Who was Guni in the Bible?

Guni was a man from the tribe of Gad, listed as a son of Gad and the father of Abdiel. He is mentioned only in the genealogical records of the Israelites (Genesis 46:16, Numbers 26:15-16).

Why is Guni mentioned in the Bible?

Guni's inclusion shows the faithfulness of God in preserving the lineage of the tribes of Israel, specifically Gad. His mention, though brief, helps establish the continuity and identity of God's chosen people through their family records.

Are there any stories about Guni in the Bible?

No, there are no narratives or key events about Guni's personal life recorded in the Bible. His role is solely genealogical, identifying him as a link in the family line of the tribe of Gad.

Guni

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleFather

Guni, a descendant of Gad, was the father of Abdiel, as mentioned in the genealogy of Gad.

Guni

Biography

Guni of the tribe of Gad was the father of Abdiel, as recorded in the genealogy of the Gadites in 1 Chronicles 5:15. This Guni is entirely distinct from the Naphthalite Guni of Genesis 46 and belongs to a later period, placed within the Divided Monarchy era. His son Abdiel fathered Ahi, who served as head of a Gadite clan settled in the region of Gilead and Bashan in Transjordan. The Gadite genealogies in 1 Chronicles 5 are associated with the reigns of Jotham king of Judah and Jeroboam II of Israel, grounding this Guni within the middle period of Israel's monarchy. Beyond his genealogical position, no further biographical details are provided, and his significance rests entirely in the lineage he produced.

Significance

Guni son of Abdiel's ancestor in 1 Chronicles 5 represents the kind of figure whose importance is entirely relational, his value in Scripture consists in the family line he sustained. The Gadite genealogies in 1 Chronicles 5 serve a specific theological function: they document the clans settled in Transjordan, the tribal allotment that Moses granted on the east side of the Jordan, and they record the Gadites' eventual exile at the hands of Assyria (1 Chronicles 5:26). Guni's placement in this genealogy anchors his descendants within the story of Israel's expansion, prosperity, and ultimately divine judgment, a microcosm of the larger national narrative of covenant faithfulness and failure.

Authority Records

Wikidata

FatherNaphtali

Verse Appearances (1)

1Chr

1Chr 5:15

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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