Medan
מְדָן/MEE-dan/
“Strife or contention”
Summary
Medan was the third son of Abraham by his concubine Keturah, closely associated with his brother Midian in the biblical record.
☩Descent and Descendants
Medan was born to Abraham through Keturah, whom Abraham married after Sarah's death. He is listed alongside his brothers Zimran, Jokshan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah, all of whom became ancestors of Arabian tribes. The similarity of his name to Midian has led some to suppose their descendants merged or became closely allied, though no certain identification of Medan's tribe has been established. In Genesis 37, the term 'Medanites' may be a variant for 'Midianites' in connection with the merchants who bought Joseph.
Key verses:Genesis 25:21 Chronicles 1:32
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Medan," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VI (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Medan," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Medan," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).