Ch. 36 (P.) The Generations of Esau

In this chapter are preserved traditions of great antiquarian interest relating to Edom, one of the races most nearly allied to Israel. After the burial of Isaac, the P narrative disposes of the “generations of Esau,” before dealing with “the generations of Jacob” (Genesis 37:2).

The Edomites were an invading people who occupied the mountainous country of Seir. They subjugated the natives who were called Horites (Genesis 14:6), and, while largely dispossessing them, also became fused with them by intermarriage and peaceful settlement; cf. Deuteronomy 2:12; Deuteronomy 2:22. The subjugation of the Horites by the Edomites presents a close parallel to that of the Canaanites by the Israelites.

The chapter falls into seven sections.

1–5.  (1) Esau’s wives and children.

6–8.  (2) Esau’s immigration into Seir.

9–14.  (3) The genealogy of the sons of Esau.

15–19.  (4) The tribal chiefs of Esau.

20–30.  (5) The genealogy of the Horites and their chiefs.

31–39.  (6) Kings of Edom.

40–43.  (7) A supplementary list of Edomite chiefs.

The contents of this chapter are probably chiefly derived from P: but it is clear from the discrepancies in some of the names that various materials have been employed. It is natural to suppose that the compiler of this section enjoyed the privilege of access to Edomite documents.

1 Chronicles 1:35-54 repeats, with some variations, and in an abbreviated form, the lists of names in Genesis 36:4-5; Genesis 36:11-13; Genesis 36:20-28; Genesis 36:31-43.

1–5. Esau’s Wives and Children

1. the same is Edom] A gloss introduced here and in Genesis 36:8; Genesis 36:19.

2. Esau took his wives] The list of Esau’s wives in this chapter does not agree with that in Genesis 26:34 and Genesis 28:9.

(a) In this passage and in Genesis 36:9-14 Esau’s wives are (1) Adah, the daughter of Elon the Hittite; (2) Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite; (3) Basemath, the daughter of Ishmael, and sister of Nebaioth.

(b) In Genesis 26:34 (P) and Genesis 28:9 (P) Esau’s wives are (1) Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite; (2) Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite; (3) Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, and sister of Nebaioth. Thus there are two widely differing versions of P tradition. For the differences are too considerable to have arisen from corruptions in the text.

Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite] “Daughter,” as in Genesis 36:14. But the reading “son” is found in LXX, Sam. and Syr. Pesh., and is to be preferred; see Genesis 36:24. “Daughter” is probably a correction, on the assumption that “Anah” was a feminine name.

the Hivite] For “Hivite” should be read “Horite,” if the Anah of Genesis 36:2 be the same as the Anah in Genesis 36:24. Probably, in Genesis 36:25, “the daughter of Anah” has been introduced as a gloss.

4. Eliphaz] Familiar as the name of one of Job’s friends, Job 2:11.

Reuel] The same name as that of Moses’ father-in-law, a Midianite, Exodus 2:18.

6–8. Esau in Mount Seir

6. a land away from his brother Jacob] The Syr. reads “the land of Seir,” which is possibly the original reading. The Lat. abiit in alteram regionem. The present passage ignores the previous mention of Esau’s residence in “the land of Seir, the field of Edom,” Genesis 32:3. Seir was the mountainous country between the Dead Sea and the Elamitic Gulf.

7. For their substance was too great] The departure of Esau into Seir is here explained as necessitated by the growing wealth of Esau and Jacob in Canaan: cf. the separation of Abraham and Lot in ch. 13. Obviously the explanation given here does not agree with the representation in Genesis 32:3 and Genesis 33:14-16. “Substance,” cf. Genesis 12:5, Genesis 15:14.

8. mount Seir] The mountain country of Seir, a region, not a mountain, lying to the east of the Arabah.

9. the Edomites] Heb. Edom, as in Genesis 36:43 : cf. 1 Samuel 14:47.

9–14. The “sons” of Esau by Adah, Basemath, and Oholibamah must be regarded as the names of clans, and, like the sons of Ishmael and Israel, are 12 in number (Amalek, the son of Esau’s concubine, Timna, is excluded from this list of twelve).

