Medad

Medad is a figure mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in the Book of Numbers. He is first introduced along with Eldad as two of the seventy elders of Israel who were chosen by Moses to assist him in governing the people. According to the biblical account in Numbers 11, Moses was feeling overwhelmed by the burden of leading the Israelites and God instructed him to gather seventy elders. God then descended in a cloud and bestowed some of Moses' spirit upon these seventy men, so that they could share the responsibility of leading the people.

When the spirit came upon the elders, Medad and Eldad, who were among those chosen, did not go to the Tent of Meeting with the others. However, they also received the spirit and began to prophesy in the camp. This caused a stir among the people, and Joshua, one of Moses' close assistants, urged Moses to stop them. Moses, however, famously responded by saying, "Would that all the Lord's people were prophets! Would that the Lord would put his spirit on them all!" This event highlights a theme of divine empowerment and the desire for widespread spiritual gifts. Medad and Eldad are not mentioned again in the biblical narrative after this incident. Their story serves as an example of God's ability to empower individuals beyond those directly appointed by human leaders and emphasizes the broad scope of divine revelation.