Midianites

The Midianites are a desert-dwelling people who appear throughout the early history of Israel as both kin and adversaries, beginning with their origin as descendants of Abraham and his wife Keturah (Genesis 25:1–2). The text identifies Midian as the son of Abraham and the progenitor of the nation (Genesis 25:2). His lineage expanded through five sons, including Ephah, who was the firstborn, and Hanoch, who founded one of the five primary clans (Genesis 25:4). Other grandsons of Abraham through this line include Abida and Eldaah, who are listed as the patriarchs of the Midianite people (Genesis 25:4).

The relationship between the Midianites and the Israelites is characterized by shifting alliances and intense conflict across several generations. The Midianite Traders are the first of the group to interact with the sons of Jacob purchasing Joseph from his brothers and selling him into slavery in Egypt (Genesis 37:25–28). Later, during his exile from Egypt, Moses married Zipporah, the daughter of a Midianite priest (Exodus 2:21). Her father, Jethro provided Moses with sanctuary and later advised him on the creation of a judicial system for the Israelites (Exodus 18:13–24). During the wilderness wanderings, Hobab, the brother-in-law of Moses was asked to serve as a guide for the Israelites because of his knowledge of the desert (Numbers 10:29–32).

Hostility between the two nations escalated during the journey to Canaan and the period of the judges. The text records the death of Cozbi, a Midianite woman whose actions led to a plague among the Israelites (Numbers 25:15–18). In the ensuing war, the Israelites killed five kings of Midian including Evi, Rekem, and Reba (Numbers 31:8). Centuries later, the Midianites oppressed Israel for seven years until Gideon led a revolt. During this campaign, the Israelite forces captured and executed the princes Oreb and Zeeb (Judges 7:25). The conflict concluded with the pursuit and execution of the kings Zebah and Zalmunna, who had previously killed Gideon’s brothers (Judges 8:18–21).

The Midianites serve as a recurring foil to the development of Israel as a nation. They appear as the source of Moses’ family and legal counsel, yet they also represent the external threats that prompted the rise of Israelite military leaders. The text depicts them as a wealthy nomadic power, noted for their vast numbers of camels and their involvement in regional trade (Judges 6:5, Isaiah 60:6). Their eventual defeat under Gideon is cited in the text as a definitive moment of deliverance that ended Midianite dominance over the region (Judges 8:28).