SG Heritage Dictionary

Gilead Encyclopedia Britannica

GILEAD (' 1 V^, i.e., “hard” or “rugged”) is sometimes used, both in earlier ancl in later writers, to denote the whole of the territory occupied by the Israelites eastward of Jordan, extending from the Arnon to the southern base of Hermon (Deut, xxxiv. 1; Judg. xx. 1; Jos., Ant. xii. 8. 3, 4). More precisely, however, it was the usual name of that mountainous district which is bounded on the N.·by the Hieromax (Yarmuk), on the E. by the Jordan, on the S. by the Arnon, and on the W. by a line which may be said to follow the meridian of Amman (Philadelphia or Rabbath-Ammon). It thus lay wholly within 31° 25' and 32° 42' N. lat., and 35° 34' and 36° E. long. Excluding the narrow strip of low-lying plain along the Jordan, it has an average elevation of 2500 feet above the Mediterranean; but, as seen from the west, the relative height is very much increased by the depression of the Jordan valley. The range from the same point of view presents a singularly uniform outline, having the appearance of an unbroken wall; in reality, however, it is traversed by a number of deep ravines (wadys), of which the most important are the Yâbis, the Ajlûn, the Râjib, the Zerka (Jabbok), the Hesban, and the Zerka Main. The great mass of the Gilead range is formed of Jura limestone, but there are also occasional veins of sandstone. The eastern slopes are comparatively bare of trees; but the western are well supplied with oak, terebinth, and pine. The pastures are everywhere luxuriant, and the wooded heights and winding glens, in which the tangled shrubbery is here and there broken up by open glades and flat meadows of green turf, exhibit a beauty of vegetation such as is hardly to be seen in any other district of Palestine....

The first mention of “Mount Gilead” in Scripture occurs in Gen. xxxι., where it is said that the place where Jacob’s covenant with his father-in-law was ratified was thenceforward called “the hill of witness” ("$?£). The locality contemplated by the sacred writer was doubtless somewhere on the ridge of what is now known as Jebel Ajlûn, and probably not far from Mahneh (Mahanaim), near the head of the wady Yabis. Gilead next comes under notice in connexion with the partition of the promised land among the twelve tribes of Israel. At the period of the conquest the portion of Gilead northward of the Jabbok (Zerka) belonged to the dominions of Og, king of Bashan, while the southern half was ruled by Sihon, king of the Amorites, having been at an earlier date wrested from Moab (Numb. xxi. 24; Deut. iii. 12-16). These two sections were allotted respectively to Manasseh and to Reuben and Gad, both districts being peculiarly suited to the pastoral and nomadic character of these tribes. A somewhat wild Bedouin disposition, fostered by their surroundings, was retained by the Israelite inhabitants of Gilead to a late period of their history, and seems to be to some extent discernible in what we read alike of Jephthah, of David’s Gadites, and of the prophet Elijah.

After the close of the Old Testament history the word Gilead seldom occurs. It seems to have soon passed out of use as a precise geographical designation; for though occasionally mentioned by Apocryphal writers, by Josephus, and by Eusebius, the allusions are all vague, and show that those who made them had no definite knowledge of Gilead proper. In Josephus and the New Testament the name Peraea or πepav του , ιopδdvov is most frequently used; and the country is sometimes spoken of by Josephus as divided into small provinces called after the capitals in which Greek colonists had established themselves during the reign of the Seleucidae. At present Gilead south of the Jabbok alone is known by the name of Jebel Jilad (Mount Gilead), the northern portion between the Jabbok and the Yarmuk being called Jebel Ajlûn. Jebel Jilad includes Jebel Osha, and has for its capital the town of Es-Salt. The cities of Gilead expressly mentioned in Scripture are Ramoth, Jabesh, and Jazer. The first of these has been satisfactorily identified with Es-Salt, and apparently ought not to be regarded as distinct from Mizpeh (Judg. xi. 11, 34), called also Mιzpeh-Gιlead (Judg. χi. 29), or Ramoth Mizpeh (Josh, xiii. 26).

