THE GENEALOGY OF ESAU

Chapter 36

The descendants of Esau, called Edomites, are recorded in this chapter of the Bible, not only because he was the son of Isaac, but also because his descendants were neighbours of the people of Israel, and his genealogy helps us to clarify the various episodes in its history, narrated by the Old Testament.

This chapter also shows us the fulfillment of the promise made by God to Abraham that he would be the father of many nations, the declaration of the LORD to Rebekah there were two nations in her womb (Chapter 25:23).

Again we see one of the characteristics of the Word of God, obeying the principle that the spiritual is not the first, but the natural and then the spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:46). The first, the natural, is best in the human sense, but always fails; the spiritual is what comes from God, and is what has success: Adam-Christ; Cain-Abel; posterity of Cain-posterity of Seth; Saul-David; Israel - the true Church, etc.

Here we have little more than names, but they provide us with interesting information:

Esau (hairy) is called Edom here (Red, the same word that Adam), because of the episode of the sale of his right of primogeniture for a soup of lentils.

He had three wives, the first two were Canaanites:

Adah (ornament): also called Basemath, daughter of the Hittite Elon (Genesis 26:34).
Aholibamah (tent of the height) – Genesis 36:2-14: also called Judith (Jewess), daughter of Anah (also called Beeri - chapter 26: 34).
Basemath (fragrance), also called Maalath (lyre) (Genesis 28: 9), daughter of Ishmael and thus second cousin of Esau.

It is curious how the three received three different names from those that they had previously (chapters 28:9 and 36:3). We don't know why, but would it be because the second name is a nickname that best reflects their personality? The first was later called by the first name of the third!

His three wives gave a total of five children, as follows:

Adah:
Eliphaz (God his strength).
Aholibamah:
Jeush (Assembler)
Jaalam (Concealer)
Korah (ice, hail).
Basemath:
Reuel (Friend of God).

Just as had happened between Abraham and Lot, Esau had to move away because the possessions of Jacob were too many for them to inhabit the same land together, the land of Canaan being insufficient to sustain all their cattle. We see how God had blessed Jacob, in compliance with His promise.

Seir (rough, hairy) is the name of the region that was taken over by Esau and his descendants. It is a mountainous region to the South and East of the Dead Sea; largely desert, but rich in natural resources such as salt and, at least during the time it was inhabited, it had good pastureland in numerous valleys between the mountains.

This place was given by God to Esau and his descendants (Deuteronomy 2:5; Joshua 24:4). Its old capital was Bozrah (enclosure, fortress) (Isaiah 63:1), and there was (and still is but now uninhabited) a city excavated in the rock called Sela (lofty, rock, fortress) (Judges 1:36, 2 Kings 14:7), most recently known for its name in the Greek language Petra; this is a place connected with the prophecies of the second coming of Christ to judge the world at the end of the great tribulation (Luke 21:24; Revelation 16:14; Psalm 137:7; Obadiah 1:3, 8-16; Isaiah 16:1, 34:1-8; 63:1-6; Jeremiah 49:14-22; Ezekiel 25:12-14).

Further on in this chapter, we come to the names of the children and grandchildren of Esau, without further details. To facilitate understanding, they can be tabulated as follows:

Eliphaz:

Teman, which gave its name to a place in Idumea land south of the children of the East, often mentioned in the old testament, famous for the wisdom of its inhabitants (Amos 1: 12; Obadiah 1: 8; Jeremiah 49: 7; Ezekiel 25: 13).
Omar (eloquent), currently famous because of the mosque of Omar in Jerusalem, on the ruins of King Solomon's temple.
Zepho
Korah (Ice, Hail).
Gatam
Kenaz (Hunter).
Amalek (Inhabitant of the Valley).

Reuel:

Nahath (Rest).
Zerah (Sunrise).
Shammah (Desert).
Mizzah (Desperation)
Jeush
Jaalam
Korah

These fourteen grandchildren, princes, initiated a tribe each one.

The following are the offspring of Seir the Horite, who occupied this land previously:

Lotan: children Hori and Hemam
Shobal: sons Alvan, Manahath, Shepho, Ebal, and Onam.
Zibeon: children Ajah, Anah (found mules in the desert).
Anah: sons Dishon and Aholibamah (daughter).
Dishon: sons Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran and Cheran.
Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan children and Akan.
Dishan: children Uz and Aran,
Daughter: Timna.

Later, the chapter lists the names of the kings of Edom, before there was a king over the children of Israel, and of the princes of Esau.

The last famous Edomite that appears in the Bible is the cruel Herod the great, responsible for the slaughter of children in Judaea after the birth of Jesus Christ, whose son killed John the Baptist and sent the LORD Jesus to Pilate to condemn him to death.

R David Jones

1 Now this is the genealogy of Esau, who is Edom.
2 Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite; Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;
3 and Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth.
4 Now Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bore Reuel.
5 And Aholibamah bore Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah. These were 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 persons of his household, his cattle and all his animals, and all his goods which he had gained in the land of Canaan, and went to a country away from the presence of his brother Jacob.
7 For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together, and the land where they were strangers could not support them because of their livestock.
8 So Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom.
9 And this is the genealogy of Esau the father of the Edomites in Mount Seir.
10 These were the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, and Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau.
11 And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.
12 Now Timna was the concubine of Eliphaz, Esau's son, and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These were the sons of Adah, Esau's wife.
13 These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife.
14 These were the sons of Aholibamah, Esau's wife, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon. And she bore to Esau: Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah.
15 These were the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn son of Esau, were Chief Teman, Chief Omar, Chief Zepho, Chief Kenaz,
16 Chief Korah, Chief Gatam, and Chief Amalek. These were the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom. They were the sons of Adah.
17 These were the sons of Reuel, Esau's son: Chief Nahath, Chief Zerah, Chief Shammah, and Chief Mizzah. These were the chiefs of Reuel in the land of Edom. These were the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife.
18 And these were the sons of Aholibamah, Esau's wife: Chief Jeush, Chief Jaalam, and Chief Korah. These were the chiefs who descended from Aholibamah, Esau's wife, the daughter of Anah.
19 These were the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these were their chiefs.
20 These were the sons of Seir the Horite who inhabited the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,
21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Seir, in the land of Edom.
22 And the sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam. Lotan's sister was Timna.
23 These were the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.
24 These were the sons of Zibeon: both Ajah and Anah. This was the Anah who found the water in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon.
25 These were the children of Anah: Dishon and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah.
26 These were the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.
27 These were the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.
28 These were the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
29 These were the chiefs of the Horites: Chief Lotan, Chief Shobal, Chief Zibeon, Chief Anah,
30 Chief Dishon, Chief Ezer, and Chief Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir.
31 Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel:
32 Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom, and the name of his city was Dinhabah.
33 And when Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place.
34 When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.
35 And when Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who attacked Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place. And the name of his city was Avith.
36 When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place.
37 And when Samlah died, Saul of Rehoboth-by-the-River reigned in his place.
38 When Saul died, Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place.
39 And when Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor died, Hadar reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Pau. His wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
40 And these were the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families and their places, by their names: Chief Timnah, Chief Alvah, Chief Jetheth,
41 Chief Aholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon,
42 Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar,
43 Chief Magdiel, and Chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their dwelling places in the land of their possession. Esau was the father of the Edomites.

Genesis chapter 36