10. Eliphaz] See Genesis 36:4.

Reuel] See Genesis 36:4.

11. Teman] A district in the north of Edom. Cf. Ezekiel 25:13; Amos 1:12; Obadiah 1:9. Its reputation for “wise men” is alluded to in Jeremiah 49:7; Bar 3:22-23. Job’s friend Eliphaz is a Temanite, Job 2:11. The Heb. word têmân means “south,” i.e. what is on the right hand, facing east.

Kenaz] Probably connected with the Kenizzites (Genesis 15:19), an Edomite family, which attached itself to the tribe of Judah in southern Palestine.

12. Amalek] Here a grandson of Esau; but, as the descendant from a concubine, he denotes a subordinate clan. Amalekites infested the Sinaitic Peninsula (Exodus 17:8-15; Deuteronomy 25:17) and harried southern Palestine (1 Samuel 15:2).

15–19. The Tribal Chiefs of Esau

15. the dukes] Better, as marg., chiefs. The word “duke” has been introduced into the English version from the Lat. dux which translates the LXX ἡγεμών. The Heb. allûph is connected with eleph = 1000, or “a clan”; and hence is used for “the chieftain of a clan,” or “a chiliarch,” especially in Edom: cf. Exodus 15:15; Zechariah 9:7; Zechariah 12:5-6.

“Duke,” in Old English, was not limited to the highest rank of nobility. It meant “leader” or “chief.” Cf. Wiclif, Matt. ii. 6, “And thou Bethleem … for of thee a duyk shall go out”; Latimer, Serm., p. 31, “Gideon a duke which God raised up.”

duke Teman] A better idea would be conveyed to English readers, if the rendering were “the chieftain of Teman, of Omar, &c.”

16. duke Korah] This name is out of place. It has come in from Genesis 36:18. The other names in Genesis 36:15-16 are drawn from Genesis 36:11-12, while Korah, which occurs in Genesis 36:14, is mentioned again in Genesis 36:18.

20. the inhabitants of the land] The aborigines: see Genesis 14:6; Deuteronomy 2:12.

20–30. The Horites—the aboriginal inhabitants of the country—“the sons of Seir, the Horite,” were possibly so called from the word ḥor, “a hole”; cf. 1 Samuel 13:6; 1 Samuel 14:11. This derivation has long been maintained, and is possibly correct, the Horites being regarded as troglodytes, or cave-dwellers. In Obadiah 1:3 Edom is apostrophized, “O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock.” On the other hand another derivation has recently commended itself, Hor being identified with the Egyptian Haru which is found in Egyptian inscriptions for “Syria.” But there is good support from the rocks of Petra and the excavations at Gezer for the “cave-dweller” explanation of the word.

24. Zibeon] means “an hyaena.”

Anah] See note on Genesis 36:2. Whether son or brother (Genesis 36:20) of Zibeon, Anah stands for a clan.

the hot springs] There must have been some well-known story about Anah and his discovery of certain hot springs, while he was, like Saul in 1 Samuel 9, searching for strayed asses. Hot springs are found not far from the pilgrim road to Mecca. The tradition probably claimed their possession for the clan of Anah.

The word for “hot springs” presented a difficulty. The A.V. and Luther render “mules,” and LXX makes it a proper name τὸν Ἰαμείν, while Targ. Onk. renders “the Emim”; but Lat. aquas calidas correctly.

25. Anah] This is the clan of Anah of Genesis 36:20, and probably also of Genesis 36:24.

Oholibamah] See Genesis 36:2. Probably the words “the daughter of Anah” have been carelessly inserted from Genesis 36:2 as a gloss.

26. Dishon] Heb. Dishan, “a mountain goat” (Deuteronomy 14:5).

28. Uz] See Genesis 10:23, Genesis 22:21. Possibly a branch of the Aramaean race (cf. Job 1:1) had settled among the Horites, S.E. of Palestine.

30. according to their dukes] Rather, “according to their clans.” So LXX, ἐν ταῖς ἡγεμονίαις.

