Lexical Summary Medan: Medan Original Word: מְדָן Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Medan The same as mdan; Medan, a son of Abraham -- Medan. see HEBREW mdan NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom din Definition a son of Abraham and Keturah NASB Translation Medan (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs מְדָן proper name, masculine son of Abraham and Keturah Genesis 25:2; 1 Chronicles 1:32. Topical Lexicon Occurrences in Scripture Genesis 25:2 and 1 Chronicles 1:32 list Medan among the six sons born to Abraham through Keturah after Sarah’s death: “She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah” (Genesis 25:2). Apart from these genealogical notices, Scripture offers no narrative about Medan himself, yet his inclusion in the Abrahamic line carries several implications. Lineage within the Abrahamic Family Medan stands in the third generation from Terah and the second from Abraham, locating him in the great family tree that carries God’s promises forward (Genesis 12:1-3). While the covenant is traced specifically through Isaac, Genesis 25:6 records that Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them “eastward, to the land of the east, away from his son Isaac.” Medan, therefore, represents one of the non-covenant branches that nevertheless benefited from God’s blessing on Abraham’s household. His placement in 1 Chronicles 1:32 confirms that the Chronicler regarded these Keturahite clans as historically real and worth preserving in Israel’s collective memory. Geographical and Ethnological Insights Ancient Near-Eastern sources are sparse regarding a tribe or territory named after Medan, but the broader context of the Keturahite sons points toward northern Arabia or the eastern side of the Gulf of Aqaba. The proximity of names like Midian and Dedan (Genesis 25:3) suggests related trading peoples who later appear in prophetic or narrative settings (for example, Isaiah 21:13; Ezekiel 25:13). It is reasonable to infer that the Medanites occupied adjacent territory, participated in caravan trade, and shared cultural features with their Midianite relatives. Relationship to Later Biblical Events Although no passage explicitly names Medanites in later history, Old Testament accounts of Midianite and Ishmaelite trading caravans (Genesis 37:25-28), desert raids (Judges 6–8), and prophetic oracles against the Arabian tribes (Isaiah 21; Jeremiah 25) likely involve kindred groups stemming from Abraham’s sons other than Isaac and Ishmael. Medan’s line, therefore, forms part of the wider Transjordan and Arabian world interacting with Israel through commerce, conflict, and prophecy. Theological Themes 1. Universal Blessing through Abraham. Medan exemplifies the breadth of God’s promise that “all the families of the earth will be blessed” through Abraham (Genesis 12:3). Even outside the chosen covenant line, his descendants received life, land, and opportunity. Ministry Application • Missions Perspective: Medan’s branch encourages the church to remember those outside the immediate covenant community. God’s blessing aims outward, challenging believers to engage unreached kin-groups of the modern “desert fringe.” Intercanonical Connections • Abrahamic Promises: Galatians 3:8 echoes Genesis 12:3, confirming that Medan’s inclusion in Abraham’s family anticipates the gospel’s global reach. Summary Though limited to two genealogical verses, Medan represents an authentic branch of Abraham’s family, situated on the periphery of Israel yet within the circumference of God’s redemptive plan. His descendants likely formed part of the Arabian peoples who traded, fought, and eventually heard the prophetic word concerning Israel’s God. Medan’s brief appearance testifies that every nation has a place in the divine storyline, beckoning the contemporary church to embrace a similarly expansive vision. Forms and Transliterations וּמְדָ֥ן ומדן מְדָ֖ן מדן mə·ḏān meDan məḏān ū·mə·ḏān umeDan ūməḏānLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 25:2 HEB: יָקְשָׁ֔ן וְאֶת־ מְדָ֖ן וְאֶת־ מִדְיָ֑ן NAS: and Jokshan and Medan and Midian KJV: and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, INT: Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishbak 1 Chronicles 1:32 2 Occurrences |
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