10 These are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz, the son of Esau's wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esau's wife Basemath.
And Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. Adah had a son Eliphaz; and Basemath was the mother of Reuel;
The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel and Jeush and Jalam and Korah. The sons of Eliphaz: Teman and Omar, Zephi and Gatam, Kenaz and Timna and Amalek. The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. And the sons of Seir: Lotan and Shobal and Zibeon and Anah and Dishon and Ezer and Dishan. And the sons of Lotan: Hori and Homam; and Timna was Lotan's sister. The sons of Shobal: Alian and Manahath and Ebal, Shephi and Onam. And the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. The sons of Anah: Dishon. And the sons of Dishon: Hamran and Eshban and Ithran and Cheran. The sons of Ezer: Bilhan and Zaavan, Jaakan. The sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. Now these are the kings who were ruling in the land of Edom, before there was any king over Israel: Bela, the son of Beor; his town was named Dinhabah. At his death, Jobab, the son of Zerah of Bozrah, became king in his place. At the death of Jobab, Husham, from the land of the Temanites, became king in his place. And at the death of Husham, Hadad, the son of Bedad, who overcame Midian in the field of Moab, became king; his town was named Avith. And at the death of Hadad, Samlah of Masrekah became king in his place. And at the death of Samlah, Shaul of Rehoboth by the river became king in his place, And at the death of Shaul, Baal-hanan, the son of Achbor, became king in his place. And at the death of Baal-hanan, Hadad became king in his place; his town was named Pai, and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-zahab. And Hadad came to his end. Now the chiefs of Edom were: the chief of Timna, the chief of Aliah, the chief of Jetheth, The chief of Oholibamah, the chief of Elah, the chief of Pinon, The chief of Kenaz, the chief of Teman, the chief of Mibzar, The chief of Magdiel, the chief of Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom.
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Commentary on Genesis 36 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 36
Ge 36:1-43. Posterity of Esau.
1. these are the generations—history of the leading men and events (compare Ge 2:4).
Esau who is Edom—A name applied to him in reference to the peculiar color of his skin at birth [Ge 25:25], rendered more significant by his inordinate craving for the red pottage [Ge 25:30], and also by the fierce sanguinary character of his descendants (compare Eze 25:12; Ob 10).
2, 3. Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan—There were three, mentioned under different names; for it is evident that Bashemath is the same as Mahalath (Ge 28:9), since they both stand in the relation of daughter to Ishmael and sister to Nebajoth; and hence it may be inferred that Adah is the same as Judith, Aholibamah as Bathsemath (Ge 26:34). It was not unusual for women, in that early age, to have two names, as Sarai was also Iscah [Ge 11:29]; and this is the more probable in the case of Esau's wives, who of course would have to take new names when they went from Canaan to settle in mount Seir.
6, 7. Esau … went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob—literally, "a country," without any certain prospect of a settlement. The design of this historical sketch of Esau and his family is to show how the promise (Ge 27:39, 40) was fulfilled. In temporal prosperity he far exceeds his brother; and it is remarkable that, in the overruling providence of God, the vast increase of his worldly substance was the occasion of his leaving Canaan and thus making way for the return of Jacob.
8. Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir—This was divinely assigned as his possession (Jos 24:4; De 2:5).
15-19. dukes—The Edomites, like the Israelites, were divided into tribes, which took their names from his sons. The head of each tribe was called by a term which in our version is rendered "duke"—not of the high rank and wealth of a British peer, but like the sheiks or emirs of the modern East, or the chieftains of highland clans. Fourteen are mentioned who flourished contemporaneously.
20-30. Sons of Seir, the Horite—native dukes, who were incorporated with those of the Edomite race.
24. This was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness—The word "mules" is, in several ancient versions, rendered "water springs"; and this discovery of some remarkable fountain was sufficient, among a wandering or pastoral people, to entitle him to such a distinguishing notice.
31-39. kings of Edom—The royal power was not built on the ruins of the dukedoms, but existed at the same time.
40-43. Recapitulation of the dukes according to their residences.