.

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 2:21

And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was threescore years old; and she bare him Segub.

1 Chronicles 2:23

And he took Geshur, and Aram, with the towns of Jair, from them, with Kenath, and the towns thereof, even threescore cities. All these belonged to the sons of Machir the father of Gilead.

1 Chronicles 5:14

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;

Song of Solomon

Song of Solomon 4:1

Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 8:22

Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

Jeremiah 22:6

For thus saith the LORD unto the king's house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited.

Hosea

Hosea 6:8

Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood.

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

Hill of testimony, (Gen. 31:21), a mountainous region east of Jordan. From its mountainous character it is called “the mount of Gilead” (Gen. 31:25). It is called also “the land of Gilead” (Num. 32:1), and sometimes simply “Gilead” (Ps. 60:7; Gen. 37:25). It comprised the possessions of the tribes of Gad and Reuben and the south part of Manasseh (Deut. 3:13; Num. 32:40). It was bounded on the north by Bashan, and on the south by Moab and Ammon (Gen. 31:21; Deut. 3:12-17). “Half Gilead” was possessed by Sihon, and the other half, separated from it by the river Jabbok, by Og, king of Bashan. The deep ravine of the river Hieromax (the modern Sheriat el-Mandhur) separated Bashan from Gilead, which was about 60 miles in length and 20 in breadth, extending from near the south end of the Lake of Gennesaret to the north end of the Dead Sea. Abarim, Pisgah, Nebo, and Peor are its mountains mentioned in Scripture.

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From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

(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. (Genesis 31:21; 3:12-17) It is sometimes called "Mount Gilead," (Genesis 31:25) sometimes "the land of Gilead," (Numbers 32:1) and sometimes simply "Gilead." (Psalms 60:7; Genesis 37:25) The name Gilead, as is usual in Palestine, describes the physical aspect of the country: it signifies "a hard rocky region." The mountains of Gilead, including Pisgah, Abarim and Peor, have a real elevation of from 2000 to 3000 feet; but their apparent elevation on the western side is much greater, owing to the depression of the Jordan valley, which averages about 3000 feet. Their outline is singularly uniform, resembling a massive wall running along the horizon. Gilead was specially noted for its balm collected from "balm of Gilead" trees, and worth twice its weight in silver.

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(2.) Possibly the name of a mountain west of the Jordan, near Jezreel. (Judges 7:3) We are inclined, however, to think that the true reading in this place should be GILBOA.

(3.) Son of Machir, grandson of Manasseh. (Numbers 26:29,30)

(4.) The father of Jephthah. (Judges 11:1,2)

Based on Nave's Topical Bible by Orville J. Nave (1896). Dictionary entries from Easton's Bible Dictionary and Smith's Bible Dictionary. Public domain. KJV scripture text, public domain.