1Ch 5:11-17

The tribe of Gad is taken next, and occupies but few lines. Gad was born seventh in order of all the sons of Jacob (Gen 30:9-12), and first of the children of Leah’s maid Zilpah. The compiler seems to pass easily on to Gad, from the mere circumstance of the name of the tribe being so constantly linked with that preceding, in the matter of local settlement on the east of Jordan, after the journeyings of the wilderness (Jos 13:7, Jos 13:8). The geography in 1Ch 5:11 and 1Ch 5:16 offers very little difficulty. Compared with the time of the first settling of the Gadites (Deu 3:10-13; Jos 13:25, Jos 13:30), it is evident that they had pushed their borders further to the north, trenching somewhat upon the lot of the half-tribe Manasseh, as they also in turn extended their limits northward to Hermon (verse 23). This reconciles Jos 13:30 with the present passage. Salcah, or (Authorized Version) Salchah (Deu 3:10; Jos 13:11), is probably to be identified as the modern Sulkhad, at the extreme eastern point of the plain Hauran, which is bordered by the desert. "In Gilead in Bashan" may be read, with some, as two coordinate places, separating them by a stop; or may point to a time when Bashan included the upper half of Gilead. Sharon, which Keil, quoting Reland, ’Pal. Ill.,’ 370, would make the well-known Sharon of Carmel and the Mediterranean, is, though unmentioned elsewhere, probably distinguished sufficiently from it by the absence of the article, which is invariably prefixed to the other. Stanley’s suggestion would seem exceedingly apt, that it is one in fact, as one in derivation and meaning, with the Mishor (i.e. "level ]ands," "table-land") of Gilead and Bashan. With this explanation, however, the term "suburbs" does not so well agree. Upon the other side, distant as the well-known Sharon is, a link of connection might be found with it, in that the other Manasseh half-tribe stretched into its plains; and in that case the last word of the verse, úÌåÉòÀàåÉúÈí, might mean (Jos 17:9) "the outgoings" of the land or regions in question to the "sea"-coast.