MIDIAN

Biblical GenN	1.	Ancient Near Eastern people mentioned in the ISAIAH section of 2 Nephi (2 Nephi 20:26 = Isaiah 10:26)
Lehite GN	2.	NEPHITE land (Alma 24:5)

Etymology

MIDIAN in 2 Nephi 20:26 (=Isaiah 10:26) appears as Mideon in the printer’s manuscript but then is corrected to MIDIAN in the 1830 and all subsequent printed editions.

The HEBREW pronunciation, midyān, is not preserved in all Bibles. Thus, in the Septuagint it is spelled madiam; in the Vulgate, Madian, in Wycliffe, Madian, in the Matthew Bible, Madian, and in the Geneva, Midian.

The only place in the Book of Mormon where the name appears as a Book of Mormon name is in Alma 24:5, where it appears as “Medeon” in the original manuscript, but was corrected to “Midian.” In the printer's manuscript it appears first as “Midion,” but was also corrected to “Midian.” Thus, 1830-2013 have “Midian.”

Royal Skousen conjectures, with good reasoning and evidence, that the single occurrence as a Book of Mormon GN, in Alma 24:5, may be a scribal error by Oliver Cowdery for MIDDONI, a common GN in the book of Alma.

See also Midian / Mideon Variants

Variants

Mideon, Medeon, Midion

Deseret Alphabet: 𐐣𐐆𐐔𐐆𐐊𐐤 (mɪdɪʌn)

Notes

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