אֱוִי (e.vi)
e.vi
Evi
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
The name Evi (אֱוִי) appears in only two biblical verses, identifying a specific leader among the Midianites during the wilderness period. The sources suggest the meaning may be "my desire," though its primary significance lies in its historical context rather than etymological depth.
Evi is recorded as one of the five chiefs of Midian who were defeated by the Israelites under Moses, an event described in Numbers 31:8. His name reappears in Joshua 13:21 as part of a geographical list detailing the territory inherited by the tribe of Reuben, marking the location of his former stronghold.
As a proper noun, Evi serves as a marker of historical reality rather than theological instruction. The brevity of his mention underscores the completeness of the military campaign against Midian and establishes the boundary markers for Israel’s settlement in Transjordan.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
Names like Evi often feel distant to us, appearing only as brief footnotes in long genealogies or battle lists. Yet these records remind us that God’s history is made of real people and specific places. The mention of Evi in Numbers highlights a moment of decisive victory, showing how divine justice was enacted through human agents during the Israelites’ journey.
Later, his name anchors a map in Joshua, marking the boundaries of land given to Reuben. This shift from warrior to geographic marker illustrates how past events shape future inheritance. For believers today, these details encourage trust that God remembers His promises and orders history with precision, even when individual lives seem small in the grand narrative.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Evi2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- אֱוִ֤י2×
Key Verses
-
Numbers 31:8
They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also killed Balaam the son of Beor with the sword.
This verse identifies Evi as one of the five Midianite kings killed by Israel, marking a decisive moment in the judgment against Midian.
-
Joshua 13:21
all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses struck with the chiefs of Midian, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the princes of Sihon, who lived in the land.
Here Evi is mentioned again to locate the territory inherited by Reuben, showing how past conflicts defined future borders.