Gad (1 Samuel 22:1–5; 2 Samuel 24:1–10; 2 Samuel 24:11–14; 2 Samuel 24:15–17; 2 Samuel 24:18–19; 2 Samuel 24:20–25; 1 Chronicles 21:9–13; 1 Chronicles 21:18–19; 1 Chronicles 21:20–27; 1 Chronicles 29:29; 2 Chronicles 29:25)

The Prophet, David's Seer

The prophet Gad, David's seer, who told David to leave the stronghold for the land of Judah, brought him the word of the LORD after the numbering of the people, told him to rear an altar in the threshing-floor, and is named among the writers of David's acts.

Gad first appears while David is in the stronghold: “And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the stronghold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth” (1 Samuel 22:5). Scripture does not say how he came to be with David, and it gives him no parentage, tribe or death.

After David numbered the people, “the word of Jehovah came unto the prophet Gad, David’s seer” (2 Samuel 24:11). Gad came to David with three things to choose from, and when the pestilence had fallen he came again: “Go up, rear an altar unto Jehovah in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite” (2 Samuel 24:18). Chronicles tells the same events with its own wording, and there “David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of Jehovah” (1 Chronicles 21:19).

The account of David's acts closes by pointing to “the history of Samuel the seer, and in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the history of Gad the seer” (1 Chronicles 29:29). Long afterward, Hezekiah set the Levites in the house of the LORD “according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet; for the commandment was of Jehovah by his prophets” (2 Chronicles 29:25). He is not Gad the son of Jacob, and the New Testament does not name him.

Strengths

• Went and spoke as the LORD sent him

Themes

• The word of the LORD
• A seer at the king's side
• The numbering of the people
• The altar at the threshing-floor
• Written histories

Tells David to leave the stronghold (1 Samuel 22:1–5)

While David is in the stronghold, the prophet Gad tells him to depart into the land of Judah, and David goes to the forest of Hereth.

Tells David to leave the stronghold

David escaped to the cave of Adullam, and “every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men” (1 Samuel 22:2).

“And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the stronghold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth” (1 Samuel 22:5).

David numbers the people (2 Samuel 24:1–10; 1 Chronicles 21:1–8)

Samuel and Chronicles each tell how David has Israel numbered against Joab's question; afterward David confesses that he has sinned greatly.

David numbers the people

The two books name the mover differently, and each is given here as written. “And again the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them, saying, Go, number Israel and Judah” (2 Samuel 24:1). “And Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel” (1 Chronicles 21:1).

Joab asked, “why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?” (2 Samuel 24:3), but “the king’s word prevailed against Joab” (2 Samuel 24:4). Then “David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto Jehovah, I have sinned greatly in that which I have done” (2 Samuel 24:10). Gad is not named until the word of the LORD comes to him (2 Samuel 24:11).

The word comes to Gad (2 Samuel 24:11–14; 1 Chronicles 21:9–13)

The word of the LORD comes to Gad, who brings David three things to choose from; David says he is in a great strait and chooses the hand of the LORD.

The word comes to Gad

“And when David rose up in the morning, the word of Jehovah came unto the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, Go and speak unto David, Thus saith Jehovah, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee” (2 Samuel 24:11-12).

“So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thy foes while they pursue thee? or shall there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise thee, and consider what answer I shall return to him that sent me” (2 Samuel 24:13). Chronicles has “So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Take which thou wilt: either three years of famine; or three months to be consumed before thy foes, while the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of Jehovah, even pestilence in the land” (1 Chronicles 21:11-12).

“And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of Jehovah; for his mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man” (2 Samuel 24:14).

The pestilence and the angel (2 Samuel 24:15–17; 1 Chronicles 21:14–17)

The LORD sends a pestilence on Israel and seventy thousand men die; the angel stands by the threshing-floor, and David asks that the LORD's hand be against him and his father's house.

Gad's word: rear an altar (2 Samuel 24:18–19; 1 Chronicles 21:18–19)

Gad comes to David and tells him to go up and rear an altar to the LORD in the threshing-floor, and David goes up at the saying of Gad.

Gad's word: rear an altar

“And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto Jehovah in the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. And David went up according to the saying of Gad, as Jehovah commanded” (2 Samuel 24:18-19).

Chronicles gives the owner's name as Ornan and says how the word reached Gad: “Then the angel of Jehovah commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and rear an altar unto Jehovah in the threshing-floor of Ornan the Jebusite. And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of Jehovah” (1 Chronicles 21:18-19).

The altar built and the plague stayed (2 Samuel 24:20–25; 1 Chronicles 21:20–30)

David buys the threshing-floor from Araunah (called Ornan in Chronicles), builds the altar and offers offerings, and the plague is stayed from Israel.

The history of Gad the seer (1 Chronicles 29:29)

The record of David's acts, first and last, is said to be written in the histories of Samuel the seer, Nathan the prophet, and Gad the seer.

Named in Hezekiah's setting of the Levites (2 Chronicles 29:25)

Hezekiah sets the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, psalteries and harps according to the commandment of David, Gad and Nathan.

David (1 Samuel 22:5; 2 Samuel 24:11–14; 1 Chronicles 21:9–19)

The king whose seer he is; he told David to leave the stronghold and brought him the word of the LORD at the numbering.

The LORD (2 Samuel 24:11–12; 1 Chronicles 21:9; 2 Chronicles 29:25)

The word came to Gad, who spoke it to David in the name of the LORD.

Nathan the prophet (1 Chronicles 29:29; 2 Chronicles 29:25)

Named beside Gad in the histories of David's acts and in the commandment of David that Hezekiah followed.

Samuel the seer (1 Chronicles 29:29)

The history of Samuel the seer is named with the histories of Nathan and Gad as the record of David's acts.

Araunah the Jebusite (2 Samuel 24:18–24; 1 Chronicles 21:18–25)

Called Ornan in Chronicles; Gad told David to rear an altar in his threshing-floor, and David bought it of him.

Major sections

• 1 Samuel 22:1–5
• 2 Samuel 24:1–25
• 1 Chronicles 21:1–30
• 1 Chronicles 29:29
• 2 Chronicles 29:25

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