Genesis 36

1 Now these are the generations of Esau, that is to say, Edom.
2 Esau's wives were women of Canaan: Adah, the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite,
3 And Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nebaioth.
4 Adah had a son Eliphaz; and Basemath was the mother of Reuel;
5 Oholibamah was the mother of Jeush, Jalam, and Korah; these are the sons of Esau, whose birth took place in the land of Canaan.
6 Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters, and all the people of his house, and his beasts and his cattle and all his goods which he had got together in the land of Canaan, and went into the land of Seir, away from his brother Jacob.
7 For their wealth was so great that the land was not wide enough for the two of them and all their cattle.
8 So Esau made his living-place in the hill-country of Seir (Esau is Edom).
9 And these are the generations 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 were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.
12 And Eliphaz, the son of Esau, had connection with a woman named Timna, who gave birth to Amalek: all these were the children of Esau's wife Adah.
13 And these are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah: they were the children of Esau's wife Basemath.
14 And these are the sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon: she was the mother of Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
15 These were the chiefs among the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz, Esau's first son: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,
16 Korah, Gatam, Amalek: all these were chiefs in the land of Edom, the offspring of Eliphaz, the seed of Adah.
17 And these are the sons of Esau's son Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, Mizzah: these were the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom, the children of Esau's wife Basemath.
18 And these are the sons of Esau's wife Oholibamah: Jeush, Jalam, and Korah: these were the chiefs who came 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 are the sons of Seir the Horite who were living in that country; Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,
21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan: these are the chiefs of the Horites, offspring of Seir in the land of Edom.
22 The children of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; Lotan's sister was Timna.
23 And these are the children of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.
24 And these are the children of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah; that same Anah who made the discovery of the water-springs in the waste land, when he was looking after the asses of his father Zibeon.
25 And these are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah his daughter.
26 These are the children of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran.
27 These are the children of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.
28 These are the children of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
29 These were the Horite chiefs: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,
30 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. Such were the Horite chiefs in their order in the land of Seir.
31 And these are the kings who were ruling in the land of Edom before there was any king over the children of Israel.
32 Bela, son of Beor, was king in Edom, and the name of his chief town was Dinhabah.
33 At his death, Jobab, son of Zerah of Bozrah, became king in his place.
34 And at the death of Jobab, Husham, from the country of the Temanites, became king in his place.
35 And at the death of Husham, Hadad, son of Bedad, who overcame the Midianites in the field of Moab, became king; his chief town was named Avith.
36 And at the death of Hadad, Samlah of Masrekah became king.
37 And at the death of Samlah, Shaul of Rehoboth by the River became king in his place.
38 And at the death of Shaul, Baal-hanan, son of Achbor, became king.
39 And at the death of Baal-hanan, Hadar became king in his place; his chief town was named Pau, and his wife's name was Mehetabel; she was the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-zahab.
40 These are the names of the chiefs of Esau in the order of their families and their places: Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,
41 Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon,
42 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar,
43 Magdiel, Iram; these are the Edomite chiefs, in their places in their heritage; this is 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.

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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