The Descendants of Esau
The book turns to the accounts of Isaac’s...
The book turns to the accounts of Isaac’s sons, concluding the unchosen line of Esau (ch 36) before proceeding with the chosen line of Jacob (ch 37).
The account of Esau stresses two points. First,...
The account of Esau stresses two points. First, Esau’s sons were born . . . in the land of Canaan (36:5) before he moved to Seir (36:8). Jacob’s children, by contrast, were almost all born outside the land but then moved into it. God was giving the land to Jacob and his descendants and so made room for them by providing for Esau in a different place. Second, Esau’s other name was Edom. Israel often struggled with the Edomites (see 1 Sam 21:7; 22:9–22; Obad 1).
1This is the account of Esau (that is, Edom).
Esau’s three wives—Adah, Oholibamah, and Basemath—are listed. Two...
Esau’s three wives—Adah, Oholibamah, and Basemath—are listed. Two of these wives’ names are different from those listed earlier (26:34; 28:9). Perhaps the others died, or Esau favored these three among a total of six, or these were just different names for the same three. There is not enough information to decide.
2Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite, 3and Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth. 4And Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath gave birth to Reuel, 5and Oholibamah gave birth to Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan.
6Later, Esau took his wives and sons and daughters and all the people of his household, along with his livestock, all his other animals, and all the property he had acquired in Canaan, and he moved to a land far away from his brother Jacob.
Esau, like Lot, left for the eastern land...
Esau, like Lot, left for the eastern land (cp. 13:5–6).
7For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together; the land where they stayed could not support them because of their livestock. 8So Esau (that is, Edom) settled in the area of Mount Seir.
The descendants of Esau’s five sons are named.
The descendants of Esau’s five sons are named.
This passage begins a second account of Esau’s...
This passage begins a second account of Esau’s descendants (36:1); it traces the family to subsequent generations and alliances.
9This is the account of Esau, the father of the Edomites, in the area of Mount Seir.
10These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel son of Esau’s wife Basemath.
11The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 12Additionally, Timna, a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, gave birth to Amalek. These are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Adah.
13These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. They are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath.
14These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah (daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon) whom she bore to Esau: Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
Thirteen of Esau’s descendants had positions as leaders...
Thirteen of Esau’s descendants had positions as leaders of various clans. A picture begins to emerge of Esau as a grand overlord of tribes (cp. 36:40–43).
15These are the chiefs among the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: Chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, 16Korah,† Gatam, and Amalek. They are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom, and they are the grandsons of Adah.
17These are the sons of Esau’s son Reuel: Chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. They are the chiefs descended from Reuel in the land of Edom, and they are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath.
18These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: Chiefs Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. They are the chiefs descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.
19All these are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and they were their chiefs.
The Descendants of Seir
Seir the Horite was an early inhabitant of...
Seir the Horite was an early inhabitant of the land; his descendants populated the region until Esau moved in and displaced them (Deut 2:12).
20These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who were living in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. They are the chiefs of the Horites, the descendants of Seir in the land of Edom.
22The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam.† Timna was Lotan’s sister.
23These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.
24These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. (This is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness as he was pasturing the donkeys of his father Zibeon.)
25These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah daughter of Anah.
26These are the sons of Dishon:† Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.
27These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.
28These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
29These are the chiefs of the Horites: Chiefs Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 30Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. They are the chiefs of the Horites, according to their divisions in the land of Seir.
The Kings of Edom
It is not clear how these kings of...
It is not clear how these kings of Edom were related to Esau. The clans in Edom followed the same pattern of organization as the later tribes of Israel. They eventually chose a king from one of their tribes and carried on a line of succession from him.
31These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites:†
32Bela son of Beor reigned in Edom; the name of his city was Dinhabah.
33When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in his place.
34When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.
35When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his place. And the name of his city was Avith.
36When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah reigned in his place.
37When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the Euphrates† reigned in his place.
38When Shaul died, Baal-hanan son of Achbor reigned in his place.
39When Baal-hanan son of Achbor died, Hadad† reigned in his place. His city was named Pau, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-zahab.
These chiefs descended from Esau, who was a...
These chiefs descended from Esau, who was a great and powerful overlord. As father of the Edomites, he ruled over clans and regions, with eleven chiefs descended from him. By separating from Jacob, Esau was beginning to shake Jacob’s yoke from his neck (27:39–40).
40These are the names of Esau’s chiefs, according to their families and regions, by their names: Chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 41Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 42Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 43Magdiel, and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements in the land they possessed. Esau was the father of the Edomites.