Medad

Medad [Heb. medad]. A personal name.

He was one of the seventy elders of Israel chosen to assist Moses in serving the people. When the Israelites wailed for meat, Moses complained to God that his burden was too heavy to carry alone. In response, God asked Moses to bring to the tent of meeting "seventy of Israel's elders … leaders and officials among the people" that he may bestow God's Spirit on them to share the weight of leadership (Num 11:2-17, 24-25). Although listed among the seventy, Medad and Eldad did not come to the Tabernacle; yet they still received God's Spirit and began to prophesy in the camp (Num 11: 26). Joshua alerted Moses and asked him to stop them but Moses declined, stating his wish that "all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit on them!" (Num 11:27-29).