Exo 2:15; Jdg 7:1-8:22.
Midian (Heb. Midyân, “strife”; Gr. Madiám). 1. Son of Abraham and Cetura, and ancestor of the Midianites. His father gave him rich gifts during his lifetime and sent him to the desert to prevent him from fighting over Isaac’s inheritance (Gen 25:1-6). 2. Region in the North Arabian Desert named after Midian, ancestor of the Midianites.* The region cannot be easily defined, but available evidence indicates that it must have included the eastern portion of the Sinai Peninsula, the desert east of the Gulf of Aqaba and Edom, and the eastern part of Moab. In the time of Moses, to the east of Mount Horeb was the region where Jethro, his father-in-law, priest of Midian, herded his sheep (Exo 3: 1). A district adjacent to Moab, and to the east of Heshbon, capital of the Amorite king Sihon, also belonged to the Midianites, who had settled there for a time (Gen 36:35; Num. 22:4; Josh 13:21). There can be little doubt that the desert region between these 2 territories was in their hands, because they fled in that direction when Gideon defeated them in the Jezreel Valley (Jdg 6:3-3; 7:1) and expelled them from Palestine. This is evidenced by the fact that in pursuing him Gideon passed through Sukkot and Jogbeha, who were in Gilead and in the territory of Gad, respectively (8: 5, 10-12). When Joab destroyed the royal house of Edom in David’s time, Hadad, one of the royal princes, escaped with some courtiers and found refuge in the neighboring country of Midian (1Ki 11:14-18).
Source: Evangelical Bible Dictionary
son of Abraham and his concubine Queturá, Gn 25, 2; 1 Chr 1, 32.
Sons of M. were: Efá Efer, Enoc, Abidá and Eldaá, Gn 25, 4. Eponym of the Midianites, a federation of nomadic tribes from the Syro-Arabian desert, east of the Gulf of Icaba, who traveled along the routes of Palestine . The Midianites were defeated by Hadad, king of Edom, in the field of Moab, Gn 36, 35.
Joseph was sold by his brothers at the suggestion of Judah, after having thrown him into an empty well, to some Midianite merchants, who later sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, chief of Pharaoh’s guard, Gn 37, 28 and 36. When Moses he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew, he fled to M., where Jethro, priest of M., took one of whose daughters, Sephora, as his wife, Ex 2, 15-22; 3, 1. From M. Moses returned to Egypt, when Yahweh told him that those who wanted to kill him had died, Ex 4, 18-19.
When the Israelites entered the land of Canaan Balaq, king of Moab associated with the Midianites to take Baam, so that he would curse the Israelites, seeing their conquests, Nm 22, 2-21. The Midianites were idolaters like the Moabites and influenced the Israelites with their customs, Yahweh ordered Moses to attack them, Nm 25, 1-18. The Israelites defeated the Midianites, Number 31. However, the Midianites oppressed the Israelites for seven years, and they had to take refuge in the mountains.
When the Israelites planted their fields, they were razed and looted by the Midianites allied with the Amalekites and the desert tribes, Jc 6, 1-6. Gideon freed Israel from this oppression, in the plain of Yizreel, Jc 7; 8. Such was the defeat of M., that two expressions remained in Scripture, “Treat them as M.† , Ps 83 (82, the psalmist asks Yahweh, against the enemies of Israel; “the Day of Midian”, Isaiah 9, 3.
Madmená, site north of Jerusalem, Is 10, 31. Magdala, tower, city and region on the western shore of Lake Galilee, northwest of Tiberias. From this city was ® María Magdalena, also called Magdala, Mt 27, 56; Jn 20, 1-18. Magnificat ® hymn.
Digital Bible Dictionary, Grupo C Service & Design Ltda., Colombia, 2003
Source: Digital Bible Dictionary
tip, BIOG REGI TRIB HOMB HOAT
sit, a4, 187, 296
vet, = “dispute”. (a) Son of Abraham and Cetura; his father gave him gifts and sent him “to the country of the east”, towards the desert; the name Midian designates both the son of Abraham and the tribe that arose from him (Gen. 25:1-6). (b) Region occupied by the Midianites north of the Arabian desert, near the Gulf of Ikaba. Midian was bounded on the northwest by Edom. Its limits, which have never been determined, have undoubtedly varied greatly throughout history. The totality of the territories submitted to the Midianites at the time of the OT occupied a space of about 280 km from north to south. At the time of the exodus, Midian controlled the grasslands east of Horeb on the Sinai Peninsula (Ex. 3:1). The Midianites took possession of a territory where they had resided for a time; this district bordered on Moab and was also on the border with the kingdom of the Amorites, whose capital was Heshbon (Gen. 36:35; Num. 22:4; 25:1, 6; Josh. 13:21). The country east of Edom, down to the Red Sea, belonged to the Midianites. Defeated in the Jezreel Valley, they fled to the East. Gideon, pursuing them, reached Sukkot and the Gadite city of Jogbeha (Judges 8:5, 10, 11; cf. Gen. 37:25, 28). In David’s day, an Edomite fugitive of royal blood lived in Midian, probably southeast of Edom, before heading to Egypt (1 Kings 11:17, 18). The Midianites resided mainly to the east and southeast of the Gulf of Ikaba. The name of Midian is found on some of the so-called “Madian” ruins.
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
The land of Midian took its name from one of the sons of Abraham and his wife Cetura. With his brothers and their families and with gifts from Abraham they went away from Isaac, towards the “eastern land”, Genesis 25: 6. it is not possible to pinpoint the exact boundaries of the country, but it was between Edom and Paran (1 Kings 11:18), and in the time of the judges it seems to have extended north to Gilead
(Judges 8:11; Numbers 32:42). Since Moses, under divine direction, went from there to Egypt to deliver Israel (Exodus 3:1-4:19), we conclude that not only the district east of the Gulf of Akaba was included, but also some of the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula, west of that gulf.
The inhabitants, as has been said, were descendants of Abraham and Cetura
(Genesis 25:2). The Midianite and Ishmaelite names are sometimes used interchangeably (Genesis 37:25, 28, 36; Judges 8:22, 24), pointing to a close relationship between them and the descendants of Hagar’s son. The facts related to the circumcision of the sons of Moses (Exodus 4:25) is an indication that they did not practice this rite, as is almost universally true among Arabs today. Jethro’s worship of Jehovah, when he came to Moses in the desert (Exodus 18), shows that while they worshiped other gods they also believed in Jehovah. Biblical references to them now present them as merchants or merchants (Genesis 37:25ff., still ready to enter the slave trade); again as ranchers and shepherds, and also as
thieves and robbers, all of which is in complete harmony with what we know to have been practiced for many centuries by the nomadic tribes of Arabs. The men wore ornaments as did many of the modern nomads.
The importance of Midian to us begins with the fact that Moses fled there from Egypt, married the daughter of the priest of Midian, and was sent from there to Egypt to do his work.
The Midianites were defeated by the Edomites under Hadad in Moab, Genesis
36:35.
Some of Israel’s pilgrimages there may have been led by
Hobab, a Midianite, Numbers 10:29-36.
The Midianites joined Balak in having a curse pronounced on
Israel, Numbers 22-24 (especially 22:47).
Israel sinned by marrying them, Numbers 25; 31:2f.
Gideon defeated them and saved Israel after seven years of oppression, Judges 6-8;
9:17; Psalm 83:9; Isaiah 9:4; 10:26; Habakkuk 3:7.
Hadad the Edomite and many of Israel dwelt in Midian, 1 Kings 11:14-22.
Source: Geographic Dictionary of the Bible