9th ed. Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 10, p. 594
[743 words — estimated reading time: 5 minutes]

Gilead Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary

the name given to the monument erected by Laban and Jacob, in testimony of a mutual covenant and agreement, Gen. xxxi, 47, 48. Hence the hill upon which it was erected, was called Mount Gilead, Cant. iv, 1; vi, 5; Jer. 1, 19. The mountains of Gilead were part of that ridge of mountains which extend from Mount Lebanon southward, on the east of the Holy land; they gave their name to the whole country which lies on the east of the sea of Galilee, and included the mountainous region called in the New Testament Trachonitis. The Scripture speaks of the balm of Gilead, Jer. viii, 22; xlvi, 11; li, 8. The merchants who bought Joseph came from Gilead, and were carrying balm into Egypt, Gen. xxxvii, 25. See BALM.

Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary
[130 words — estimated reading time: 1 minute]

King James Bible KJV Bible

Berean Standard Bible BSB Bible

131 KJV and 130 BSB verses contain “Gilead” — showing the first 20. Show all 132 verses (searchable)

Genesis 31:21

So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.

So he fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.

Genesis 31:23

And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

Genesis 31:25

Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.

Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there as well.

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.

And as they sat down to eat a meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh on their way down to Egypt.

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.

These were the descendants of Manasseh: The Machirite clan from Machir, the father of Gilead, and the Gileadite clan from Gilead.

Numbers 26:30

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

These were the descendants of Gilead: the Iezerite clan from Iezer, the Helekite clan from Helek,

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.

Now the daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. These were the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They approached

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;

Now the Reubenites and Gadites, who had very large herds and flocks, surveyed the lands of Jazer and Gilead, and they saw that the region was suitable for livestock.

Numbers 32:26

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

Our children, our wives, our livestock, and all our animals will remain here in the cities of Gilead.

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:

And Moses said to them, “If the Gadites and Reubenites cross the Jordan with you, with every man armed for battle before the LORD, and the land is subdued before you, then you are to give them the land of Gilead as a possession.

Numbers 32:39

And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it.

The descendants of Machir son of Manasseh went to Gilead, captured it, and drove out the Amorites who were there.

Numbers 32:40

And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein.

So Moses gave Gilead to the clan of Machir son of Manasseh, and they settled there.

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:

Now the family heads of the clan of Gilead son of Machir son of Manasseh, one of the clans of Joseph, approached Moses and the leaders who were the heads of the Israelite families and addressed them,

Deuteronomy 2:36

From Aroer, which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us: the LORD our God delivered all unto us:

From Aroer on the rim of the Arnon Valley, along with the city in the valley, even as far as Gilead, not one city had walls too high for us. The LORD our God gave us all of them.

Deuteronomy 3:10

All the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, unto Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

all the cities of the plateau, all of Gilead, and all of Bashan as far as the cities of Salecah and Edrei in the kingdom of Og.

Deuteronomy 3:12

And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the river Arnon, and half mount Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites.

So at that time we took possession of this land. To the Reubenites and Gadites I gave the land beyond Aroer along the Arnon Valley, and half the hill country of Gilead, along with its cities.

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.

To the half-tribe of Manasseh I gave the rest of Gilead and all of Bashan, the kingdom of Og. (The entire region of Argob, the whole territory of Bashan, used to be called the land of the Rephaim.)

Deuteronomy 3:15

And I gave Gilead unto Machir.

To Machir I gave Gilead,

Deuteronomy 3:16

And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the river Arnon half the valley, and the border even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;

and to the Reubenites and Gadites I gave the territory from Gilead to the Arnon Valley (the middle of the valley was the border) and up to the Jabbok River, the border of the Ammonites.

Deuteronomy 4:43

Namely, Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, of the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, of the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, of the Manassites.

Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau belonging to the Reubenites, Ramoth in Gilead belonging to the Gadites, or Golan in Bashan belonging to the Manassites.