The members of the Ishmaelite caravan who bought Joseph from his brothers and sold him in Egypt were called Midianites (Genesis 37: 28, 36).
从约瑟兄长们手中买下约瑟，又把他卖到埃及的以实玛利骆驼队商，又叫米甸人（37：28,36）。Thus Midian was subdued before the Israelites and did not raise its head again.
这样，米甸人被以色列人制伏了，不敢再抬头。And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.
以色列人因米甸人的缘故，极其穷乏，就呼求耶和华。Soon we had so many men that it was hard to see the Midianites in front of us.
很快，人数之多以至于我们都看不到了在前面的米甸人。How was I going to battle the Midianites with less than ten thousand men?
我该如何用这还不到一万的人来和米甸人作战呢？The Israelites said to Gideon, "Rule over us--you, your son and your grandson--because you have saved us out of the hand of Midian. "
以色列人对基甸说：“你既救我们脱离米甸人的手，愿你和你的儿孙管理我们。”The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts.
米甸人，亚玛力人，和一切东方人都布散在平原，如同蝗虫那样多。And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.
他们就照耶和华所吩咐摩西的，与米甸人打仗，杀了所有的男丁。Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites and other eastern peoples invaded the country.
以色列人每逢撒种之后，米甸人，亚玛力人，和东方人都上来攻打他们