Gideon and the Midianites

Abimelech, Son of Gideon

Son of Gideon who murdered his seventy brothers to become king

A son of Gideon who usurped power as a king in Shechem after murdering his brothers, only to die in battle when a woman dropped a millstone on his head.

Amorite

Son of Canaan and ancestral head of the powerful Amorite nation

A son of Canaan and a grandson of Ham, the patriarch whose descendants became a powerful mountain-dwelling nation in the Levant during the Patriarchal Period.

Asher

Patriarch who founded one of the twelve tribes of Israel and was noted for the fertility of his land

Asher was the eighth son of Jacob, the second born to Zilpah, and the ancestral patriarch of the Tribe of Asher, known for the fertile lands and prosperity promised in his father's blessing.

Ephraim

Son of Joseph who received the firstborn blessing from Jacob

The second son of Joseph and Asenath, Ephraim was adopted by his grandfather Jacob and received the primary blessing of the firstborn, becoming the progenitor of a dominant tribe in Israel.

Gideon

Judge who defeated the Midianites with only three hundred men

A reluctant judge and military leader of Israel who defeated the Midianites with a small band of three hundred men after seeking divine signs.

Ishmael, Son of Abraham

Firstborn son of Abraham and the father of twelve princes who became a great nation

Ishmael was the firstborn son of Abraham through Hagar, the forefather of the Ishmaelite tribes, and a patriarch whom God promised would father twelve princes.

Israel

Patriarch who wrestled with God and fathered the twelve tribes

The third patriarch of the covenant, formerly known as Jacob, who received his name after wrestling with God and became the father of the twelve tribes.

No Portrait

Jether

Man living before Israel's Monarchy

Joash, Father of Gideon

Patriarch who defended his son Gideon against a mob seeking to kill him for destroying an altar of Baal

Joash was an Abiezrite patriarch and father of the judge Gideon, best known for his clever defense of his son against the devotees of Baal.

Manasseh, Son of Joseph

Firstborn son of Joseph whose grandfather Jacob crossed his hands to give the younger brother the primary blessing

The firstborn son of Joseph and Asenath, Manasseh became the progenitor of one of the largest and most strategically positioned tribes of Israel.

Naphtali

Patriarch of one of the twelve tribes of Israel and sixth son of Jacob

The sixth son of Jacob and second son of Bilhah, whose descendants formed one of the twelve tribes of Israel in the fertile northern Galilee region.

Oreb

Midianite prince captured and executed at a rock that was subsequently named after him

A high-ranking prince of Midian who was defeated and executed by the Ephraimites during the judgeship of Gideon.

Purah

Servant of Gideon who accompanied him to spy on the Midianite camp

The personal servant of the judge Gideon who accompanied him on a stealth mission to scout the Midianite camp.

Zalmunna

King of Midian who was defeated and executed by Gideon

Zalmunna was one of the two kings of Midian captured and executed by Gideon during the period of the Judges, marking the end of Midianite oppression in Israel.

Zebah

King of Midian captured and executed by Gideon after the murder of Gideon's brothers

One of the two kings of Midian during the era of the Judges who led a massive invasion of Israel before being captured and executed by Gideon.

Zebulun

Tenth son of Jacob and founder of the tribe associated with maritime commerce and the region of Galilee

Zebulun was the tenth son of Jacob and the sixth and final son born to Leah, serving as the eponymous patriarch of one of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Zeeb

Prince of Midian executed at a winepress during Gideon's campaign

Zeeb was a high-ranking prince of Midian who was defeated and executed by the forces of Gideon during the Period of the Judges.