The Midianites were a nomadic people frequently mentioned in the Old Testament, known for their dwelling in tents. They were descendants of Midian, one of the sons of Abraham through his wife Keturah, as recorded in Genesis 25:1-2: "Now Abraham had taken another wife, named Keturah, and she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah."

Nomadic Lifestyle and Dwelling in Tents

The Midianites are often depicted as a nomadic tribe, living in tents as they moved from place to place. This lifestyle is emblematic of their culture and way of life, which was heavily reliant on pastoralism and trade. The Bible provides several instances that highlight their tent-dwelling nature. In Judges 6:5, during the time of Gideon, the Midianites are described as coming "like locusts in number; both they and their camels were without number, and they entered the land to ravage it." This passage underscores their mobility and the temporary nature of their settlements.

The tent-dwelling lifestyle of the Midianites is further illustrated in the account of Moses. After fleeing Egypt, Moses found refuge in the land of Midian, where he encountered Jethro, the priest of Midian, and his family. Exodus 2:15-16 states, "When Pharaoh heard about this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, where he sat down beside a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock." Moses' integration into the Midianite community, including his marriage to Zipporah, Jethro's daughter, further emphasizes the tent-dwelling and pastoral nature of the Midianites.

Interactions with Israel

The Midianites had a complex relationship with the Israelites, marked by both conflict and cooperation. In Numbers 31, the Israelites, under God's command, waged war against the Midianites as a consequence of their role in leading Israel into idolatry and immorality at Peor. Numbers 31:9-10 records, "The Israelites captured the Midianite women and children and took all their herds, flocks, and goods as plunder. They burned all the cities where the Midianites had lived, as well as all their encampments."

Despite these conflicts, there were also periods of peaceful interaction. The Midianites were involved in trade, and their caravans were known to travel long distances. In Genesis 37:28, it was the Midianite traders who facilitated the sale of Joseph into slavery: "So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph out of the pit and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt."

Cultural and Religious Influence

The Midianites, like many ancient Near Eastern peoples, practiced a polytheistic religion. However, their religious practices occasionally intersected with those of the Israelites. Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, is a notable figure who acknowledged the God of Israel. In Exodus 18:10-12, Jethro praises the LORD for delivering the Israelites from Egypt and offers sacrifices to Him: "Jethro said, 'Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who has rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for He did this when they treated Israel arrogantly.' Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God."

The Midianites' tent-dwelling lifestyle, interactions with Israel, and cultural practices provide a rich tapestry of historical and theological significance within the biblical narrative. Their account is interwoven with the lives of key biblical figures and events, offering insights into the nomadic cultures of the ancient Near East.Habakkuk 3:7
I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

A Calm Evening, Promising a Bright Morning
... not our) father's God.' They had proved how truly they were both, when they sold
him to the Midianites! ... As truly as his fathers who dwelt in tents, he too ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/a calm evening promising a.htm

Canaan
... and the Kenite family of Rechab still dwelt in tents ... Here was the "city" of tents
of which Agag ... Amalekite bands joined with the Midianites in devastating the ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter ii canaan.htm

The Patriarchs.
... Hebrews after his descendant Heber, who dwelt in Mesopotamia ... live in the desert,
with their tents, their flocks ... and with them are joined the Midianites and other ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/lesson ii the patriarchs.htm

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... The Midianites continued their retreat, in the mean time, "by the way of them that
dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah," but Jerubbaal came up ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

The Israelites
... of Meneptah tells us how the tents of the ... and desolate; the foreign tribes who had
dwelt in it ... Moabites and Midianites, Ammonites and Bedawin, even the king of ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter i the israelites.htm

The Last Farewell in the Presence of the one Hundred and Fifty ...
... afford even to be longsuffering, my soul had shortly dwelt in the ... 4338] or the
Midianites to Moses ... Must you always be in trouble and dwell in tents, while those ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/oration xlii the last farewell.htm

The First Chaldaean Empire and the Hyksos in Egypt
... Some half-savage tribes were accustomed to wander over the plain, dwelling in tents,
and supporting life by the chase and by the rearing of cattle; but the ...
/.../chapter ithe first chaldaean empire.htm

Seasonable Counsel: Or, Advice to Sufferers.
... to be threshing out our wheat, that we may hide it from the Midianites (Judges 6 ...
neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse; to your tents, O Israel: now ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/seasonable counsel or advice to.htm

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