Genesis Chapter 36 — The Genealogy of Esau
This chapter documents the genealogy of Esau, detailing his wives, his sons, and his relocation to the hill country of Seir where he founded the nation of Edom.
1Now this is the history of the generations of Esau (that is, Edom).
2Esau took his wives from 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.
4Adah bore to Esau Eliphaz. Basemath bore Reuel.
5Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan.
6Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, with his livestock, all his animals, 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 travels couldn’t bear them because of their livestock.
8Esau lived in the hill country of Seir. Esau is Edom.
9This is the history of the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir:
10these are 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.
11The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz.
12Timna was concubine to Eliphaz, Esau’s son; and she bore to Eliphaz Amalek. These are the descendants of Adah, Esau’s wife.
13These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the descendants of Basemath, Esau’s wife.
14These were the sons of Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife: she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
15These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz,
16chief Korah, chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These are the chiefs who came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom. These are the sons of Adah.
17These are the sons of Reuel, Esau’s son: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah. These are the chiefs who came of Reuel in the land of Edom. These are the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife.
18These are the sons of Oholibamah, Esau’s wife: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah. These are the chiefs who came of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau’s wife.
19These are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these are their chiefs.
20These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,
21Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These are the chiefs who came of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom.
22The children of Lotan were Hori and Heman. Lotan’s sister was Timna.
23These are the children of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.
24These are the children of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. This is Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness, as he fed the donkeys of Zibeon his father.
25These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.
26These are the children of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.
27These are the children of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.
28These are the children of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
29These are the chiefs who came of the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah,
30chief Dishon, chief Ezer, and chief Dishan. These are the chiefs who came of the Horites, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir.
31These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the children of Israel.
32Bela, the son of Beor, reigned in Edom. The name of his city was Dinhabah.
33Bela died, and Jobab, the son of Zerah of Bozrah, reigned in his place.
34Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.
35Husham died, and Hadad, the son of Bedad, who struck Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place. The name of his city was Avith.
36Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place.
37Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth by the river, reigned in his place.
38Shaul died, and Baal Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place.
39Baal Hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his place. The name of his city was Pau. His wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
40These are the names of the chiefs who came from Esau, according to their families, after their places, and by their names: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth,
41chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon,
42chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar,
43chief Magdiel, and 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.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Genesis 36:1
“Now this is the history of the generations of Esau (that is, Edom).”
This verse explicitly identifies Esau as the father of the Edomite nation, bridging the patriarchal story with future history.
Genesis 36:8
“Esau lived in the hill country of Seir. Esau is Edom.”
It confirms the geographical location of Esau's descendants and reinforces his identity as the namesake of the Edomite people.
Genesis 36:31
“These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the children of Israel.”
This provides a historical comparison between the development of the Edomite monarchy and that of the Israelites.
Chapter Summary
Genesis Chapter 36 provides a comprehensive genealogical record of Esau, also known as Edom. Because their collective wealth and livestock were too vast for the land to sustain both families, Esau moved his household away from his brother Jacob and settled in the hill country of Seir. The text lists Esau's wives and their sons, who became the ancestors of the various clans and chiefs of Edom. The chapter also identifies the descendants of Seir the Horite, the original inhabitants of the land, and includes a historical list of the kings who reigned in Edom long before any king ruled over the children of Israel. This detailed account establishes the origins of the Edomite nation and highlights how Esau’s lineage flourished into a organized political entity, fulfilling earlier biblical themes regarding the growth of nations and the separation of the two brothers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Esau left Canaan because the possessions and livestock belonging to both him and his brother Jacob were so numerous that the land could no longer support them dwelling together.
The name Edom is synonymous with Esau. In this chapter, the text repeatedly identifies Esau as Edom, establishing that the Edomite nation originated from him.
The Horites were the original inhabitants of the land of Seir. The chapter lists their chiefs and descendants, showing how they were integrated with or succeeded by Esau's lineage.
Study Note
The frequent repetition of the phrase 'Esau is Edom' throughout the chapter emphasizes the transition from a family history to the history of a specific ethnic and national group.
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