Rekem רֶ֫קֶם

Rekem was one of the five kings of Midian who were defeated and killed by the Israelites during the time of Moses (Num.31.8; Jos.13.21). The Midianites were a nomadic people who lived in the desert regions south and east of Canaan. They had engaged in hostilities against Israel and had led the Israelites into idolatry and immorality (Numbers 25). As a result, God commanded Moses to carry out a war of vengeance against the Midianites. The Israelite army, led by Phinehas, defeated the Midianites and killed their five kings, including Rekem (Num.31.1-12). The victory over the Midianites was seen as a judgment against their wickedness and a protection of Israel's spiritual and moral purity. The death of Rekem and the other Midianite kings marked the end of a significant threat to Israel's existence and integrity. The land that had belonged to these kings was later allocated to the tribes of Reuben and Gad as part of their inheritance in the Promised Land (Jos.13.21).