Genesis 36

1 These are the descendants of Esau (that is, Edom).

2 Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholiba'mah the daughter of Anah the son of Zib'eon the Hivite,

3 and Bas'emath, Ish'mael's daughter, the sister of Neba'ioth.

4 And Adah bore to Esau, El'iphaz; Bas'emath bore Reu'el;

5 and Oholiba'mah bore Je'ush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

6 Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his cattle, all his beasts, and all his property which he had acquired in the land of Canaan; and he went into a land away from his brother Jacob.

7 For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together; the land of their sojournings could not support them because of their cattle.

8 So Esau dwelt in the hill country of Se'ir; Esau is Edom.

9 These are the descendants of Esau the father of the E'domites in the hill country of Se'ir.

10 These are the names of Esau's sons: El'iphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reu'el the son of Bas'emath the wife of Esau.

11 The sons of El'iphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.

12 (Timna was a concubine of El'iphaz, Esau's son; she bore Am'alek to El'iphaz.) These are the sons of Adah, Esau's wife.

13 These are the sons of Reu'el: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These are the sons of Bas'emath, Esau's wife.

14 These are the sons of Oholiba'mah the daughter of Anah the son of Zib'eon, Esau's wife: she bore to Esau Je'ush, Jalam, and Korah.

15 These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of El'iphaz the first-born of Esau: the chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,

16 Korah, Gatam, and Am'alek; these are the chiefs of El'iphaz in the land of Edom; they are the sons of Adah.

17 These are the sons of Reu'el, Esau's son: the chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah; these are the chiefs of Reu'el in the land of Edom; they are the sons of Bas'emath, Esau's wife.

18 These are the sons of Oholiba'mah, Esau's wife: the chiefs Je'ush, Jalam, and Korah; these are the chiefs born of Oholiba'mah the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife.

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

20 These are the sons of Se'ir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zib'eon, Anah,

21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Se'ir in the land of Edom.

22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Heman; and Lotan's sister was Timna.

23 These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Man'ahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.

24 These are the sons of Zib'eon: A'iah and Anah; he is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness, as he pastured the asses of Zib'eon his father.

25 These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholiba'mah the daughter of Anah.

26 These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.

27 These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Za'avan, and Akan.

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

29 These are the chiefs of the Horites: the chiefs Lotan, Shobal, Zib'eon, Anah,

30 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the chiefs of the Horites, according to their clans in the land of Se'ir.

31 These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the Israelites.

32 Bela the son of Be'or reigned in Edom, the name of his city being Din'habah.

33 Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.

34 Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Te'manites reigned in his stead.

35 Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Mid'ian in the country of Moab, reigned in his stead, the name of his city being Avith.

36 Hadad died, and Samlah of Masre'kah reigned in his stead.

37 Samlah died, and Shaul of Reho'both on the Euphra'tes reigned in his stead.

38 Shaul died, and Ba'al-ha'nan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.

39 Ba'al-ha'nan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead, the name of his city being Pau; his wife's name was Mehet'abel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Me'zahab.

40 These are the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families and their dwelling places, by their names: the chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth,

41 Oholiba'mah, Elah, Pinon,

42 Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar,

43 Mag'diel, and Iram; these are the chiefs of Edom (that is, Esau, the father of Edom), according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession.

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.