Genesis 36

Esau’s Descendants

1 This is the account of the family line of Esau (that is, Edom).
2 Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite—
3 also Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.
4 Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel,
5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam and Korah. These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in Canaan.
6 Esau took his wives and sons and daughters and all the members of his household, as well as his livestock and all his other animals and all the goods he had acquired in Canaan, and moved to a land some distance from his brother Jacob.
7 Their possessions were too great for them to remain together; the land where they were staying could not support them both because of their livestock.
8 So Esau (that is, Edom) settled in the hill country of Seir.
9 This is the account of the family line of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir.
10 These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz, the son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esau’s wife Basemath.
11 The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam and Kenaz.
12 Esau’s son Eliphaz also had a concubine named Timna, who bore him Amalek. These were grandsons of Esau’s wife Adah.
13 The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath.
14 The sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon, whom she bore to Esau: Jeush, Jalam and Korah.
15 These were the chiefs among Esau’s descendants: The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: Chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,
16 Korah,[a] Gatam and Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in Edom; they were grandsons of Adah.
17 The sons of Esau’s son Reuel: Chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were the chiefs descended from Reuel in Edom; they were grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath.
18 The sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: Chiefs Jeush, Jalam and Korah. These were the chiefs descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah.
19 These were the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these were their chiefs.
20 These were the sons of Seir the Horite, who were living in the region: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,
21 Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. These sons of Seir in Edom were Horite chiefs.
22 The sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam.[b] Timna was Lotan’s sister.
23 The sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho and Onam.
24 The sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. This is the Anah who discovered the hot springs[c] in the desert while he was grazing the donkeys of his father Zibeon.
25 The children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah daughter of Anah.
26 The sons of Dishon[d] : Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Keran.
27 The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan and Akan.
28 The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
29 These were the Horite chiefs: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,
30 Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. These were the Horite chiefs, according to their divisions, in the land of Seir.

The Rulers of Edom

31 These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king reigned:
32 Bela son of Beor became king of Edom. His city was named Dinhabah.
33 When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah succeeded him as king.
34 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites succeeded him as king.
35 When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, succeeded him as king. His city was named Avith.
36 When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah succeeded him as king.
37 When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the river succeeded him as king.
38 When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan son of Akbor succeeded him as king.
39 When Baal-Hanan son of Akbor died, Hadad[e] succeeded him as king. His city was named Pau, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab.
40 These were the chiefs descended from Esau, by name, according to their clans and regions: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,
41 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon,
42 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar,
43 Magdiel and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements in the land they occupied. This is the family line of Esau, the father of the Edomites.

Genesis 36 Commentary

Chapter 36

Esau and his descendants.

- The registers in this chapter show the faithfulness of God to his promise to Abraham. Esau is here called Edom, that name which kept up the remembrance of his selling his birth-right for a mess of pottage. Esau continued the same profane despiser of heavenly things. In outward prosperity and honour, the children of the covenant are often behind, and those that are out of the covenant get the start. We may suppose it a trial to the faith of God's Israel, to hear of the pomp and power of the kings of Edom, while they were bond-slaves in Egypt; but those that look for great things from God, must be content to wait for them; God's time is the best time. Mount Seir is called the land of their possession. Canaan was at this time only the land of promise. Seir was in the possession of the Edomites. The children of this world have their all in hand, and nothing in hope, ( Luke 16:25 ) ; while the children of God have their all in hope, and next to nothing in hand. But, all things considered, it is beyond compare better to have Canaan in promise, than mount Seir in possession.

Cross References 60

  • 1. S Genesis 2:4
  • 2. S Genesis 25:30
  • 3. Genesis 28:8-9
  • 4. Genesis 26:34
  • 5. ver 14,18
  • 6. ver 25; 1 Chronicles 1:40
  • 7. ver 24; S Genesis 10:17; 1 Chronicles 1:40
  • 8. ver 4,10,13,17
  • 9. S Genesis 25:13
  • 10. S ver 3; 1 Chronicles 1:35
  • 11. ver 14,18; 1 Chronicles 1:35
  • 12. Genesis 12:5
  • 13. Genesis 27:39
  • 14. S Genesis 13:6; Genesis 17:8; Genesis 28:4
  • 15. Deuteronomy 2:4
  • 16. S Genesis 25:30
  • 17. S Genesis 14:6; Genesis 32:3
  • 18. S Genesis 2:4
  • 19. ver 1,43
  • 20. S ver 3
  • 21. ver 15-16; 1 Chronicles 1:45; Job 2:11; Job 4:1
  • 22. Jeremiah 49:7,20; Ezekiel 25:13; Amos 1:12; Obadiah 1:9; Habakkuk 3:3
  • 23. ver 15
  • 24. S Genesis 22:24
  • 25. Exodus 17:8,16; Numbers 24:20; Deuteronomy 25:17,19; 1 Samuel 15:2; 1 Samuel 27:8
  • 26. ver 16
  • 27. S ver 3
  • 28. S ver 2
  • 29. S ver 5
  • 30. ver 19,40; Exodus 15:15
  • 31. Job 2:11; Jeremiah 49:7; Ezekiel 25:13; Amos 1:12; Habakkuk 3:3
  • 32. S ver 11
  • 33. S ver 11
  • 34. Genesis 32:3; Exodus 15:15; Numbers 20:14; Numbers 33:37
  • 35. ver 12
  • 36. 1 Chronicles 1:37
  • 37. S ver 3
  • 38. S ver 2
  • 39. S ver 5
  • 40. 1 Chronicles 1:35
  • 41. S Genesis 25:30
  • 42. S ver 15
  • 43. S Genesis 14:6; Deuteronomy 2:12,22; 1 Chronicles 1:38
  • 44. ver 29
  • 45. ver 30
  • 46. S ver 2
  • 47. Joshua 15:19
  • 48. Job 1:14
  • 49. S ver 2
  • 50. S ver 2
  • 51. ver 20
  • 52. ver 21
  • 53. S Genesis 17:6; 1 Chronicles 1:43
  • 54. Isaiah 34:6; Isaiah 63:1; Jeremiah 49:13,22
  • 55. Jeremiah 49:7; Ezekiel 25:13; Obadiah 1:9
  • 56. S Genesis 25:2
  • 57. S Genesis 19:37; Numbers 21:11; Numbers 22:1; Deuteronomy 1:5; Judges 3:30; Ruth 1:1,6
  • 58. Genesis 26:22
  • 59. S ver 15
  • 60. S ver 9

Footnotes 5

  • [a]. Masoretic Text; Samaritan Pentateuch (also verse 11 and 1 Chron. 1:36) does not have "Korah" .
  • [b]. Hebrew "Hemam," a variant of "Homam" (see 1 Chron. 1:39)
  • [c]. Vulgate; Syriac "discovered water;" the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  • [d]. Hebrew "Dishan," a variant of "Dishon"
  • [e]. Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch and Syriac (see also 1 Chron. 1:50); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text "Hadar"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 36

This chapter gives us a genealogical account of Esau's family, of his wives and sons, with whom he removed from Seir, Ge 36:1-10; of his sons' sons, or grandsons, who were dukes in the land of Edom, Ge 36:11-19; after which is inserted a genealogy of Seir the Horite, into whose family Esau married, and of his children, and the dukes among them, Ge 36:20-30; then follows a list of the kings of Edom, before there were any in Israel, Ge 36:31-39; and the chapter is closed with a brief narration of the dukes of Esau, according to their families, Ge 36:40-43.

Genesis 36 Commentaries

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