Who was Gamaliel in the Bible?

Gamaliel was the son of Pedahzur and served as the leader, or prince, of the tribe of Manasseh during the Israelites' wilderness journey after the Exodus from Egypt. He is mentioned in the Book of Numbers as one of the tribal representatives.

What did Gamaliel do in the Bible?

His primary recorded action was presenting the tribe of Manasseh's offering at the dedication of the Tabernacle altar. This event is detailed in Numbers 7:54-59, where he brought a specific set of gifts of silver, gold, and animals.

Why is Gamaliel significant in the Old Testament?

As a tribal leader, Gamaliel represents the organization and unity of the twelve tribes of Israel under Moses' leadership. His role highlights how each tribe contributed equally to the worship and community life during their foundational period in the wilderness.

Gamaliel

Old TestamentEgypt & WildernessMaleLeader

Gamaliel, the son of Pedahzur, was the leader of the tribe of Manasseh during the Israelites' journey through the wilderness.

Gamaliel

Biography

Gamaliel son of Pedahzur served as the appointed leader and representative of the tribe of Manasseh during Israel's wilderness journey following the Exodus. He is first mentioned in Numbers 1:10 when Moses and Aaron conducted the first census of Israel, with Gamaliel leading Manasseh's count of 32,200 fighting men. He appears again in Numbers 2 as the commander assigned to Manasseh's position within the camp arrangement, and in Numbers 7 he presented the tribe's dedicatory offerings at the tabernacle on the eighth day, an elaborate gift of silver, gold, livestock, and grain. He also led Manasseh's contingent in the orderly march through the wilderness (Numbers 10:23).

Significance

Gamaliel son of Pedahzur exemplifies faithful tribal leadership within Israel's covenant community during the formative wilderness period. His prominent role in the census, camp organization, tabernacle dedication, and wilderness march demonstrates that orderly, representative leadership was integral to Israel's identity as God's organized people. The care with which Numbers records each leader's participation in the tabernacle dedication (Numbers 7) underscores that every tribe's worship and contribution mattered to God. Gamaliel represents Manasseh's place within the whole, a reminder that Israel's covenant community was not a mass of individuals but a structured body in which each tribe bore distinct identity and responsibility before God.

Authority Records

Wikidata

FatherPedahzur

Verse Appearances (5)

Numbers

Numbers 1:10 Numbers 2:20 Numbers 7:54 Numbers 7:59 Numbers 10:23

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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