Lexical Summary
Midyan: Midian, Midianites
Original Word:מִדְיָן
Part of Speech:proper name, masculine
Transliteration:Midyan
Pronunciation:MID-yahn
Phonetic Spelling:(mid-yawn')
KJV: Midian, Midianite
NASB:Midian, Midianites
Word Origin:[the same asH4079 (מִדיָן - Midian)]
1. Midjan, a son of Abraham
2. also his country and (collectively) his descendants
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Midian, Midianite
The same asmidyan; Midjan, a son of Abraham; also his country and (collectively) his descendants -- Midian, Midianite.
see HEBREWmidyan
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
madonDefinitiona son of Abraham and Keturah, also his desc. and the region where they settled
NASB TranslationMidian (54), Midianites (5).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Genesis 25:2,4 (J)
1 Chronicles 1:32,33.
Genesis 36:35 (=1 Chronicles 1:46)Numbers 31:3 (twice in verse);Numbers 31:7,8 (twice in verse);Numbers 31:9 (P)Judges 6-9 (31 t.); having a (as chieftain?)Exodus 2:16;Exodus 3:1;Exodus 18:1 (E);Numbers 22:4,7 (JE),Numbers 25:18 (P)Joshua 13:21 (P),Judges 7:25;Judges 8:3,Numbers 31:8 (twice in verse);Judges 8:5,12,26;dromedaries of MidianIsaiah 60:6;day of MidianIsaiah 9:3 (the victory over MidianJudges 7-8) compareJudges 10:26;Psalm 83:10,
the land of MidianExodus 2:15 (E)Habakkuk 3:7;Exodus 4:19 (J)Numbers 25:15 (P)1 Kings 11:18; land on Aelanitic gulf (where Arabic geographers still place town
). compare on Midian, GlaserSkizze ii. 447 ff.; HomAufsätze i. (1892), 4f.
Topical Lexicon
Lineage and IdentityMidian is introduced as one of the six sons born to Abraham and Keturah (Genesis 25:1-2;1 Chronicles 1:32). His descendants grew into a confederation of tribes known interchangeably as “Midian” or “the Midianites,” a people of mixed pastoral and trading culture who inhabited the arid regions east and south-east of the Gulf of Aqaba and into the north-western Arabian Peninsula.
Geographical Sphere
Biblical references locate Midian in the Sinai wilderness (Exodus 3:1), the desert north of the Arabian Peninsula, and portions of southern Transjordan (Judges 6:33). Their mobility made them regular occupants of caravan routes that linked Egypt, Canaan, and Arabia, which explains their early appearance as “Midianite traders” (Genesis 37:28).
Early Encounters with the Patriarchs
Midianites first intersect Israel’s account when Joseph is sold: “Then when the Midianite traders passed by, they pulled Joseph up out of the pit and sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites” (Genesis 37:28). The dual identification of the caravan as Ishmaelites and Midianites signals either intermarriage or a commercial coalition, demonstrating the fluid ethnic boundaries of the time.
Midian in the Life of Moses
After fleeing Egypt, Moses took refuge “in the land of Midian” (Exodus 2:15). He married Zipporah, daughter of Jethro (also called Reuel), “the priest of Midian” (Exodus 2:21; 3:1). Through Jethro, Midian provides Moses both familial support and early lessons in leadership: “What you are doing is not good … select capable men … and they shall bear the burden with you” (Exodus 18:17-22). These instructions anticipate the later appointment of elders in Israel, underscoring God’s providential use of Midian to shape Israel’s governance.
Alliance with Moab and the Balaam Crisis
During Israel’s wilderness journey, Midian shifted from host to adversary. Moab enlisted Midian’s elders to hire Balaam (Numbers 22:4-7). The plot culminated not merely in prophetic intrigue but in moral seduction: “Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor” (Numbers 31:16). The tragedy of Peor (Numbers 25) illustrates the spiritual peril of syncretism; Israel’s covenant loyalty stands threatened more by subtle compromise than by open warfare.
