<li><b>Omnisignificance</b> – As Midrash views every word in Torah as significant, it finds the presence of anonymous or unknown figures who play no other role elsewhere troubling.  By identifying such figures with known characters, it can explain why such details are mentioned – See <multilink><a href="RambanShemot6-23" data-aht="source">Ramban Shemot 6:23</a><a href="RambanShemot6-23" data-aht="source">Shemot 6:23</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Nachman</a></multilink>.</li>
<li><b>Omnisignificance</b> – As Midrash views every word in Torah as significant, it finds the presence of anonymous or unknown figures who play no other role elsewhere troubling.  By identifying such figures with known characters, it can explain why such details are mentioned – See <multilink><a href="RambanShemot6-23" data-aht="source">Ramban Shemot 6:23</a><a href="RambanShemot6-23" data-aht="source">Shemot 6:23</a><a href="R. Moshe b. Nachman (Ramban, Nachmanides)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe b. Nachman</a></multilink>.</li>
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<li>Textual links –</li>
<li><b>Solve exegetical problems</b> – At times, an identification serves to solve exegetical difficulties. See, for example, <multilink><a href="ShadalBereshit11-29" data-aht="source">Shadal</a><a href="ShadalBereshit11-29" data-aht="source">Bereshit 11:29</a><a href="ShadalBereshit11-29_2" data-aht="source">Bereshit 11:29</a><a href="R. Shemuel David Luzzatto (Shadal)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto</a></multilink>'s discussion of the Midrashic identification of Sarah as Yiskah and the discussion of <a href="Yitro – Names" data-aht="page">Yitro's names</a> in Shemot 18.</li>
<li><b>Solve exegetical problems</b> – At times, an identification serves to solve exegetical difficulties. See, for example, <multilink><a href="ShadalBereshit11-29" data-aht="source">Shadal</a><a href="ShadalBereshit11-29" data-aht="source">Bereshit 11:29</a><a href="ShadalBereshit11-29_2" data-aht="source">Bereshit 11:29</a><a href="R. Shemuel David Luzzatto (Shadal)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto</a></multilink>'s discussion of the Midrashic identification of Sarah as Yiskah and the discussion of <a href="Yitro – Names" data-aht="page">Yitro's names</a> in Shemot 18.</li>
Yaakov and Yehudah's staff with Moshe's staff – Yalkut Shimoni Chukat 763
II. Identification of places:
Beit El and Yerushalayim –
III. Identification of unknown dates with known ones:
Angel's visit to Lot – 15 Nisan
Giving of the Decalogue – 6 Sivan
Moshe's descent with the 1st Tablets – 17 Tammuz
Moshe's descent with the 2nd Tablets – 10 Tishrei
Night of the return of the spies – 9 Av
Analysis: Goals and Motivations
I. Why does the Midrash identify characters?
Omnisignificance – As Midrash views every word in Torah as significant, it finds the presence of anonymous or unknown figures who play no other role elsewhere troubling. By identifying such figures with known characters, it can explain why such details are mentioned – See Ramban Shemot 6:23Shemot 6:23About R. Moshe b. Nachman.
Apparent misdeeds of the righteous – Giving a Jewish identity to an idolator or Canaanite can obviate problems of apparent "intermarriages". See, for instance, the identification of Shimon's Canaanite wife with Dina at Did Yaakov's Sons Marry Canaanites or the identification of the Cushite whom Moshe married with Zipporah at Miryam's Critique of Moshe and his Cushite Marriage.
Demonstrate reward and punishment – Nechama Leibowitz2 suggests that in certain instances, such as the identification of the officers whipped in Egypt with the later elders, the technique serves to demonstrate Divine providence and how good deeds are rewarded and suffering compensated.
Character development – Identifying villains with other wicked individuals or the worthy with similarly righteous people serves to further blacken or whiten their characters. This fits the Midrashic tendency to augment the faults of evil characters and amplify the merits of righteous figures. See, for example, the identification of Shifra and Puah with Miryam and Yocheved at Who are the Midwives.
Bridge history – When Midrash connects figures who live centuries apart, its goal might be to bridge history and show continuity over the generations, similar to the concept of מעשה אבות סימן לבנים.
II. Difficulties with method:
Why would Tanakh use different names in different places?