31–39. Kings of Edom

31. any king] From this verse we infer that the writer lived at a time subsequent to the foundation of the Israelite monarchy. The definition, however, of the date is not quite clear in the opinion of some scholars. It is simplest to render, “before there reigned a king for Israel,” i.e. before the time of Saul. But it is noteworthy that LXX Cod. A renders, “before there reigned any king in Jerusalem.” Dillmann translates “before an Israelite king reigned,” i.e. over Edom, referring to the subjugation of the Edomites by David. The tradition shews that Edom had a settled constitution before Israel. In Scriptural terms Esau was “the elder.” It is to be observed that the Edomite kings, (1) had different places of residence, (2) were not hereditary kings. Perhaps they may be compared with the local judges of Israel. “The land of Edom” is the whole territory, more extensive than “mount Seir” (Genesis 36:8). There was a “king of Edom” in Moses’ time (Numbers 20:14).

32. Bela the son of Beor] In the Hebrew the addition of the letter m would give us the proper name “Balaam the son of Beor” (Numbers 22:5). So Targum of Jonathan reads. Hence some have conjectured that we have here an alternative tradition respecting Balaam, as king of Edom.

Bela is also the name of a town, Zoar (Genesis 14:2).

33. Bozrah] A town lying 20 miles south-east of the Dead Sea, of great importance in old times—perhaps the chief Edomite city. Cf. Isaiah 34:6; Isaiah 63:1; Jeremiah 49:13; Jeremiah 49:22; Amos 1:12. It has been identified with the modern Busera. The name means “fortification.”

34. the Temanites] See Genesis 36:11.

35. Hadad] A name familiar as that of a Syrian deity, occurring in the royal names “Ben-Hadad” and “Hadad-Ezer.” The defeat of “Midian in the field of Moab,” the solitary note of history, illustrates the extent to which the power of Edom at one time was developed. See note on the same name, Genesis 25:2. Ewald conjectured that this king Hadad I was a contemporary of Gideon’s, and joined in resistance to the Midianite invasion, circ. 1100 (Judges 6 ff.).

Avith] LXX reads “Gittaim.”

36. Samlah] LXX (in some MSS.) “Salmah,” almost the same name as “Solomon.”

37. Shaul] This is the same name in Hebrew as “Saul.”

Rehoboth by the River] The R.V. by printing “River” with a capital adopts the interpretation that the Euphrates is here intended. If so, Rehoboth may be Rahaba a little south of the junction of the Habor with the Euphrates. But it may be asked, what connexion can there be between Edom and the Euphrates? Hence some prefer to explain by the “river of Egypt,” the Wady el Arish, viz. the boundary between Palestine and Egypt, from which the Rehoboth of Genesis 26:22 would not be very remote. But “the River” is nahar; “the river of Egypt” is naḥal mizraim.

Achbor] Meaning “jerboa.” The name occurs in 2 Kings 22:14; Jeremiah 26:22; Jeremiah 36:12.

38. Baal-hanan] i.e. “Baal is favourable,” suggesting the worship of Baal; cf. Elhanan, Johanan. The name is the same in meaning as Hannibal.

39. Hadar] Probably, as 1 Chronicles 1:50 and some ancient authorities, Hadad. Possibly this Hadad II (see Genesis 36:35) was the Hadadezer deposed by David (2 Samuel 8:3 ff.). Hadad III shook off the yoke of Israel (1 Kings 11:21 ff.; cf. Genesis 27:40).

Pau] In 1 Chronicles 1:50, Pai. LXX reads Φόγωρ = Peor, cf. Numbers 23:28.

Mehetabel] = “El does good,” a proper name occurring in Nehemiah 6:10. These names shew how close was the similarity between the languages of the Edomites and the Israelites.

40–43. Edomite Chiefs

40. families … places … names] This short supplementary list of chiefs consists of names partly tribal, partly local, and partly personal.

duke Timna] i.e. the chieftain of Timna; cf. note on Genesis 36:15.

Alvah] In 1 Chronicles 1:51, Aliah. In Genesis 36:23, Alvan.

41. duke Elah] Probably the chief of the tribe that resided on the coast of Elath. The name appears in the kinship of Caleb (1 Chronicles 4:15).

Pinon] Possibly the same as Punon (cf. Numbers 33:42) between Petra and Zoar.

43. the Edomites] Heb. Edom; cf. Genesis 36:9.