The Vengeance Campaign ofNumbers 31
At divine command, Moses dispatched twelve thousand troops “to execute the LORD’s vengeance on Midian” (Numbers 31:3). The campaign was total: five Midianite kings were slain, Balaam was executed, and the Midianite males were killed. The severity of the judgment underscores God’s intolerance of idolatry and the responsibility of His covenant people to guard holiness.
Midianite Oppression in the Judges Era
A generation later Midian resurfaces as oppressor. “Midian prevailed over Israel” for seven years (Judges 6:1-6) until God raised Gideon. The dramatic rout—“The LORD set the sword of each man against his companion throughout the camp” (Judges 7:22)—became a benchmark of divine deliverance: “You have shattered the yoke of their burden … as in the day of Midian’s defeat” (Isaiah 9:4). Leaders Oreb and Zeeb were killed at Jordan’s fords (Judges 7:25); kings Zebah and Zalmunna fell in Gideon’s personal pursuit (Judges 8:21). Gideon’s victory terminated seven years of economic devastation and reaffirmed the principle that salvation belongs to the LORD, not to human strength (Judges 7:2).
Later Historical and Prophetic References
•Psalm 83:9 recalls Midian as an example of enemies routed by God’s might.
•Isaiah 10:26 promises judgment on Assyria “as He did when He struck Midian at the rock of Oreb,” making Gideon’s triumph a paradigm of future deliverance.
•Isaiah 60:6 envisions “young camels of Midian and Ephah” bringing wealth to Zion, indicating that cleansed descendants may yet participate in messianic blessing.
•Habakkuk 3:7 pictures the trembling tents of Midian as theophanic imagery of God marching in judgment.
Religious Character and Practices
Midianite religion blended ancestral Abrahamic knowledge (seen in Jethro’s priesthood and confession,Exodus 18:11-12) with Canaanite fertility rites (exposed at Peor). Their syncretistic worship proved a snare to Israel, illustrating that partial knowledge of the true God does not shield a people from idolatry when divine revelation is rejected.
Spiritual Themes and Ministry Applications
1. Covenant Separation: Israel’s repeated entanglements with Midian reinforce the call to “come out from among them and be separate” (2 Corinthians 6:17).
2. Divine Sovereignty in Deliverance: Whether by a lone fugitive (Moses) or an outnumbered band (Gideon), victory is secured “not by might nor by power” but by the LORD.
3. Vigilance against Moral Compromise: The Peor incident warns that moral laxity precedes spiritual defeat; holiness cannot be negotiated.
4. Hope for Future Inclusion:Isaiah 60’s vision of Midianite caravans bringing tribute to Zion anticipates the ingathering of the nations through the gospel.
Occurrences
Midian and its derivatives appear roughly fifty-nine times across ten canonical books (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Judges, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles, Psalm, Isaiah, Habakkuk, Acts), spanning patriarchal narrative, Mosaic legislation, historical recital, poetry, prophecy, and apostolic preaching (Acts 7:29). The breadth of usage highlights Midian’s enduring theological significance as both a vessel of God’s providence and a foil to His people’s faithfulness.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּמִדְיָ֑ן בְּמִדְיָ֔ן בְּמִדְיָ֖ן בְּמִדְיָֽן׃ במדין במדין׃ וּמִדְיָ֖ן וּמִדְיָ֨ן ומדין כְּמִדְיָ֑ן כמדין מִדְיָ֑ן מִדְיָ֔ן מִדְיָ֖ן מִדְיָ֗ן מִדְיָ֜ן מִדְיָ֧ן מִדְיָֽן׃ מִדְיָן֙ מִמִּדְיָ֔ן מדין מדין׃ ממדין bə·miḏ·yān bemidYan bəmiḏyān kə·miḏ·yān kemidYan kəmiḏyān miḏ·yān midYan miḏyān mim·miḏ·yān mimidYan mimmiḏyān ū·miḏ·yān umidYan ūmiḏyān
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