Genesis 36:1-30

The Descendants of Esau

1 This is the account of Esau (that is, Edom). ¹

2 Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite,

3 and Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.

4 And Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath gave birth to Reuel,

5 and Oholibamah gave birth to Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

6 Later, 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.

7 For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together; the land where they stayed could not support them because of their livestock.

8 So Esau (that is, Edom) settled in the area of Mount Seir.

9 This is the account of Esau, the father of the Edomites, in the area of Mount Seir.

10 These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel son of Esau’s wife Basemath.

11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.

12 Additionally, Timna, a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, gave birth to Amalek. These are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Adah.

13 These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. They are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath.

14 These are 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 are the chiefs among the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: Chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,

16 Korah, ^[a] Gatam, and Amalek. They are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom, and they are the grandsons of Adah.

17 These 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.

18 These 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.

19 All these are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and they were their chiefs.

The Descendants of Seir

20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who were living in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, ²

21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. They are the chiefs of the Horites, the descendants of Seir in the land of Edom.

22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam. ^[b] Timna was Lotan’s sister.

23 These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.

24 These 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.)

25 These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah daughter of Anah.

26 These are the sons of Dishon: ^[c] Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.

27 These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.

28 These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.

29 These are the chiefs of the Horites: Chiefs Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,

30 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. They are the chiefs of the Horites, according to their divisions in the land of Seir.

Genesis 36:1-30 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References

• 1. (1 Chronicles 1:35–37)
• 2. (1 Chronicles 1:38–42)

Footnotes

• [a] Hebrew; SP (also in verse 11 and 1 Chronicles 1:36) does not include Korah.
• [b] Hemam is a variant of Homam; see 1 Chronicles 1:39.
• [c] Hebrew Dishan, a variant of Dishon