Gad was the seventh son of Jacob and father of the tribe of Gad, one of the twelve
tribes of Israel.
His mother was Zilpah, Jacob's concubine and Leah's slave. Gad's
name comes from the Hebrew word troop. Leah named him Gad, saying "A troop is coming." He was part of
the plot to sell Joseph to Egypt and later sent to Egypt to buy corn during the famine in Canaan.
Gad later moved to Egypt and lived there with his seven sons. Jacob
blessed Gad on his deathbed, saying: "Raiders will raid Gad, but
he will raid at their heel" (Genesis
49:19).
The tribe of Gad settled on the eastern bank of the Jordan River in the Gilead region and agreed to join the other tribes in the war against the Philistines.
Sources: Bridger, David. Ed. The
New Jewish Encyclopedia, NY: Behrman House, 1976; Navigating
the Bible II