4081. Middin

Lexical Summary

Middin: Middin

Original Word: מִדִּין
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Middiyn
Pronunciation: mid-DEEN
Phonetic Spelling: (mid-deen')
NASB: Middin
Word Origin: [a variation for H4080 (מִדיָן - Midian)]

1. Middin

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Middin

A variation for Midyan -- Middin.

see HEBREW Midyan

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a city in the wilderness of Judah
NASB Translation
Middin (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

מִדִּין proper name, of a location city of Judah Joshua 15:61, site unknown, A Μαθων; ᵐ5^L Μαδδειν.

Topical Lexicon

Name and Possible Significance

Although it appears only once, the name Middin (מִדִּין) is generally taken to evoke ideas of measurement or judgment. In Scripture, names that hint at “measuring” often allude to God’s orderly apportioning of land, blessing, or discipline (compare Ezekiel 40:3; Revelation 11:1). Thus the very inclusion of Middin in Judah’s allotment tacitly reminds the reader that Israel’s inheritance was not haphazard but carefully “measured out” by the LORD.

Biblical Setting

Middin is listed among the settlements “in the wilderness” assigned to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:61). The verse reads:

“in the wilderness: Beth Arabah, Middin, Secacah,” (Joshua 15:61).

1. Geographic Zone: The “wilderness” here denotes the eastern descent from the Central Hill Country toward the Dead Sea—an arid, rugged expanse commonly called the “Judean Desert.”
2. Neighboring Towns: Beth Arabah lay near the northern end of the Dead Sea, while Secacah is identified with Khirbet es-Sikkah farther south. Middin therefore occupied the sparsely populated interior between these sites.
3. Strategic Value: Though inhospitable, the wilderness formed a natural buffer zone that protected Judah’s heartland. Towns like Middin functioned as way-stations for herdsmen, travelers, and military patrols along desert routes.

Historical Context

• Conquest and Settlement: Joshua 15 gathers the first formal cadastral record of Judah’s territory. By naming Middin, Scripture certifies the actual occupation (or at least intended occupation) of even the remotest tracts granted to Judah.
• United Monarchy: David, himself a son of Judah, repeatedly used the same wilderness for refuge (1 Samuel 23—24). While Middin is not mentioned in those narratives, its presence shows that Judah had some infrastructure in the vicinity long before David’s flight, preparing the stage for his later movements.
• Exilic and Post-Exilic Memory: After the Babylonian exile, lists such as Nehemiah 11 emphasize repopulating Judah’s heartland, yet the wilderness towns are largely omitted. Middin’s silence may reflect the difficulty of sustaining a post-exilic community there, underscoring how exile reshaped Judah’s demographic map.

Archaeological and Geographical Considerations

No excavated site is unanimously identified as Middin, but several proposals center on mesas south-southwest of Qumran. Surface pottery suggests Iron Age occupation consistent with Joshua’s period. The absence of large public buildings fits a small, pastoral settlement—aligning with its placement in the “wilderness” list rather than among fortified Judean cities.

Theological Themes

1. The Wilderness as Place of Testing and Provision
• God led Israel through wilderness to humble and train them (Deuteronomy 8:2-3). Middin’s inclusion reminds every generation that even barren regions are claimed by the LORD and can become places of divine meeting.
2. Inheritance by Divine Lot
• Judah did not seize land randomly; “The lot came up for the tribe… according to their families” (Joshua 15:1). Middin embodies God’s faithfulness to allot hereditary ground down to the smallest settlement (Joshua 21:43-45).
3. Measured Judgment
• Prophets liken judgment to a measuring line (Isaiah 28:17; Amos 7:7-8). A town whose very name recalls measuring underscores that God’s distribution of both grace and discipline is precise.

Practical Ministry Insights

• Pastoral Application: Believers today may feel consigned to spiritual “wilderness” assignments. Middin shows that even obscure, seemingly barren postings lie within God’s ordained inheritance. Fruitfulness is gauged by fidelity, not fame.
• Missional Vision: Frontier regions—whether geographic, cultural, or digital—resemble Judah’s desert towns. Middin calls the Church to plant gospel outposts in hard environments, trusting the Lord who apportions and sustains.

Related Biblical Passages for Study

Numbers 34:1-12 (boundaries of Canaan)

Joshua 14:6-15; 15:1-63 (Judah’s inheritance)

1 Samuel 23:14-29 (David in the Wilderness of Ziph)

Isaiah 35:1-2 (desert blossoming under Messianic reign)

Christological and Eschatological Echoes

The Messiah’s temptation in “the wilderness” (Matthew 4:1-11) unfolds in the very terrain where towns like Middin once stood. Jesus succeeds where Israel faltered, proving Himself the true and faithful Son who inherits all lands—including barren deserts. Revelation foresees a renewed earth in which “there will no longer be any curse” (Revelation 22:3), signaling that even regions like Middin will share in the ultimate restoration.

Summary

Middin, though mentioned only once, encapsulates the biblical testimony that the God of Israel measures, allots, and redeems every corner of His promised land. Its location in Judah’s wilderness narrates both the cost and the certainty of divine inheritance—assuring believers that no place is too remote for God’s providence or purpose.

Forms and Transliterations

מִדִּ֖ין מדין mid·dîn midDin middîn

Englishman's Concordance

Joshua 15:61
HEB: בֵּ֚ית הָעֲרָבָ֔ה מִדִּ֖ין וּסְכָכָֽה׃
NAS: Beth-arabah, Middin and Secacah,
KJV: Betharabah, Middin, and Secacah,
INT: the wilderness Beth-arabah Middin and Secacah

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 4081
1 Occurrence

mid·dîn — 1 Occ.