H0189 H0189
Evi (personal name: 'desire'), a Midianite chief
One of five Midianite kings killed during Israel's war against Midian (Numbers 31:8, Joshua 13:21). Evi, along with Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, fell in battle when Israel executed divine judgment on Midian for the Baal-peor incident. Joshua 13:21 identifies these five as 'princes of Sihon,' vassals of the Amorite king who ruled the region. Their defeat cleared Transjordan for Israelite settlement. The name 'Evi' likely means 'desire' or 'longing.'
Senses
1. sense 1 — Evi appears exclusively in accounts of Midian's destruction. Numbers 31 lists him among the five kings slain alongside the prophet Balaam, retribution for leading Israel into sexual immorality and idolatry at Peor. Joshua's retrospective identifies the five as vassal princes under Sihon, indicating a complex political hierarchy in Transjordan—Amorite overlords with Midianite sub-kings. Evi's name ('desire') joins other Midianite names in preserving pre-Israelite onomastic traditions. His death contributes to Israel's conquest narrative: clearing enemies from the promised inheritance. 2×
AR["أَويَ", "أَوِي"]·ben["ইবি", "ইবী"]·DE["Evi"]·EN["Evi"]·FR["Evi"]·heb["אווי", "אוי"]·HI["एवी"]·ID["Ewi"]·IT["Evi"]·jav["Èwi"]·KO["에위를", "에위와"]·PT["'Evi", "Evi"]·RU["Эви"]·ES["Evi"]·SW["Evi", "Ewi"]·TR["Evi", "Evi'yi"]·urd["اوی"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אֱוִי n.pr.m. (desire?) one of five chiefs of Midian Nu 31:8; Jos 13:21.