Ard

A descendant of Benjamin in the line of Bela, and the head of the Ardite family. Two verses carry his name.

In the Sons of Benjamin

The Genesis catalogue of those who went down into Egypt with Jacob lists Ard within Benjamin's house: "And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, and Becher, and Ashbel; and the sons of Bela were: Gera and Naaman, Ehi and Rosh, and Muppim; and Gera begot Ard" (Ge 46:21). The genealogy moves from Benjamin to Bela to Gera, and Ard is named at the third step.

Head of the Ardites

The wilderness census in Numbers gives Ard a clan: "And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: of Ard, the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, the family of the Naamites" (Nu 26:40). Here Ard is one of two sons of Bela, paired with Naaman, and his name passes to the Ardite family — one of the sub-clans of Benjamin counted in the wilderness.