4. The elders of Midian. Moab and Midian were traditional enemies (Gen. 36:35), but were ready to unite against Israel. It seems that the “elders” were also called “kings” (Num. 31:8) and “princes”(Joshua 13:21). Among the peoples of the East men of age and experience are even today called “elders.” The Midianites were descendants of Abraham and Keturah (Gen. 25:2, 4), and were a pastoral people and itinerant traders (Gen. 37:28).
The grass of the field. Literally, “the greenness of the field,” meaning every trace of vegetation.