English · KJV
H4084

מִדְיָנִי

Midyânîy /mid-yaw-nee'/ Ask about this word
Rootpatronymical or patrial from מִדְיָן
Meaninga Midjanite or descendant (native) of Midjan
KJV usageMidianite. Compare מְדָנִי.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of Midyânîy — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word Midyânîy, represented by H4084, is a patrial term for a Midianite, a descendant or native of Midjan. It appears 7 times in 7 unique verses in the Bible, referring to this specific people group and their interactions with Israel.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H4084 is used to identify individuals and groups in several key events. Early on, Midianites are depicted as merchantmen who passed by when Joseph was in the pit and were involved in selling him to the Ishmeelites Genesis 37:28. The term also establishes a familial connection to a key figure, as Moses's father-in-law, Raguel, is identified as a Midianite Numbers 10:29. However, the relationship sours significantly, as shown when a Midianitish woman is brought into the Israelite camp, leading to a divine command to "vex the Midianites, and smite them" Numbers 25:17 and to avenge Israel upon them Numbers 31:2.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide a broader context for the Midianites and their activities:

  • H4080 Midyân (Midian): The base name from which Midyânîy is derived. It refers to Midjan, a son of Abraham, as well as his country and descendants. Moses dwelt in the land of Midian after fleeing from Pharaoh Exodus 2:15.
  • H3459 Yishmâʻêʼlîy (Ishmaelite): These descendants of Jishmael appear alongside the Midianites as the group to whom Joseph was ultimately sold Genesis 37:28.
  • H7467 Rᵉʻûwʼêl (Raguel): Identified as Moses' father-in-law and a Midianite Numbers 10:29. His name means "friend of God."
  • H5221 nâkâh (smite): This primitive root, meaning to strike or kill, is used in the command to "smite" the Midianites Numbers 25:17 and describes the death of the Midianitish woman Numbers 25:15.
  • H5358 nâqam (avenge): The LORD commands Moses to avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites, showing the severity of the conflict between the two peoples Numbers 31:2.

Theological Significance

The narrative role of H4084 is primarily historical, marking a people whose relationship with Israel shifts dramatically.

  • Neutral Commerce: Initially, the Midianites are portrayed as traders or merchantmen, playing a pivotal role in the events that led Joseph to Egypt Genesis 37:28.
  • Familial Alliance: A significant positive connection is established through Moses' marriage to the daughter of Raguel the Midianite, who is invited to journey with Israel Numbers 10:29.
  • Antagonism and Judgment: The relationship culminates in open hostility. The incident involving the Midianitish woman Cozbi is seen as a great sin, resulting in God commanding Israel to "vex" and "smite" the Midianites as an act of vengeance (Numbers 25:17, Numbers 31:2).

Summary

In summary, H4084 identifies a people group whose story is intertwined with Israel's history at crucial points. The term Midianite encompasses a complex relationship that evolves from transactional commerce and familial ties to outright animosity and divine judgment. Their narrative illustrates how a neighboring people could be both an ally and, later, an enemy subject to God's commanded retribution.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 7 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • מִּדְיָנִים
  • מִּדְיָנִית
  • מִּדְיָנִי

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H4080 מִדְיָן the same as מִדְיָן; Midjan, a son of Abraham; also his country and (collectively) his descendants; Midian, Midianite. H3459 יִשְׁמָעֵאלִי patronymically from יִשְׁמָעֵאל; a Jishmaelite or descendant of Jishmael; Ishmaelite. H7467 רְעוּאֵל from the same as רְעוּ and אֵל; friend of God; Reuel, the name of Moses' father-in-law, also of an Edomite and an Israel H5221 נָכָה a primitive root; to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively); beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), [id H5358 נָקַם a primitive root; to grudge, i.e. avenge or punish; avenge(-r, self), punish, revenge (self), [idiom] surely, take venge

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 7 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Numbers (6 verses); never once in the other 37.

1
Genesis
6
Numbers

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.