Strong's Hebrew: 4092. מְדָנִים (Medani) -- Medanite

◄ 4092. Medani ►

Lexical Summary

Medani: Medanite

Original Word: מְדָנִי
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: Mdaniy
Pronunciation: meh-dah-NEE
Phonetic Spelling: (med-aw-nee')
Word Origin: [a variation of H4084 (מִדיָנִי - Midianite)]

1. Midianite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Midianite

A variation of Midyaniy -- Midianite.

see HEBREW Midyaniy

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
the same as Midyani, q.v.

Topical Lexicon

Root and Meaning

Strong’s Hebrew 4092, מְדָנִי (mədānī), is an adjectival form built on the noun מָדוֹן (madon, “strife, contention”). Though מְדָנִי itself is unattested in the canon, its root family appears more than thirty times, painting a rich picture of interpersonal conflict that God repeatedly condemns and counters with His call to peace.

Strife in the Patriarchal Period

Even before Israel existed as a nation, the seeds of מָדוֹן were visible. Genesis 13:7 records that “there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock.” Abram’s conciliatory response—“Please let there be no strife between you and me” (Genesis 13:8)—sets an early canonical model for de-escalation and generous self-limitation. The same theme surfaces with Isaac, whose servants repeatedly quarrel over wells (Genesis 26:20-22); only when the contention ceases does Isaac rejoice, naming the well Rehoboth, “For now the LORD has made room for us.”

National Strife in Israel’s History

· During the wilderness wanderings, מָדוֹן erupts against Moses at Meribah, where “the people contended with Moses” (Numbers 20:3) and God’s holiness is vindicated.

· In the period of the Judges, tribal jealousies (Judges 8:1; 12:1-6) expose how quickly covenant brothers can turn weapons on one another when self-interest overrules shared identity.

· David’s reign is scarred by intra-familial conflict—Saul’s persecution (1 Samuel 18:8-9), Absalom’s rebellion (2 Samuel 15)—revealing that unchecked bitterness breeds escalating מָדוֹן that destabilizes even God-appointed leadership.

Wisdom Literature on Contention

Proverbs is the Bible’s most concentrated commentary on מָדוֹן. Key observations include:
• Strife is stirred by hatred (Proverbs 10:12) and pride (Proverbs 13:10).
• A quarrelsome (מִדְיָנִי in spirit) person is likened to a constant dripping (Proverbs 19:13) and to the bars of a fortress (Proverbs 18:19).
• “It is honorable for a man to resolve a dispute, but any fool will quarrel” (Proverbs 20:3).

These maxims reveal God’s heart: wisdom seeks reconciliation, while folly delights in tension.

Prophetic Witness

Isaiah rebukes fasting that culminates “in strife and contention” (Isaiah 58:4), exposing the hypocrisy of outward religiosity married to relational hostility. Zechariah similarly urges, “Do not plot evil in your hearts against one another, and do not love perjury, for all these are what I hate” (Zechariah 8:17). In every age, covenant fidelity is inseparable from peacemaking.

Christological Fulfillment

Where fallen humanity produces מָדוֹן, Jesus embodies shalom. At His birth the angels proclaim, “on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests” (Luke 2:14). At the cross He “made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20), reconciling Jews and Gentiles into “one new man, thus making peace” (Ephesians 2:15). The Prince of Peace reverses the curse of strife, creating a community indwelt by the Spirit whose fruit is peace (Galatians 5:22).

Apostolic Exhortation

New Covenant writers consistently warn against a מְדָנִי spirit:
• “Let nothing be done out of selfish ambition or vain conceit” (Philippians 2:3).
• “The Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone” (2 Timothy 2:24).
• “Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder” (James 3:16), contrasting earthly wisdom with the wisdom from above that is “peaceable, gentle, open to reason” (James 3:17).

Pastoral and Ministry Application

1. Guard the heart. Contention seldom begins with theology but with unchecked desires (James 4:1).
2. Pursue early reconciliation. Abram moved quickly; Paul urges, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Ephesians 4:26).
3. Model sacrificial humility. Leaders defuse strife by absorbing loss and seeking the other’s good.
4. Teach the gospel of peace. Reconciliation with God is the fountain from which horizontal peace flows (Romans 5:1).
5. Foster accountable community. Church discipline, properly exercised, uproots the seeds of division before they flower.

Related Hebrew and Greek Terms

• מָדוֹן (madon) – strife, quarrel (e.g., Proverbs 17:14).
• רִיב (riv) – dispute, lawsuit (Exodus 23:2).
• ἔρις (eris) – strife, discord (Romans 13:13).

Together these words trace a canonical trajectory from human conflict to God’s ultimate gift of peace in Christ.

Summary

Though מְדָנִי (Strong’s 4092) itself never surfaces in the Old Testament text, its root family amplifies one of Scripture’s great moral contrasts: the destructive power of strife versus the life-giving beauty of peace. From Genesis to Revelation, God opposes a contentious spirit and calls His people—now empowered by the reconciling work of Jesus Christ—to be agents of peace in a world still marked by division.

Links

Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts