Midian

Biblical References

• Ancestry: According to Genesis 25:1-6, Midian was a son born to Abraham by Keturah. Abraham sent the sons of Keturah away to the east country.
• The Joseph narrative: In Genesis 37:28, 36, Midianite merchants take Joseph to Egypt and sell him there.
• Moses and Jethro: Moses flees Egypt and dwells in the land of Midian. There he marries Zipporah, the daughter of the Midianite priest Jethro (Exodus 2:15-22), and while tending the flock he receives his call at Mount Horeb (Exodus 3:1). In Exodus 18, Jethro advises Moses to appoint rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, and so on, to judge the people.
• The wilderness period: In Numbers 22, the elders of Moab and Midian summon Balaam. In chapter 25, the Midianite woman Cozbi is killed by Phinehas. In chapter 31, Israel wages war against Midian and kills its five kings along with Balaam.
• The period of the judges: In Judges 6-8, Midian, together with Amalek and the children of the east, comes riding on camels and oppresses Israel for seven years. Gideon defeats them with three hundred men and slays the princes Oreb and Zeeb and the kings Zebah and Zalmunna.
• Later recollection: "The day of Midian" in Isaiah 9:4 and Psalm 83:9-11 recall this victory as an example of God breaking the power of oppressors.

Background

The Bible portrays Midian less as a settled kingdom than as a seminomadic people made up of several tribes and kings. This accounts for the mention of caravan trade (Genesis 37) and camels (Judges 6:5). Their home territory is commonly placed in northwestern Arabia, east of the Gulf of Aqaba, and they are thought to have ranged as far as the Sinai Peninsula and the region east of the Jordan. The exact extent of their territory, however, is disputed among scholars. Judges 8:24 also refers to the Midianites as "Ishmaelites" (see Hagar and Ishmael).

Significance in the Whole of Scripture

Midian presents a twofold image in the Bible. Its people, like Israel, were descendants of Abraham, and their land was home to the family that welcomed the fugitive Moses as a son-in-law. At the same time, Midian was an enemy that led Israel into idolatry and oppressed it. In the New Testament, Stephen recalls in his sermon that Moses "was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons" (Acts 7:29). Isaiah 60:6 depicts the camels of Midian coming laden with gold and incense, a verse sometimes read in connection with the gifts of the Magi (Matthew 2:11).

Interpretations and Issues

• The two names in Genesis 37: The group that bought Joseph is called both Ishmaelites and Midianites. Traditionally this has been understood either as two names for the same group or as two groups traveling together. Some critical scholars regard it as a trace of different traditions combined into one account.
• The name of Moses' father-in-law: Scripture uses the names Reuel (Exodus 2:18), Jethro (Exodus 3:1), and Hobab (Numbers 10:29; Judges 4:11). Some view all three as different names for the same man, while others regard Hobab as the son of Reuel. Judges 1:16 identifies Moses' father-in-law as a Kenite.
• The location of Mount Sinai: On the basis of the phrase "mount Sinai in Arabia" in Galatians 4:25 and Moses' sojourn in Midian, some locate Mount Sinai in northwestern Arabia. However, several views exist, including the traditional identification in the southern Sinai Peninsula, and the question remains unsettled.

In the Korean Church

The story of Gideon and his three hundred men is frequently used in sermons emphasizing faith in God rather than reliance on human numbers. Based on Acts 7:23, 30, Moses' life is commonly divided into forty years in the Egyptian court, forty years in Midian, and forty years in the wilderness. In this framework, the Midian years are interpreted as a period in which God prepared a leader. Jethro's advice is also sometimes cited as a basis for delegating responsibilities in church ministry.