Topical Encyclopedia
Introduction:Madai is a biblical figure mentioned in the Table of Nations in
Genesis 10, which outlines the descendants of Noah's sons after the Flood. Madai is recognized as one of the sons of Japheth, who is traditionally considered the progenitor of several Indo-European peoples.
Biblical References:Madai is first mentioned in
Genesis 10:2: "The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras." . This passage is part of the genealogical record that traces the origins of various nations and peoples following the Great Flood.
Genealogical Context:Madai is listed among the sons of Japheth, who was one of Noah's three sons. Japheth's descendants are generally associated with the spread of Indo-European peoples. The Table of Nations in
Genesis 10 is a foundational text for understanding the distribution of peoples and languages in the ancient world.
Historical and Cultural Significance:Madai is traditionally associated with the Medes, an ancient Iranian people who settled in the region that is now northwestern Iran. The Medes played a significant role in the history of the ancient Near East, particularly in the 7th and 6th centuries BC, when they established a powerful empire that eventually formed a coalition with the Babylonians to overthrow the Assyrian Empire.
The Medes are mentioned in several other biblical passages, often in conjunction with the Persians. For example, in the Book of Daniel, the Medes and Persians are depicted as a combined force that conquers Babylon (
Daniel 5:28, 6:8, 8:20). This historical connection underscores the significance of Madai as an ancestor of a major ancient civilization.
Linguistic and Ethnological Considerations:The identification of Madai with the Medes is supported by linguistic and ethnological evidence. The name "Madai" is phonetically similar to "Mada," the Old Persian name for the Medes. This connection is further reinforced by the geographical and historical context provided in the Bible and other ancient sources.
Theological Implications:From a theological perspective, the mention of Madai in the Table of Nations highlights the biblical theme of the dispersion of peoples and the fulfillment of God's command to "fill the earth" (
Genesis 9:1). The genealogies in Genesis serve to demonstrate God's sovereignty over the nations and His unfolding plan for humanity.
Conclusion:While the Bible provides limited information about Madai himself, his identification with the Medes offers valuable insights into the historical and cultural context of the ancient Near East. The legacy of Madai, as reflected in the rise of the Median Empire, illustrates the broader biblical narrative of the spread and development of nations following the Flood.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Madaia measure; judging; a garment
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Madai(middle land), (Genesis 10:2) is usually called the third son of Japhet, and the progenitor of the Medes; but probably all that is intended is that the Medes, as well as the Gomerites, Greeks, Tabareni, Moschi, etc., descended from Japhet.
ATS Bible Dictionary
MadaiThe third son of Japheth, ancestor of the Medes, etc.,Genesis 10:2.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Middle land, the third "son" of Japheth (
Genesis 10:2), the name by which the Medes are known on the Assyrian monuments.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
MADAImad'-a-i, ma'-di (madhay).
SeeMEDES.
Strong's Hebrew
4074. Maday -- a son of Japheth, also his desc. and their land... and their land NASB Word Usage
Madai (2), Medes (5), Media (8), Median
(1).
Madai, Medes, Media. Of foreign derivation;
Madai, a
...4075. Maday -- an inhabitant of Media
... of Media NASB Word Usage Mede (1). Mede. Patrial from Maday; a Madian or native
ofMadai -- Mede. see HEBREW Maday. 4074, 4075. Maday. 4076 . Strong's Numbers
Library
Chapter x
... (a) The Sons of Japheth (v.2-5). 2. The sons of Japheth: Gomer and Magog andMadai
and Javan and Tubal and Meshech and Tiras.... The Assyrian hasMadai too....
How Every Nation was Denominated from their First Inhabitants.
... Now as to Javan andMadai, the sons of Japhet; fromMadai came the Madeans, who
are called Medes, by the Greeks; but from Javan, Ionia, and all the Grecians...
Demonstration v. --Of Wars.
... For the children of Javan came in against the kingdom of their brethren.
ForMadai and Javan are sons of Japhet. [775] ButMadai...
Hebrew Captives; Or, Mordecai and Esther.
... Media, a word some suppose to be derived fromMadai, the son of Japheth, was the
name of a region adjacent to ancient Assyria, inhabited by warlike hordes for...
[Endnotes]
... Hamathite. Obal, " Abimael, " Sheba, " Ophir, " Havilah, " Jobab. ". JAPHETH.
Gomer, Magog.Madai. Javan, Tubal. Meshech. Tiras. Ashkenaz...
The Book of Jubilees
... father and his brethren, persisted in colonising the land of Libanus from Hamath
to the river of Egypt; and when Japhet moved westward, his sonMadai dwelt in...
The Blessings of Noah Upon Shem and Japheth. (Gen. Ix. 18-27. )
... "And Canaan shall be a servant to them." The servitude of Canaan was completed by
Japheth, among whose sons (Genesis 10:2)Madai also appears; so that even the...
The Seventh (And Last) vision "On Earth"
... Magog is mentioned as the first son of Japhet in Genesis 10:2. With him are associated
his brethren, Gomer (Kimmerians),Madai (Medians), Meshech (Muscovites...
The Medes and the Second Chaldaean Empire
History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 8. <....
An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of...
The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3. <....
Thesaurus
Madai (2 Occurrences)...MADAI. mad'-ai, ma'-di (madhay). See MEDES.
...Madai (2 Occurrences). Genesis 10:2 The
sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog,
Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
...Japheth (12 Occurrences)
... be questioned that the author [of Genesis 10] has in his account of the sons of
Japheth classed together the Cymry or Celts (Gomer), the Medes (Madai), and the...
Javan (12 Occurrences)
... Javan (12 Occurrences). Genesis 10:2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog,Madai, Javan,
Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)....
Gomer (7 Occurrences)
... Gomer (7 Occurrences). Genesis 10:2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog,Madai, Javan,
Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)....
Tiras (2 Occurrences)
... Tiras (2 Occurrences). Genesis 10:2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog,Madai, Javan,
Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)....
Tubal (9 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Genesis 10:2 The sons of Japheth:
Gomer, Magog,Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras....
Magog (5 Occurrences)
... (WEB KJV WEY ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Genesis 10:2 The sons of Japheth:
Gomer, Magog,Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras....
Media (14 Occurrences)
... HebrewsMadai, which is rendered in the Authorized Version (1) "Madai," Genesis
10:2; (2) "Medes," 2 Kings 17:6; 18:11; (3) "Media," Esther 1:3; 10:2; Isaiah 21...
Meshech (11 Occurrences)
... Meshech (11 Occurrences). Genesis 10:2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog,Madai,
Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)...
Mad (22 Occurrences)
Resources
Who were the sons of Noah, and what happened to them and their descendants? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Japheth in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgBible Concordance •
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