H4092 H4092
the Medanites; descendants of Medan (son of Keturah)
This gentilic appears once in Genesis 37:36, identifying the traders who sold Joseph into Egypt. The text has both 'Midianites' and 'Medanites,' likely variant names for the same group or closely related Arabian tribes descended from Abraham through Keturah. The Medanites are northern Arabian merchants who trafficked in goods and slaves along trade routes to Egypt.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Genesis 37:36 uses 'Medanites' parallel to 'Midianites' (v28), suggesting either textual variants or two names for one group. The translations (Spanish 'medanitas,' French 'Medanites') preserve the ethnic designation. These are Abraham's descendants through Medan (Gen 25:2), operating as caravan traders in the Joseph narrative's cruel economy. 1×
AR["وَ-الْمِدْيانِيُّونَ"]·ben["আর-মিদিয়নীয়রা"]·DE["und-die-Medaniter"]·EN["and-the-Medanites"]·FR["et-le-Medanites"]·heb["ו-ה-מדנים"]·HI["और-मदानियों-ने"]·ID["Dan-orang-Midian"]·IT["e-il-Medanites"]·jav["Lan-tiyang-Medan"]·KO["그리고-미디안-사람들이"]·PT["E-os-medanitas"]·RU["А-Мидьянитяне"]·ES["y-los-medanitas"]·SW["na-Wamidiani"]·TR["Ve-Medanlılar"]·urd["اور-مدانیوں-نے"]
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
† מִדְיָנִי adj.gent. Midianite—Nu 10:29 (J); f. מִדְיָנִית Nu 25:6, 14, 15 (P); pl. מִדְיָנִים Gn 37:28 (JE) Nu 25:17; 31:2 (P), מְדָנִים Gn 37:36 (E).