גָּדִי (ga.di)
ga.di
Gad
N:N--PGQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 13 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--PG
Word Overview
The noun gadi refers to a member of the tribe of Gad, descending from Jacob’s son by Zilpah. The name Gad itself carries the sense of fortune or troop, suggesting a lineage associated with strength and perhaps military capability. This tribal identity is central to understanding the distribution of land east of the Jordan River, where the Gadites settled alongside Reuben and half of Manasseh.
While the patriarch Gad appears in Genesis, the term gadi specifically denotes his descendants throughout the historical books. It occurs most frequently in Joshua and 1 Chronicles, marking the tribal allotments and census records that organize Israel’s community. The word anchors the group’s identity in their ancestral roots while highlighting their distinct territorial inheritance.
Translators typically render gadi as “Gadite” to distinguish the individual tribe member from the patriarch or the abstract concept of fortune. This precise labeling helps readers track the specific contributions and responsibilities of this tribe within the broader narrative of Israel’s settlement and monarchy.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word gadi identifies a member of the tribe of Gad, descendants of Jacob’s son. This term appears primarily in records of land distribution and military census lists. It anchors the identity of these people to their ancestral roots and their specific territory east of the Jordan River.
Understanding this tribal designation helps us see how Israel was organized as a community. The Gadites shared responsibilities with Reuben and Manasseh, particularly in defending the eastern borders. Their history shows both strength in battle and eventual exile when Assyria conquered the region.
For readers today, these names remind us that God works through specific communities and histories. The detailed records of tribes like Gad show that every group had a role in Israel’s story. We can trust that God remembers His people, even when they face displacement or change.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 13 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ to the/ Gadite[s]5×
- the/ Gadite[s]2×
- and/ the/ Gadite[s]2×
- the/ Gadite1×
- for the/ Gadite[s]1×
- and/ [the] Gadite[s]1×
- and/ <to> the/ Gadite[s]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/לַ/גָּדִ֔י3×
- לַ/גָּדִ֔י1×
- וְ/לַ/גָּדִֽי\׃1×
- וְ/לַ/גָּדִ֜י1×
- וְ/לַ/גָּדִ֑י1×
- וְ/הַ/גָּדִי֙1×
- וְ/הַ/גָּדִ֔י1×
- וְ/גָדִ֜י1×
- הַ/גָּדִֽי\׃\ \ס1×
- הַ/גָּדִ֥י1×
- הַ/גָּדִ֖י1×
Key Verses
-
Numbers 34:14
for the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their fathers’ houses, the tribe of the children of Gad according to their fathers’ houses, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.
This verse lists the Gadites alongside Reuben and Manasseh as receiving their inheritance east of the Jordan, establishing their territorial identity.
-
I Chronicles 5:18
The sons of Reuben, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, of valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, able to shoot with bow, and skillful in war, were forty-four thousand seven hundred sixty that were able to go out to war.
Here the term highlights the military strength of the Gadites, noting they were valiant men able to bear arms and fight in battle.
-
I Chronicles 26:32
His relatives, men of valor, were two thousand seven hundred, heads of fathers’ households, whom King David made overseers over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of the Manassites, for every matter pertaining to God and for the affairs of the king.
This occurrence shows the Gadites holding administrative roles under King David, overseeing matters pertaining to God and the king's affairs.