Introduction
Midian is a son of Abraham by his wife Keturah, one of six sons Genesis 25 records Abraham fathering after Sarah's death. He is the ancestor of the Midianites, a people who play a recurring role in later books of the Hebrew Bible.
This article follows the biblical account in Genesis. Where later Jewish, Christian or Islamic tradition adds detail not found in the text itself, the article identifies it as such.
Family
Birth and provision
Genesis 25:1-2 names Midian among the six sons of Abraham and Keturah. Genesis 25:6 records that Abraham gave gifts to his sons by his concubines and sent them eastward, away from Isaac, while he was still living, securing Isaac's position as principal heir to the covenant promise.
Later significance
Of Keturah's six sons, Midian is by far the most significant in the wider biblical narrative. The Midianites, his descendants, appear repeatedly in later books: Moses flees to Midian and marries a Midianite woman, Zipporah, in the book of Exodus, and the Midianites later feature as adversaries of Israel in the book of Judges, most notably in the story of Gideon.