Oreb
“Raven”
Summary
Oreb was a Midianite prince captured and executed by the Ephraimites during Gideon's victory, whose death became proverbial for God's judgment on Israel's enemies.
☩Defeat and Death
Oreb and Zeeb were two princes of Midian who fled after Gideon's surprise attack on the Midianite camp. The Ephraimites, summoned by Gideon, captured both princes at the fords of the Jordan. They executed Oreb at the "rock of Oreb" and Zeeb at the "winepress of Zeeb," places thereafter named for these events. The heads of the princes were brought to Gideon across the Jordan as evidence of the victory.
☩Remembered in Scripture
The defeat of Oreb and Zeeb became a celebrated example of God's deliverance in Israel's memory. The psalmist prays that God would make Israel's enemies like Oreb and Zeeb. Isaiah speaks of the "day of Midian" as a paradigm of divine victory, recalling how God struck Midian at the rock of Oreb. These references show how this victory shaped Israel's understanding of God's faithfulness in delivering His people from their oppressors.