Topical Encyclopedia
The Medes were an ancient Indo-Iranian people who inhabited the region known as Media, located in the northwestern part of present-day Iran. In the biblical context, the Medes are often mentioned in conjunction with the Persians, as the two groups formed a significant empire that played a crucial role in the history of the Near East and the biblical narrative.
Historical BackgroundThe Medes are first mentioned in the Bible in the context of the Assyrian Empire. They were one of the many peoples who were subject to Assyrian rule. However, by the late 7th century BC, the Medes had established their own kingdom and became a dominant power in the region. The Medes, under King Cyaxares, allied with the Babylonians to overthrow the Assyrian Empire, culminating in the fall of Nineveh in 612 BC.
The Medo-Persian EmpireThe Medes are most prominently featured in the Bible during the period of the Medo-Persian Empire. This empire was established when Cyrus the Great, a Persian, united the Medes and Persians under his rule. The Medo-Persian Empire is noted for its vast expanse and significant influence, stretching from the Indus Valley in the east to the Aegean Sea in the west.
In the Book of Daniel, the Medo-Persian Empire is symbolized by the silver chest and arms of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream (
Daniel 2:32) and by the bear raised up on one side in Daniel's vision (
Daniel 7:5). The dual nature of the empire is highlighted by the imagery of the bear, which represents the Medes and Persians working together, with the Persians eventually becoming the more dominant partner.
Biblical ReferencesThe Medes are mentioned in several key passages in the Bible. In the Book of Esther, the laws of the Medes and Persians are noted for their unchangeable nature (
Esther 1:19: "Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed..."). This characteristic of their legal system is also referenced in
Daniel 6:8, where the decree against praying to any god or man other than King Darius is described as irrevocable.
Isaiah 13:17 prophesies the role of the Medes in the downfall of Babylon: "Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes, who have no regard for silver and no desire for gold." This prophecy was fulfilled when the Medo-Persian forces, led by Cyrus, captured Babylon in 539 BC, an event that marked a significant turning point in biblical history.
Cultural and Religious InfluenceThe Medes, along with the Persians, were instrumental in the return of the Jewish exiles to Jerusalem. Cyrus the Great issued a decree allowing the Jews to return and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, as recorded in
Ezra 1:1-4. This act of liberation is seen as a fulfillment of God's promise to restore His people to their land.
The Medes' influence extended beyond their military and political achievements. They contributed to the cultural and religious landscape of the ancient Near East. The Zoroastrian religion, which emerged in the region, is believed to have had some influence on the religious thought of the time, although the Bible does not explicitly mention this connection.
In summary, the Medes played a significant role in the biblical narrative, particularly in the context of the Medo-Persian Empire. Their interactions with the Israelites and their impact on the course of biblical history underscore their importance in the ancient world.
Easton's Bible Dictionary
(Hebrews Madai), a Median or inhabitant of Media (
Dan. 11:1). In
Genesis 10:2 the Hebrew word occurs in the list of the sons of Japheth. But probably this is an ethnic and not a personal name, and denotes simply the Medes as descended from Japheth.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) A native or inhabitant of Media in Asia.
2. (n.) See Meed.
Greek
3370. Medos -- aMede, Median, an inhabitant of Media... a
Mede, Median, an inhabitant of Media. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration:
Medos Phonetic Spelling: (may'-dos) Short Definition: a
Mede Definition
...3366.mede -- but not, and not
... 3365, 3366.mede. 3367 .... see GREEK me. see GREEK de. (med) -- 1 Occurrence.
(mede) -- 55 Occurrences. 3365, 3366.mede. 3367 . Strong's Numbers.
3369. medepo -- not yet
... Word Origin frommede and #NAME? Definition not yet NASB Word Usage yet (1). not
yet. Frommede and po; not even yet -- not yet. see GREEKmede. see GREEK po....
3368. medepote -- never
... Word Origin adverb frommede and pote Definition never NASB Word Usage never (1).
never. Frommede and pote; not even ever -- never. see GREEKmede....
3367. medeis, medemia, meden -- no one, nothing
... Word Origin frommede and heis Definition no one, nothing NASB Word Usage all (1),
any (7), anyone (8), anything (2), least (1), never (1), no (9), no at all (1...
