R. Laird Harris , Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, , [2003], 313d II, וֹגּד ( gad ) II. Fortune . This word appears only twice in the OT . In Gen 30:11 it is a word play on the name of Gad. And Leah said, "Good fortune!", or as the KJV has it, "a troop comes" dividing the MT baµgaµd into something like baµ< / gad . Speiser's translation in the Anchor Bible is "how propitious!" It seems preferable to translate it as an appellative and to connect it with such proper names as Gaddiel ( Num 13:10 ), "El is my fortune"; Gaddi ( Num 13:11 ), "my fortune"; Gadi ( II Kgs 15:14-17 ); and the prophet Gad ( I Sam 22:5 ).
The only other place where this word is used is Isa 65:11 , "You who forsake the Lord ... who set up a table for Gad ( RSV "Fortune"), and fill cups of mixed wine for Meni ( RSV , "Destiny")." Gad here seems to be a reference to a deity of fortune equivalent in meaning to the Greek Tyche. The rite described here is lectisterium, i.e. one in which food was spread before an image of the deity.
G.V. Schiaparelli , Die Astronomie im Alten Testament (1904), , [2010], 44-45, Hiermit is die Zahl der Planeten, deren Kenntnis wir bei den Kindern Israel annehmen können, erschöpft; denn es is nicht ganz sicher, dass die Namen Gad und Menî, die in dem nach Jesaja (65,11) benannten Buche vorkommen, die Planeten Jupiter und Venus vorstellen. Sie scheinen hier den Gott des Glückes und die Göttin des Schicksals oder des Fatums zu bzeichnen; und ihre Beziehung zu den Planetengottheiten Babylons ist noch nicht überzeugend nachgewiesen.
W.E Vine , Expository Commentary on Isaiah, , [1997], 190 vs 11, In verse 11 the prophecy returns to the guilty ones who were threatened in verses 1 to 7. They forsook the Lord, were unmindful of His worship, substituting for it idolatrous feasts. Two objects of their veneration are mentioned, Fortune and Destiny (R.V.). They prepared a table for the one and filled up mixed wine for the other. The reference is rather to the spreading of cushions upon which the images of the gods were placed during the feasts in their honor. Accordingly the Lord declares that He will "destine" them (the word rendered "number" in the A.V. is associated in idea with that rendered "Destiny") to the sword, and as they bowed down to their images so they would bow down to the slaughter.
Ds. F. Colenbrander , De profeet Jesaja II, soft, [1955], 100 vs 11b, Het laatste deel van dit vers luidt in de nieuwe vertaling: "die voor Gad een tafel aanricht, voor Meni den mengdrank schenkt". Gad en Meni waren in dien tijd algemeen vereerde goden van het geluk of het lot. Blijkbaar had het afvallige deel van Israël aan de verering van die afgoden meegedaan. "Het aanrichten van eentafel" ziet op het brengen van spijsoffers en het "opvullen van drank" op het aan die afgoden wijden van drankoffers.
Encyclopedie , Jewish Encyclopedia, , Emil G. Hirsch, Isaac Broydé, M. Seligsohn, J. Frederic McCurdy, "Gad"; Name of the god of fortune, found in Isa. lxv. 11, along with Meni, the name of the god of destiny. The passage refers to meals or feasts held by Hebrews in Babylonia in honor of these deities. Nothing is known of any Babylonian divinity of the name of Gad, but Aramean and Arabic equivalents show that the same god was honored among the other leading Semitic peoples. The root-verb means "to cut" or "to divide." Thence comes the idea of portioning out, which is also present in the word "Meni," the name of the kindred deity.
"Gad" is perhaps found also in Gen. xxx. 11, where the ketib reading means "by the help of Gad!" the exclamation of Leah at the birth of Zilpah's son. Indeed, it is quite possible that this narrative arises from a tradition connecting the tribal eponym with the Deity Himself. How wide-spread the cult of Gad, or Fortune, was in the old Canaanitish times may be inferred from the names "Baalgad," a city at the foot of Mount Hermon, and "Migdal-gad," in the territory of Judah. Compare also the proper names "Gaddi" and "Gaddiel" in the tribes of Manasseh and Zebulun (Num. xiii. 10, 11). At the same time it must not be supposed that Gad was always regarded as an independent deity. The name was doubtless originally an appellative, meaning "the power that allots." Hence any of the greater gods supposed to favor men might be thought of as the giver of good fortune and be worshiped under that appellative. It is possible that Jupiter may have been the "Gad" thus honored.Among the Arabs the planet Jupiter was called "the greater Fortune," while Venus was styled "the lesser Fortune." If the same usage prevailed in earlier Semitic days Meni should perhaps also be identified with Venus.
Gad, the god of fortune, is frequently invoked in Talmudic (magic) formulas of good will and wishes; for instance, in Shab. 67b ("Gad eno ella leshon 'abodat kokabim"; comp. Targ. Pseudo-Jonathan to Gen. xx. 10, 11). The name is often synonymous with "luck" (Yer. Ned. iv. 38d; Yer. Shab. xvi. 15d). Gad is the patron saint of a locality, a mountain (?ul. 40a), of an idol (Gen. R. lxiv.), a house, or the world (Gen. R. lxxi.). Hence "luck" may also be bad (Eccl. R. vii. 26). A couch or bed for this god of fortune is referred to in Ned. 56a.
Encyclopedie , The Catholic Encyclopedia,, , Astronomy in the Bible; The other planets are individualized in the Bible only by implication. The worship of gods connected with them is denounced, but without any manifest intention of refering to the heavenly bodies. Thus, Gad and Meni (Isaias, lxv, 11) are, no doubt, the "greater and the lesser Fortune" typified throughout the East by Jupiter and Venus