Lexical Definition

‎מִדְיָן‎ Midyân (mid-yawn') Midian ^N:N-M-P
the same as ‎מִדְיָן‎

Midian, Midianite.

• § Midian or Midianite = "strife"
• Midjan, a son of Abraham
• also his country and (collectively) his descendants

n pr m
1) son of Abraham by Keturah and progenitor of the tribe of Midianites or Arabians
2) the tribe descended from Midian
n pr loc
3) the territory of the tribe descended from Midian; located principally in the desert north of the Arabian peninsula; land to which Moses went when he fled from Pharaoh

See Greek: Μαδιάν

Extended Information

• the tribe descended from Midian
• inhabitant of the territory of the tribe descended from Midian; located principally in the desert north of the Arabian peninsula; land to which Moses went when he fled from Pharaoh

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎מִדְיָן‎

proper name, masculine 1. son of Abraham and Keturah Gen 25:2; Gen 25:4 (J) 1Chr 1:32; 1Chr 1:33.

2. an Arabian tribe Gen 36:35 (= 1Chr 1:46) Num 31:3 (twice in verse); Num 31:7; Num 31:8 (twice in verse); Num 31:9 (P) Judg 6-9 (31 t.); having a ‎כֹּהֵן‎ (as chieftain?) Exod 2:16; Exod 3:1; Exod 18:1 (E); ‎זקנים‎ Num 22:4; Num 22:7 (JE), ‎נשׂיא(יםׅ‎ Num 25:18 (P) Josh 13:21 (P), ‎שׂרים‎ Judg 7:25; Judg 8:3, ‎מלכים‎ Num 31:8 (twice in verse); Judg 8:5; Judg 8:12; Judg 8:26 ‎בִּכְרֵי מִדְיָן‎ dromedaries of Midian Isa 60:6 ‎יוֺם מִדְיָן‎ day of Midian Isa 9:3* (the victory over Midian Judg 7-8) compare Judg 10:26; Ps 83:10*,

3. ‎אֶרֶץ‎ ‎מִרְיָן‎ the land of Midian Exod 2:15 (E) Hab 3:7 ‎מִדְיָן‎ Exod 4:19 (J) Num 25:15 (P) 1Kgs 11:18 land on Aelanitic gulf (where Arabic geographers still place town ). compare on Midian, Glaser^{Skizze ii. 447 ff.}; Hom^{Aufsätze i. (1892), 4f}.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Profile

Midian • In Edom • A nation descended from Abraham; oppressed Israel in the time of the judges

Midian, a nation descended from Abraham through Keturah (Genesis 25:2), which oppressed Israel during the time of the judges (Judges 6-8) and was later defeated by Gideon (Judges 7-8).

• A location in Edom first mentioned at Gen.36.35;
• referred to as Midian or Midianite מִדְיָן, or Midianite woman מִדְיָנִי, or Midianite מְדָנִי, or Midian Μαδιάν.
  

Midian was a nation descended from Abraham through his wife Keturah (Genesis 25:2). The Midianites lived in the desert regions of the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in the area east of the Gulf of Aqaba. Moses fled to Midian after killing an Egyptian and married Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, a Midianite priest (Exodus 2:15-22). Jethro later visited Moses and offered him wise counsel (Exodus 18:1-27).

During the time of the judges, the Midianites, along with the Amalekites and other eastern peoples, oppressed Israel for seven years (Judges 6:1-6). God raised up Gideon to deliver Israel from the Midianites (Judges 6:11-24). Gideon, with a small army of 300 men, defeated the Midianites and their allies, who were "as numerous as locusts" (Judges 7-8).

The Midianites were involved in the incident at Peor, where Israelite men were enticed into sexual immorality and idolatry (Numbers 25:1-18). As a result, God commanded Moses to take vengeance on the Midianites (Numbers 25:17-18; 31:1-54).

In later biblical history, the Midianites are mentioned as traders who bought Joseph from his brothers and sold him into slavery in Egypt (Genesis 37:28, 36). The prophet Isaiah refers to the defeat of Midian as a symbol of God's power to deliver his people (Isaiah 9:4; 10:26). The Midianites are also mentioned in the genealogy of Edom (Genesis 36:35; 1 Chronicles 1:46) and in a psalm calling for God's judgment on Israel's enemies (Psalm 83:9).

All entries for Midian: מִדְיָן ☩ מִדְיָנִי ☩ מְדָנִי ☩ Μαδιάν