---
title: מִדְיָן — Midian · The Tanakh dictionary
description: מִדְיָן (4079), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 10 times: Midian. BDB 1906: n.m. strife, contention. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# מִדְיָן

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«מִדְיָן» in the Tanakh dictionary: **Midian** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 10 times · **Key:** 4079 · **BDB:** מָדוֹן

### Glosses

of.contentions (5); contentions (4); \[the\].contentions (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

Midian [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4079/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. strife, contention [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4079/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. Pr 22:10 strife, contention—ψ 80:7 + 9 times; pl. מִדְיָנִים Pr 18:18, מִדְ֯וָנִים Pr 18:19 + 7 times; contracted into מְדָנִים Pr 6:19; 10:12, מִדֳ֯נִים Pr 6:14; cstr. מִדְיְנֵי Pr 19:13. strife, contention, alm. wholly Pr:—Pr 18:19; 23:29; 26:20; also 17:14 (‖ רִיב), 22:10 (‖ דִּין וְקָלוֹן); מ׳ יִשָּׂא Hb 1:3 contention ariseth (‖ ריב); שׁלּח מ׳ let loose strife Pr 6:14, 19; 16:28; יְגָרֶה מ׳ he stirreth up strife 15:18; 28:25; 29:22; note especially אִישׁ מִדְוָ֯נִים 26:21 = a contentious, quarrelsome man; oftener אֵשֶׁת מ׳ = a contentious woman 21:9; 25:24; 27:15, cf. אֵשֶׁת מ׳ וָכָ֑עַס 21:19. object of contention ψ 80:7, cf. אִישׁ מָדוֹן Je 15:10 (‖ אִישׁ רִיב).—On מָדוֹן 2 S 21:20 Qr, v. i. מִדָּה sub מדד.

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Why these entries: BDB: same consonants, part of speech agrees, 10 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (10 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech differs, 0 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (8 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «מִדְיָן» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4079/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Proverbs 18:18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.18.18/)

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מִ֭דְיָנִים יַשְׁבִּ֣ית הַגּוֹרָ֑ל וּבֵ֖ין עֲצוּמִ֣ים יַפְרִֽיד׃

*Word for word:* contentions it.puts.an.end.to the lot and between mighty.\[people\] it.separates

*JPS 1917:* The lot causeth strife to cease, and parteth asunder the contentious.

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[Proverbs 27:15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.27.15/)

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דֶּ֣לֶף ט֭וֹרֵד בְּי֣וֹם סַגְרִ֑יר וְאֵ֥שֶׁת מִ֝דְיָנִ֗ים נִשְׁתָּוָֽה׃

*Word for word:* a.dripping continual on a.day of.persistent.rain and a.wife of.contentions she.is.like

*JPS 1917:* A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike;

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