Eldaah
Eldaah was a son of Midian and grandson of Abraham.
Biography
Eldaah was the fifth and final son of Midian and a grandson of Abraham through his wife Keturah, as recorded in Genesis 25:4 and 1 Chronicles 1:33. Following Sarah's death, Abraham took Keturah as a wife and fathered six sons by her; Midian was one of these sons, and Eldaah was among Midian's five sons. Abraham gave gifts to these sons and sent them eastward, away from Isaac, the son of promise. The Midianites who descended from this lineage would become a distinct people east of Canaan, playing significant roles in later Israelite history, including Moses' sojourn among them and his marriage to Zipporah. Eldaah himself is remembered only in genealogical notices, with no individual narrative attached to his name beyond his place in this Abrahamic family tree.
Significance
Eldaah's significance lies in his position within the Abrahamic family's broader reach into the nations of the ancient Near East. Abraham's union with Keturah and the dispersion of their sons eastward reflects God's promise that Abraham would be 'a father of many nations' (Genesis 17:5), not merely the patriarch of Israel. The Midianite descendants of Eldaah's line intersected meaningfully with Israel's story: Jethro the Midianite priest provided wise counsel to Moses (Exodus 18), while later Midianite oppression drove Israel to Gideon's calling (Judges 6). Eldaah's genealogical place reminds readers that God's purposes through Abraham radiated outward to all peoples, creating a web of connection that would surface repeatedly in redemptive history.
Verse Appearances (2)
Genesis
1 Chronicles
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]