גַּד
𐤂𐤃
Gad
H1408 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name referring primarily to a god or divine concept associated with fortune or good luck, occasionally invoked as a deity believed to bestow prosperity; also appears as a nominal concept of 'fortune' or 'luck' itself in certain contexts.
Semantic Range
divine name denoting fortune or luck (as a personified deity); the concept of fortune or good luck; object of cultic offering in syncretistic or foreign religious practices
Root / Etymology
גַּד derives from the root גד, which conveys the idea of cutting, shaping, or allotting. The lexical noun here has come to refer specifically to fortune or luck, especially as personified as a deity. The relationship between the root sense and the concept of 'fortune' likely lies in the association of fate as something allotted or distributed to individuals.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, גַּד is referenced in Isaiah 65:11 as a proper noun relating to fortune or luck, often interpreted as a name of a deity venerated particularly in the context of Babylonia and neighboring cultures; worshippers set out a table for 'Gad' as part of syncretistic ritual condemned by the prophet. There is no indication that ancient Israelites themselves worshipped this deity as a central part of Israelite religion, but the name appears in polemical contexts. Later Hebrew tradition uses the term more generically for fortune, but never as a proper name for an Israelite. The English rendering "that troop" originates from early translation traditions trying to associate the divinity with a group or troop, drawing from the root's alternate nominal usage, but the core biblical usage here reflects a personified abstraction related to 'fortune.' Sometimes English translations use "Fortune" or inaccurately "that troop," missing the significance of the deity or the abstract concept. The word should not be confused with the tribal founder 'Gad' (as in the son of Jacob), which is etymologically related but has a distinct numeral and referent (see H1410).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a variation of גָּד; Fortune, a Babylonian deity; that troop.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
גד (g-d) — cutting, allotting, distributing
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1171 | בַּעַל גָּד | Fortune (Gad) |
| H1407 | גַּד | Gad (Fortune) |
| H1409 | גָּד | Gad |
| H1410 | גָּד | Gad (Fortune) |
| H1424 | גָּדִי | Gadi |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1408-01 |
לַ/גַּד֙ | lagad | HRd/Np |
for Gad | to Fortune | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1408-01 |
Isaiah 65:11 | לַ/גַּד֙ | lagad | HRd/Np |
for Gad | to Fortune |