2291. Chaggi
Lexical Summary
Chaggi: Haggi

Original Word: חַגִּי
Part of Speech: proper name, masculine; Adjective, of a people
Transliteration: Chaggiy
Pronunciation: khag-GEE
Phonetic Spelling: (khag-ghee')
KJV: Haggi, Haggites
NASB: Haggi, Haggites
Word Origin: [from H2287 (חָגַג - celebrate)]

1. festive, Chaggi, an Israelite
2. (patronymically) a Chaggite, or descendant of the same

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Haggi, Haggites

From chagag; festive, Chaggi, an Israelite; also (patronymically) a Chaggite, or descendant of the same -- Haggi, Haggites.

see HEBREW chagag

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from chag
Definition
"festal," a son of Gad, also his desc.
NASB Translation
Haggi (2), Haggites (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
חַגִּי proper name, masculine (festal)

1 ᵐ5 Ἀγγις son of Gad Genesis 46:16; Numbers 26:15 (both P).

2. adjective, of a people as substantive collective, with article Numbers 26:15 (P).

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Context

Haggi appears in the patriarchal list of Genesis 46:16 as one of the seven sons of Gad, the seventh son of Jacob and firstborn of Zilpah. The name re-emerges in the wilderness census of Numbers 26:15, where “the Haggite clan from Haggi” is counted among the families of Gad. Although only these three occurrences preserve the name explicitly, the clan that descended from Haggi remained part of Israel’s tribal structure throughout the conquest and settlement of Canaan.

Genealogical Significance

1. Second Generation of Gad
• Haggi stands among the seventy descendants who accompanied Jacob into Egypt during the famine (Genesis 46:27).
• His placement after Zephon and before Shuni suggests he was likely an early-born son, helping to anchor Gad’s family line during Israel’s formative years in Egypt.

2. Formation of the Haggites
• In Numbers 26, the clan is enumerated for purposes of military organization and land allotment. The Haggite count contributes to Gad’s total fighting strength of 40,500 (Numbers 26:18).
• By receiving distinct clan status, the Haggites ensured that the name of their progenitor would be preserved for inheritance records and covenantal promises.

Role within the Tribe of Gad

Gad settled east of the Jordan River, a region demanding constant vigilance against external threats. Tribal bravery became a hallmark, reflected later in the exploits of the Gadite warriors who joined David (1 Chronicles 12:8-15). While the text does not single out the Haggites in these exploits, every Gadite clan—including theirs—shared in the reputation for valor:

“They were brave warriors, ready for battle, armed with shield and spear, whose faces were the faces of lions, and they were as swift as gazelles on the mountains” (1 Chronicles 12:8).

Thus, the Haggites participated in the defense of Israel’s eastern frontier and in the broader advance of the kingdom under David.

Census and Inheritance

The second wilderness census (Numbers 26) served two major purposes:

1. Military Mobilization—Each clan’s numbers determined its contribution to Israel’s army during the forthcoming conquest of Canaan.
2. Territorial Allocation—Land was to be apportioned by lot “according to the names of the tribes of their fathers” (Numbers 26:55). Even though Gad ultimately requested territory east of the Jordan (Numbers 32), the Haggites retained their share within the tribal holdings.

By tying the census directly to inheritance, the Lord underlined that every clan, however small, possessed an irrevocable stake in the covenant land. The Haggites, therefore, illustrate the precision of God’s promise to Abraham that his offspring would inherit a specific, tangible homeland (Genesis 15:18-21).

Historical Footprint after the Conquest

The Old Testament does not preserve further individual notices of Haggite leaders. This silence, however, should not be read as insignificance. Archaeological surveys of Gadite territory (modern northern Jordan) reveal pastoral and fortified sites dating to the Iron Age that match the Bible’s description of Gad’s way of life (Numbers 32:1-5, 34-38). The Haggites would have shared in the stewardship of these lands and the covenant responsibilities that accompanied them, including participation in the national assemblies at Shiloh, Shechem, and later Jerusalem.

Ministry and Theological Reflections

1. Memorial of God’s Faithfulness

The survival of the clan list into the Mosaic era testifies that God preserved every branch of Jacob’s family during four centuries of Egyptian sojourn. Each name, including Haggi, functions as a memorial stone, proclaiming that no covenant promise falters or fades.

2. Celebration and Worship

Because Haggi’s name is related to Israel’s festal vocabulary, his lineage reminds believers that covenant life is inseparable from worship. The patriarchal family entered Egypt under the promise, “I will be with you” (Genesis 46:4), and they left under the sign of the Passover feast—a pattern fulfilled in Christ, “our Passover Lamb” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

3. Corporate Identity in Christ

The Haggites exemplify the way God weaves individual families into the tapestry of redemptive history. Just as they found their identity within Gad, so Christians find theirs within the body of Christ. “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks” (1 Corinthians 12:13).

Summary

Haggi, though mentioned only briefly, anchors a clan that endured from the migration into Egypt through the wilderness and into the Promised Land. The Haggites’ census count ensured their place in Israel’s army and inheritance, witnessing to God’s meticulous faithfulness. Their name, echoing Israel’s worship and festal rhythm, calls the people of God to rejoice in the sure promises fulfilled ultimately in Jesus Messiah.

Forms and Transliterations
הַֽחַגִּ֑י החגי וְחַגִּ֖י וחגי לְחַגִּ֕י לחגי ha·ḥag·gî hachagGi haḥaggî lə·ḥag·gî lechagGi ləḥaggî vechagGi wə·ḥag·gî wəḥaggî
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Genesis 46:16
HEB: גָ֔ד צִפְי֥וֹן וְחַגִּ֖י שׁוּנִ֣י וְאֶצְבֹּ֑ן
NAS: Ziphion and Haggi, Shuni
KJV: Ziphion, and Haggi, Shuni,
INT: of Gad Ziphion and Haggi Shuni and Ezbon

Numbers 26:15
HEB: מִשְׁפַּ֙חַת֙ הַצְּפוֹנִ֔י לְחַגִּ֕י מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַֽחַגִּ֑י
NAS: of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family
KJV: of the Zephonites: of Haggi, the family
INT: the family of the Zephonites of Haggi the family of the Haggites

Numbers 26:15
HEB: לְחַגִּ֕י מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הַֽחַגִּ֑י לְשׁוּנִ֕י מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת
NAS: the family of the Haggites; of Shuni,
KJV: the family of the Haggites: of Shuni,
INT: of Haggi the family of the Haggites of Shuni the family

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2291
3 Occurrences


ha·ḥag·gî — 1 Occ.
lə·ḥag·gî — 1 Occ.
wə·ḥag·gî — 1 Occ.

2290b
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