Overview:
Modad is a figure mentioned in the genealogical records of the Bible, specifically within the context of the descendants of Esau. The name appears in the Old Testament, and while not much detail is provided about Modad himself, his inclusion in the genealogies highlights the importance of lineage and heritage in biblical narratives.

Biblical References:
Modad is mentioned in the genealogical lists found in the Book of Genesis. These lists serve to trace the lineage of significant biblical figures and to establish the historical and familial context of the nations surrounding Israel.

Genealogy:
Modad is listed among the descendants of Esau, the brother of Jacob. Esau, also known as Edom, is a significant figure in the Bible, and his descendants are often referred to as Edomites. The genealogies of Esau's descendants are detailed in Genesis 36, which provides insight into the development of the Edomite nation.

Genesis 36:40-43 :
"These were the chiefs descended from Esau, by name, according to their clans and regions: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, Magdiel, and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements in the land they possessed. This is the family line of Esau, the father of the Edomites."

While Modad is not explicitly named in this passage, he is understood to be part of the broader genealogical context of Esau's descendants. The genealogies serve to establish the historical and tribal affiliations of the Edomites, who played a significant role in the history of Israel.

Cultural and Historical Context:
The genealogies in Genesis, including those of Esau's descendants, are crucial for understanding the relationships between the various tribes and nations mentioned in the Bible. The Edomites, as descendants of Esau, had a complex relationship with the Israelites. Throughout biblical history, the Edomites are often depicted as both relatives and adversaries of Israel.

The inclusion of figures like Modad in these genealogies underscores the importance of family lineage in the ancient Near Eastern context. Lineage was not only a matter of personal identity but also of national and tribal identity, influencing political and social dynamics.

Theological Significance:
From a theological perspective, the genealogies in the Bible, including those involving Modad, demonstrate God's sovereign plan and the unfolding of His purposes through history. The descendants of Esau, though often in conflict with Israel, are part of the broader narrative of God's dealings with humanity.

The genealogical records also highlight the fulfillment of God's promises to the patriarchs, such as His promise to Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. Esau's descendants, including Modad, are part of this fulfillment, illustrating the expansive reach of God's covenantal promises.

Conclusion:
While Modad is a relatively obscure figure in the biblical text, his mention within the genealogies of Esau's descendants contributes to the rich tapestry of biblical history and theology. The genealogies serve as a reminder of the interconnectedness of the biblical narrative and the unfolding of God's redemptive plan through diverse peoples and nations.ELDAD AND MODAD, BOOK OF

el'-dad, mo'-dad:

In the Septuagint they are called Eldad and Modad. In the King James Version the names are given as Eldad and Medad; meaning "God has loved" ("God loves") and "object of love" (?).

They were two of the seventy elders chosen by Moses (Numbers 11:26), and while the others obeyed the summons and went to the tabernacle, these two remained in the camp and prophesied (Numbers 11:26). The nature of their prophecy is not recorded, and this naturally became a good subject for the play of the imagination. It furnished the basis for a lost work which was quoted by Hermas (Vis 2 3): "The Lord is near to them who return unto him, as it is written in Eldad and Modad, who prophesied to the people in the wilderness." The Palestine Targums also filled in the subject of the prophecy of Eldad and Modad, and, as they have it, it related to the coming of Gog and Magog against Israel at the end of the days. One of the Targums has the expression, "The Lord is near to them that are in the hour of tribulation." The authors of the Targums were either dependent upon that work or upon a similar tradition; and the former of these views is the more probable. Lightfoot and Holtzman think the lengthy quotation in 1 Clem 23 and 2 Clem 11 is from the Book of Eldad and Modad. The work is found in the Stichometry of Nicephorus and consists of 400 stichoi, which would make it about twice the length of the Cant.

A. W. Fortune

MODAD, BOOK OF ELDAD AND

See ELDAD AND MODAD, BOOK OF.

Why Has Only one Apocalypse Been Able to Keep Its Place in the New ...
... are quoted as authoritative in post-Apostolic literature from the Epistle of Jude
onward: Hermas quotes no work except a prophecy of Eldad and Modad (Vis., ii.3 ...
/.../harnack/the origin of the new testament/ 4 why has only.htm

On the Article, and in one Holy Ghost, the Comforter, which Spake ...
... Now there were present sixty and eight, and they prophesied; but Eldad and Modad
were not present: therefore that it might be shewn that it was not Moses who ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/lecture xvi on the article.htm

1 Timothy i. 14-Dec
... In the same spirit Moses answered, when some would have excited his displeasure
against Eldad and Modad, because they prophesied, "Enviest thou for my sake? ...
/.../homily iii 1 timothy i.htm

Appendix ii (To 1-4 of Part I)
... Footnotes: [156] The Shepherd of Hermas quotes only one sacred work, the Revelation
of Eldad and Modad, a work that is quite unknown to us. ...
/.../harnack/the origin of the new testament/appendix ii to 4-jan.htm

Chapter x
... The "al" may represent the Hebrew "el," ie, God. So the name may mean Modad
is God. "Sheleph" belongs into the same neighbourhood. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter x.htm

Modad
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia ELDAD AND MODAD, BOOK OF. el'-dad,
mo'-dad: In the Septuagint they are called Eldad and Modad. In ...
/m/modad.htm - 8k

Eldad (2 Occurrences)
... Numbers 11:26-29). ELDAD AND MODAD, BOOK OF. el'-dad, mo'-dad: In the
Septuagint they are called Eldad and Modad. In the King James ...
/e/eldad.htm - 10k

Mocks (11 Occurrences)

/m/mocks.htm - 9k

Mode (5 Occurrences)

/m/mode.htm - 8k

Medad (2 Occurrences)
... Compare the Palestine Targums at the place, the apocalyptic Book of Eldad and Modad,
and Ba`al ha-Turim (ad loc.). Ella Davis Isaacs. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/m/medad.htm - 8k

Apocrypha
... 1) Enoch; (2) The 12 Patriarchs; (3) The Prayer of Joseph; (4) The Testament of
Moses; (5) The Assumption of Moses; (6) Abram; (7) Eldad and Modad; (8) Elijah ...
/a/apocrypha.htm - 48k

Book (211 Occurrences)

/b/book.htm - 101k

Anaharath (1 Occurrence)
... JUBILEES, BOOK OF. See APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE. MODAD, BOOK OF ELDAD AND. See
ELDAD AND MODAD, BOOK OF. NEHEMIAH, BOOK OF. See EZRA-NEHEMIAH. ...
/a/anaharath.htm - 87k

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