1 Chronicles 5:16 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

They dwelt, i.e. the children or tribe of Gad. In Gilead, i.e. in part of Gilead; for the Reubenites and Manassites dwelt in other parts of it, Deuteronomy 3:12,13,16. In Bashan; in the land of Bashan, as it is said, 1 Chronicles 5:11. Quest. How come the Gadites to dwell in Bashan, when all Bashan is expressly said to be given to the half tribe of Manasseh, Deuteronomy 3:13 Joshua 13:29,30 ? Answ. All Bashan is put for the greatest part of it by a synecdoche, very frequent in Scripture and all authors; and so the Gadites might possess a part of it. And thus both Bashan and Gilead are used for parts of them, Joshua 17:1, where it is said of Machir a Manassite, that he had Gilead and Bashan. And as it is unquestionably true that Gilead is taken sometimes more largely for all the land of the Israelites beyond Jordan, sometimes more strictly for that part of it which borders upon Mount Gilead; of which See Poole on "Joshua 17:1"; the like may be presumed concerning Bashan; and so in its strictest sense it might be all given to the Manassites, and yet in its largest sense might comprehend a part of the land belonging to the Gadites. In her towns, i.e. in some of her cities and towns. In all the suburbs, i.e. in its fields and pasture grounds, 1 Chronicles 27:29. Of Sharon; not that within Jordan, Isaiah 35:2, but another without Jordan. Upon their borders, to wit, of Gilead and Bashan; for Gilead properly so called, or the greatest part of it, belonged to the Reubenites; and Bashan, or the greatest part of it, to the Manassites; and so the Gadites (whose habitation was between the Reubenites and Manassites) had those parts of both their countries which were towards their borders. Or, unto their borders, i.e. as far as the suburbs or fields of Sharon, which were last mentioned, were extended.