עַזְגָּד
Azgad, an Israelite
Definition
Azgad is the name of an Israelite who returned from the Babylonian exile. He is listed as the head of a family group that returned with Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:12, Nehemiah 7:17) and later with Ezra (Ezra 8:12). As a family leader, he also sealed the covenant of renewal under Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10:15). The name itself, meaning 'stern troop' or 'strong is Gad,' reflects a compound theophoric element, though it refers specifically to this historical individual and his descendants within the post-exilic community.
Biblical Usage
The name Azgad appears exclusively in post-exilic books (Ezra and Nehemiah) in the context of census lists and covenant signatories. It is used to identify a family clan among the returning exiles. In Ezra 2:12 and Nehemiah 7:17, his descendants are counted among those who first returned. In Ezra 8:12, men of the family of Azgad are listed among those who returned with Ezra. Finally, in Nehemiah 10:15, a representative 'Azgad' is listed among the leaders who sealed the binding agreement to follow God's law.
Etymology
The name Azgad (עַזְגָּד) is a compound of two Hebrew elements. It derives from עַז (ʻaz, H5794), meaning 'strong, fierce, or stern,' and גָּד (gâd, H1409), which is the name of the tribe of Gad or the deity Gad (meaning 'fortune' or 'troop'). Thus, the name can be interpreted as 'stern troop,' 'Gad is strong,' or 'strong is fortune.' It is a typical Hebrew personal name formed from divine or tribal references.
Semantic Range
While Azgad itself is a personal name, its presence in the biblical record highlights the theological theme of God's faithfulness in preserving a remnant. The detailed listing of returning families, including Azgad's, underscores God's commitment to restoring His people and maintaining the genealogical continuity of Israel after the exile. It emphasizes individual and family identity within the larger covenant community being reconstituted in the Promised Land.
In ancient Israelite culture, names often carried significant meaning, reflecting character, destiny, or divine attributes. Azgad, as a name incorporating 'Gad,' may connect to the tribe of Gad or to invoking fortune/strength. As a family head in the post-exilic lists, his name represents not just an individual but an entire household or clan, which was the fundamental social and religious unit for identity, inheritance, and communal responsibility in the restoration community.
There are no direct synonyms for this proper name. Other post-exilic family heads listed alongside him, such as Adonikam (H140) or Bigvai (H902), serve similar literary and historical functions in the census lists.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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