Lexical Summary Medad: Medad Original Word: מֵידָד Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Medad From yadad in the sense of loving; affectionate; Medad, an Israelite -- Medad. see HEBREW yadad NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as yadid Definition an Isr. NASB Translation Medad (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs מֵידָד proper name, masculine one who (with אֶלְדָּד) prophesied in the camp of Israel Numbers 11:26,27 (JE), ᵐ5 Μωδαδ. Topical Lexicon Profile Summary Medad is one of the seventy elders selected by Moses to assist in governing Israel during the wilderness journey. Although named only twice in Scripture (Numbers 11:26; Numbers 11:27), his brief appearance illuminates several enduring truths about God’s sovereignty in gifting, the freedom of the Spirit, and the healthy use of spiritual authority among God’s people. Biblical Setting: Numbers 11 Numbers 11 records Israel’s complaints over manna and Moses’ overwhelming burden of leadership. In response, the LORD instructs him to gather seventy elders so that “I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them” (Numbers 11:17). When the time comes, sixty-eight elders assemble at the Tent of Meeting, but Eldad and Medad remain in the camp. Nevertheless, “the Spirit rested on them; … yet they prophesied in the camp” (Numbers 11:26). Their unauthorized location alarms a young observer and even Joshua, who urges Moses to forbid them. Moses refuses, declaring, “I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!” (Numbers 11:29). Role in the Outpouring of the Spirit 1. Sovereign distribution. Medad’s experience proves that the Spirit’s bestowal is not confined to ritual space or human scheduling. Whether at the Tent or in the camp, God equips whom He wills. Lessons on Authority and Order Joshua’s protective instinct exposes a perennial tension between institutional order and the fresh work of the Spirit. Moses models a balanced response: he neither quenches the Spirit nor abandons structure. Medad thus becomes a case study in how delegated authority can coexist with spontaneous gifting when both are yielded to God. Foreshadowing New Covenant Ministry Moses’ longing that “all the LORD’s people were prophets” anticipates Pentecost, where the Spirit is poured out universally on the church (Acts 2:17-18). Medad’s camp-side prophecy hints that under the New Covenant, God’s presence will no longer be localized in a single sanctuary but indwell believers wherever they are found (1 Corinthians 3:16). Reflections in Later Jewish and Christian Tradition Jewish midrashic material later assigns visionary content to Eldad and Medad, often linking them to eschatological themes. Early Christian writers, in turn, cite the episode to defend lay preaching and to illustrate the Spirit’s liberty. While extra-biblical details vary, the canonical account remains the authoritative baseline: Medad is a Spirit-empowered elder who prophesied by divine initiative. Practical Application • Recognize that genuine gifting may appear in unexpected places and people; discernment, not jealousy, is the proper response. Summary Though mentioned only briefly, Medad stands as a witness to God’s unrestricted Spirit, the unity of prophetic and pastoral callings, and the promise of a Spirit-saturated people. Forms and Transliterations וּמֵידָ֔ד ומידד מֵידָ֜ד מידד mê·ḏāḏ mêḏāḏ meiDad ū·mê·ḏāḏ ūmêḏāḏ umeiDadLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Numbers 11:26 HEB: וְשֵׁם֩ הַשֵּׁנִ֨י מֵידָ֜ד וַתָּ֧נַח עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם NAS: of the other Medad. And the Spirit KJV: of the other Medad: and the spirit INT: and the name of the other Medad rested and Numbers 11:27 2 Occurrences |
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