Person Old Testament
Midian
Midian, a son of Abraham and Keturah, was the ancestor of the Midianite people. Mentioned in 4 verses across 2 books, first at Genesis 25:2.
Why it matters. Son of Abraham and Keturah; father of the Midianites.
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Midian
Midian was a son of Abraham and his second wife, Keturah (Gen.25.2; 1Ch.1.32). He was born after the death of Sarah and is listed among Abraham's sons by Keturah, along with Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Ishbak, and Shuah. Midian had five sons: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah (Gen.25.4; 1Ch.1.33). These sons became the ancestors of the Midianite tribes, who are mentioned throughout the Old Testament. The Midianites lived in the desert regions of the Arabian Peninsula and were known for their nomadic lifestyle and involvement in trade. They played a significant role in the stories of Joseph (Gen.37.28,36) and Moses (Exo.2.15-3.1). Later, the Midianites oppressed Israel during the time of the judges, until Gideon defeated them (Jdg.6-8). The descendants of Midian, the Midianites, were a prominent people group in the ancient Near East, and their interactions with the Israelites shaped various events in biblical history.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Family
Family links from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0). Where the dataset marks an identification as uncertain, the mark is kept. Matthew and Luke give different genealogies for Jesus; see the Lineage page, which never merges them.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 4 verses across 2 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.