Who was East in the Bible?

What does the Bible say about East?

In the Bible, the East is a direction that is often associated with invading armies and nomadic tribes. In the book of Judges, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern peoples are described as invading Israel, coming from the East with their livestock and tents (Judges 6:3, 33; 7:12; 8:10). These invasions were a recurring problem for the Israelites during the time of the judges. In the book of Ezekiel, the East is mentioned in the context of God's judgment against the Ammonites and Moabites, who were located east of Israel (Ezk.25.4, 10). The East was also the direction from which the Babylonians and Persians came to conquer and exile the people of Judah. In a broader sense, the East represented the vast desert regions and the nomadic tribes that inhabited them, often seen as a source of danger and instability for the settled populations of Israel and Judah.

Where does East appear in the Bible?

East is referenced in 5 verses across 2 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.

• Ezekiel 25:4
• Ezekiel 25:10
• Judges 6:3
• Judges 6:33
• Judges 7:12

What else appears in these passages?

These turn up in the same passages as East.