Genesis 36

1 Forsooth these be the generations of Esau; he is (also called) Edom.
2 Esau took wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah, the daughter of Elon (the) Hittite, and Oholibamah (and Aholibamah), the daughter of Anah, the son of Zibeon (the) Hivite;
3 also Bashemath (and Bashemath), the daughter of Ishmael, the sister of Nebajoth.
4 And Adah childed Eliphaz; Bashemath childed Reuel;
5 Oholibamah childed Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah (and Aholibamah gave birth to Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah). These were the sons of Esau, that were born to him in the land of Canaan.
6 Soothly Esau took his wives, and his sons, and (his) daughters, and each soul of his house(hold), and his cattle, and (his) sheep, and all things which he had in the land of Canaan, and went into another country (and went to another country), and (so) departed from his brother Jacob;
7 for they were full rich, and they might not dwell together, and the land of their pilgrimage sustained not them, for the multitude of flocks. (for they were both very rich, and they could not live together, for the land where they now were could not sustain them both, for the multitude of their flocks.)
8 And Esau dwelled in the hill of Seir; he is Edom. (And so Esau lived in the hill country of Seir; he is also called Edom.)
9 Forsooth these were the generations of Esau, father of Edom, in the hill of Seir, (And these were the descendants of Esau, the father of the Edomites, in the hill country of Seir,)
10 and these were the names of his sons; Eliphaz, the son of Adah, (the) wife of Esau, also Reuel (and Reuel), the son of Bashemath, (the) wife of Esau.
11 And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz.
12 Forsooth Timna was the secondary wife of Eliphaz, Esau('s) son, which Timna childed to him Amalek (And Timna was the concubine of Eliphaz, Esau's son, and Timna bare Amalek for him). These were the sons of Adah, Esau's wife.
13 Forsooth the sons of Reuel were Nahath, and Zerah, and Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Bashemath, Esau's wife.
14 And these were the sons of Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, son of Zibeon, Esau's wife, which she childed to him; Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah. (And these were the sons of Esau's wife Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, whom she bare for him; Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.)
15 These were (the) dukes of the sons of Esau; the sons of Eliphaz, the first engendered of Esau (Esau's first-born son); duke Teman, duke Omar, duke Zepho, duke Kenaz,
16 duke Korah, duke Gatam, and duke Amalek. These were the sons of Eliphaz, in the land of Edom, and these were the sons of Adah.
17 Also these were the sons of Reuel, Esau's son; duke Nahath, duke Zerah, duke Shammah, duke Mizzah; forsooth these dukes were of Reuel, in the land of Edom. These were the sons of Bashemath, Esau's wife. (And these were the sons of Reuel, Esau's son; duke Nahath, duke Zerah, duke Shammah, and duke Mizzah; these were the leaders who came from Reuel, in the land of Edom. These were the sons of Esau's wife Bashemath.)
18 Forsooth these were the sons of Oholibamah, Esau's wife; duke Jeush, duke Jaalam, duke Korah; these were [the] dukes of Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife. (And these were the sons of Esau's wife Aholibamah; duke Jeush, duke Jaalam, and duke Korah; these were the leaders who came from Esau's wife Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah.)
19 These were the sons of Esau, and these were dukes of them (and they were their leaders); he is (also called) Edom.
20 (And) These were the sons of Seir (the) Horite, inhabiters of the land (the people of the land); Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah,
21 and Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan; these dukes were of Horites (these were the leaders of the Horites), the son[s] of Seir, in the land of Edom.
22 Forsooth the sons of Lotan were Hori, and Hemam; soothly the sister of Lotan was Timna.
23 And these were the sons of Shobal; Alvan, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.
24 And these were the sons of Zibeon; Ajah, and Anah; this is Ahan that found hot waters in the wilderness, when he kept the asses of Zibeon, his father (this is that Ahan who found some mules in the wilderness, when he kept the donkeys of his father Zibeon);
25 and he had a son, Dishon, and a daughter, Oholibamah. (and Anah had a son, Dishon, and a daughter, Aholibamah.)
26 And these were the sons of Dishon; Hemdan, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.
27 Also these were the sons of Ezer (And these were the sons of Ezer); Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Akan.
28 And Dishon had sons; Uz, and Aran.
29 These were the dukes of Horites (These were the leaders of the Horites); duke Lotan, duke Shobal, duke Zibeon, duke Anah,
30 duke Dishon, duke Ezer, duke Dishan; these were the dukes of Horites, that were lords in the land of Seir (duke Dishon, duke Ezer, and duke Dishan; these were the leaders of the Horites, who were the rulers in the land of Seir.)
31 Forsooth [the] kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before that the sons of Israel had a king, were these; (And the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before the Israelites had their own king, were these;)
32 Bela, the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah.
33 Forsooth Bela died, and (then) Jobab, the son of Zerah of Bozrah, reigned for him.
34 And when Jobab was dead (And when Jobab died), Husham of the land of Temani reigned for him.
35 And when he was dead, Hadad, the son of Bedad, that smote Midian in the land of Moab, and the name of his city was Avith, reigned for him. (And when Husham died, Hadad, the son of Bedad, who struck down the Midianites in the land of Moab, reigned for him, and the name of his city was Avith.)
36 And when Hadad was dead (And when Hadad died), Samlah of Masrekah reigned for him.
37 And when he was dead, Saul of the flood [of] Rehoboth reigned for him. (And when Samlah died, Saul from Rehoboth-on-the-River reigned for him.)
38 And when he was dead, Baalhanan, the son of Achbor, was successor into the realm. (And when Saul died, Baalhanan, the son of Achbor, was his successor in the kingdom.)
39 And when he was dead (And when Baalhanan died), Hadar reigned for him, and the name of the city of Hadar was Pau, and the name of his wife was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
40 Therefore these were the names of the dukes of Esau (And so these were the names of the leaders of the people of Esau), in their kindreds, and places, and (by their) names; duke Timnah, duke Alvah, duke Jetheth,
41 duke Oholibamah (duke Aholibamah), duke Elah, duke Pinon,
42 duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar,
43 duke Magdiel, duke Iram; these were the dukes of Edom, dwelling in the land of his lordship; he was Esau, the father of Idumeans. (duke Magdiel, and duke Iram; these were the leaders of Edom, living in the land of their possession; and Esau is 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

Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.