Madai

Japheth's son and the ancestor of the Medes

PatriarkernaPatriarchc. 2300–2100 BC

Madai was one of the sons of Japheth, who was the son of Noah. He is traditionally regarded as the ancestor of the Medes, the people who founded the Median Empire in ancient Iran. His name appears in the Bible's genealogies as part of the origins of nations after the flood.

Familj

Nyckelhändelser

Mentioned in Noah's genealogy

Madai is listed as one of Japheth's seven sons in the post-flood genealogy, which describes how the nations spread across the earth.

2The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
בְּנֵ֣י יֶ֔פֶת גֹּ֣מֶר וּמָג֔וֹג וּמָדַ֖י וְיָוָ֣ן וְתֻבָ֑ל וּמֶ֖שֶׁךְ וְתִירָֽס׃ ‬

Table of Nations

In the Table of Nations in Genesis 10, it is described how Noah's descendants became various peoples and nations, and Madai is linked to the Medes who settled in northwestern Iran.

2The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
בְּנֵ֣י יֶ֔פֶת גֹּ֣מֶר וּמָג֔וֹג וּמָדַ֖י וְיָוָ֣ן וְתֻבָ֑ל וּמֶ֖שֶׁךְ וְתִירָֽס׃ ‬
3The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
וּבְנֵ֖י גֹּ֑מֶר אַשְׁכֲּנַ֥ז וְרִיפַ֖ת וְתֹגַרְמָֽה׃ ‬
4The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim, and the Dodanim.
וּבְנֵ֥י יָוָ֖ן אֱלִישָׁ֣ה וְתַרְשִׁ֑ישׁ כִּתִּ֖ים וְדֹדָנִֽים׃ ‬
5From these the coastland peoples spread out into their lands, each with its own language, by their clans within their nations.
מֵ֠אֵלֶּה נִפְרְד֞וּ אִיֵּ֤י הַגּוֹיִם֙ בְּאַרְצֹתָ֔ם אִ֖ישׁ לִלְשֹׁנ֑וֹ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֖ם בְּגוֹיֵהֶֽם׃ ‬

Repeated in Chronicles

Madai is mentioned again in the genealogy in 1 Chronicles as one of Japheth's sons, confirming his place in Israel's historical tradition.

5The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
בְּנֵ֣י יֶ֔פֶת גֹּ֣מֶר וּמָג֔וֹג וּמָדַ֖י וְיָוָ֣ן וְתֻבָ֑ל וּמֶ֖שֶׁךְ וְתִירָֽס׃ ס ‬

The Medes in a Prophetic Context

The Medes, who were traditionally regarded as descendants of Madai, play an important role in the Bible's prophecies, especially in Isaiah's prophecy about the fall of Babylon.

17See, I am stirring up against them the Medes, who have no regard for silver and take no delight in gold.
הִנְנִ֛י מֵעִ֥יר עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם אֶת־מָדָ֑י אֲשֶׁר־כֶּ֙סֶף֙ לֹ֣א יַחְשֹׁ֔בוּ וְזָהָ֖ב לֹ֥א יַחְפְּצוּ־בֽוֹ׃ ‬
18Their bows will strike down the young men; they will show no mercy to the fruit of the womb, and their eyes will not spare the children.
וּקְשָׁת֖וֹת נְעָרִ֣ים תְּרַטַּ֑שְׁנָה וּפְרִי־בֶ֙טֶן֙ לֹ֣א יְרַחֵ֔מוּ עַל־בָּנִ֖ים לֹֽא־תָח֥וּס עֵינָֽם׃ ‬
19Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory and pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah.
וְהָיְתָ֤ה בָבֶל֙ צְבִ֣י מַמְלָכ֔וֹת תִּפְאֶ֖רֶת גְּא֣וֹן כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים כְּמַהְפֵּכַ֣ת אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֶת־סְדֹ֖ם וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָֽה׃ ‬

The Medes and the Fall of Babylon

The prophet Daniel describes how the Medo-Persian empire took power from Babylon, which is linked to Madai's descendants as a mighty people in world history.

28PERES—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians." [Footnote: PERES sounds like the Aramaic word for 'divided' and also like the name 'Persia.']
פְּרֵ֑ס פְּרִיסַת֙ מַלְכוּתָ֔ךְ וִיהִיבַ֖ת לְמָדַ֥י וּפָרָֽס׃ ‬
30That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed.
בֵּ֚הּ בְּלֵ֣ילְיָ֔א קְטִ֕יל בֵּלְאשַׁצַּ֖ר מַלְכָּ֥א *כשדיא **כַשְׂדָּאָֽה׃ פ ‬

Nämnd i Bibeln (2)