3365. medamos -- by no means
... all. Word Origin adverb from medamos; frommede and hamos (anyone) Definition
by no means NASB Word Usage no means (2). not so....
Strong's Hebrew
4075. Maday -- an inhabitant of Media... Maday. 4076 . an inhabitant of Media. Transliteration: Maday Phonetic Spelling:
(maw-dah'-ee) Short Definition:
Mede.
... of Media NASB Word Usage
Mede (1).
Mede.
...4077. Maday -- an inhabitant of Media
... Maday. 4078 . an inhabitant of Media. Transliteration: Maday Phonetic Spelling:
(maw-dah'-ee) Short Definition:Mede.... of Media NASB Word UsageMede (1). Median...
4076. Maday -- descendant of Japheth, also their land
... of Japheth, also their land NASB Word Usage Medes (4), Media (1). Medes. (Aramaic)
corresponding to Maday --Mede(-s). see HEBREW Maday. 4075, 4076....
Library
A Remarkable Passage
... Footnotes: [70]Mede has a note to allow that the negative ought here to be
introduced. [71] Note byMede.] If you except the principal...
A Key to the Apocalypse
... Title Page. TRANSLATION OF.MEDE'S. CLAVIS APOCALYPTICA. BY. R. BRANSBY COOPER,
Esq. LONDON.... FROM THE LATEST EDITION, REVISED BY THE AUTHOR, THE. REV. JOSEPHMEDE...
Phial the Fourth, on the Sun of the Bestial Heaven.
... is surely a proof how careful we should be in the interpretation of prophetical
scripture, when we see so enlightened and cautious a commentator asMede led to...
A Key to the Apocalypse
A Key to the Apocalypse. <. A Key to the Apocalypse JosephMede. Table
of Contents. Title Page. THE APOCALYPTICAL KEY; PART I....
The Apocalyptical Key;
A Key to the Apocalypse. <....
of the Woman driven into the Wilderness.
A Key to the Apocalypse. <....
Of the Two-Horned Beast (who is also the False Prophet), with the...
A Key to the Apocalypse. <....
Of the great Harlot, or Mystic Babylon, with the same Seven-headed...
A Key to the Apocalypse. <....
Of the Hundred and Forty-four Thousand Sealed, who were virgins...
A Key to the Apocalypse. <....
A Corollary of the General Synchronism of all the circumstances...
A Key to the Apocalypse. <....
Thesaurus
Mede (3 Occurrences)... 2. (n.) See Meed. Multi-Version Concordance
Mede (3 Occurrences). Daniel 5:31 Darius
the
Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
...Darius (26 Occurrences)
... kings. (1.) Darius theMede (Dan.... armies. Hence, Darius-Gubaru may have been
aMede, even if Gutium were not a part of Media proper....
Media (14 Occurrences)
... 8:20; (4) "Mede," only in Dan. 11:1.... Jeremiah 51:11, 28). Daniel gives an account
of the reign of Darius theMede, who was made viceroy by Cyrus (Dan. 6:1-28)....
Ahasbai (1 Occurrence)
... 4. In Daniel: An Ahasuerus is said in Daniel 9:1 to have been the father of
Darius theMede, and to have been of the seed of the Medes....
Belshazzar (8 Occurrences)
... shaz'-ar (belsha'tstsar; Baltasar, Babylonian Bel-shar-usur): According to Daniel
5:30, he was the Chaldean king under whom Babylon was taken by Darius theMede...
Medeba (5 Occurrences)
Ezranehemiah
... as Keil long ago suggested. The author may have called him "the Persian"
to distinguish him from Darius theMede. At any rate, it...
Ezra-nehemiah
... as Keil long ago suggested. The author may have called him "the Persian"
to distinguish him from Darius theMede. At any rate, it...
Daniel (74 Occurrences)
... seer and as interpreter of signs and dreams, Daniel also stood high in the governmental
service of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and Darius theMede, and perhaps...
Meddling (2 Occurrences)
Resources
Who was Darius in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the book of Susanna? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the significance of the Medo-Persian Empire in biblical history? | GotQuestions.orgMede: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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