Genesis36
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1Now these are the generations of Esau (the same is Edom).
2Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite,
3and Basemath Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebaioth.
4And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz; and Basemath bare Reuel;
5and Oholibamah bare Jeush, and Jalam, and Korah: these are the sons of Esau, that were born unto him in the land of Canaan.
6And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the souls of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his possessions, which he had gathered in the land of Canaan; and went into a land away from his brother Jacob.
7For their substance was too great for them to dwell together; and the land of their sojournings could not bear them because of their cattle.
8And Esau dwelt in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.
9And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir:
10these are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau.
11And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz.
12And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau’s son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these are the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife.
13And these are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah: these were the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife.
14And these were the sons of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife: and she bare to Esau Jeush, and Jalam, and Korah.
15These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the first-born of Esau: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz,
16chief Korah, chief Gatam, chief Amalek: these are the chiefs that came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah.
17And these are the sons of Reuel, Esau’s son: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah: these are the chiefs that came of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife.
18And these are the sons of Oholibamah, Esau’s wife: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah: these are the chiefs that came of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau’s wife.
19These are the sons of Esau, and these are their chiefs: the same is Edom.
20These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan and Shobal and Zibeon and Anah,
21and Dishon and Ezer and Dishan: these are the chiefs that came of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom.
22And the children of Lotan were Hori and Heman; and Lotan’s sister was Timna.
23And these are the children of Shobal: Alvan and Manahath and Ebal, Shepho and Onam.
24And these are the children of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah; this is Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.
25And these are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah.
26And these are the children of Dishon: Hemdan and Eshban and Ithran and Cheran.
27These are the children of Ezer: Bilhan and Zaavan and Akan.
28These are the children of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
29These are the chiefs that came of the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah,
30chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief Dishan: these are the chiefs that came of the Horites, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir.
31And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel.
32And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom; and the name of his city was Dinhabah.
33And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.
34And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead.
35And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith.
36And Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.
37And Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the River reigned in his stead.
38And Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.
39And Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-zahab.
40And these are the names of the chiefs that came of Esau, according to their families, after their places, by their names: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth,
41chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon,
42chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar,
43chief Magdiel, chief Iram: these are the chiefs of Edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession. This is Esau, the father of the Edomites.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Genesis 36.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Esau and his descendants. (1-43).
vv1-43
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, Lu 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.
Key Words
תּוֹלְדָה: (plural only) descent, i.e. family; (figuratively) history
עֵשָׂו: Esav, a son of Isaac, including his posterity
אֱדֹם: Edom, the elder twin-brother of Jacob; hence the region (Idumaea) occupied by him
לָקַח: to take (in the widest variety of applications)
אִשָּׁה: a woman
עָדָה: Adah, the name of two women
בַּת: a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively)
אֵילוֹן: Elon, the name of a place in Palestine, and also of one Hittite, two Israelites
חִתִּי: a Chittite, or descendant of Cheth
אׇהֳלִיבָמָה: Oholibamah, a wife of Esau
Cross References
Genesis 36Joshua notes God gave Mount Seir to Esau for his possession, matching Esau dwelling there.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Moses records that God gave Mount Seir to Esau for a possession, confirming the narrative.
Supported by JFB
Israel is commanded not to abhor an Edomite, because he is a brother.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Provides the initial names of Esau's Hittite and Hivite wives, reconciling genealogical differences.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Records Esau marrying Mahalath (Bashemath), Ishmael's daughter and sister of Nebajoth.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
God declares He laid Esau's mountains waste, contrasting with Jacob's inheritance.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Introduces Amalek, son of Eliphaz, whose descendants became Israel's perpetual enemies starting at Rephidim.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Explains why Esau is called Edom, referencing the red pottage for which he sold his birthright.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Parallel separation of Abraham and Lot due to their vast possessions, similar to Jacob and Esau.
Supported by John Calvin
Eliphaz the Temanite, Job's friend, descended from Esau's firstborn Eliphaz and his son Teman.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Balaam prophesies that Edom shall be a possession, and Amalek's end shall be destruction.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Explains how the descendants of Esau destroyed and succeeded the Horites of Seir.
Supported by JFB
The parallel genealogical register of Esau's sons in the Chronicles.
Supported by John Calvin
God promised kings would come from Jacob, yet Edom had kings first, testing Israel's faith.
Supported by John Calvin