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Genesis Chapter
Thirty-six
Genesis 36
Outlines
New King James Version
(NKJV)
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, Genesis 36:1; of
his sons' sons, or grandsons, who were dukes in the land of Edom, Genesis 36:11;
after which is inserted a genealogy of Seir the Horite, into whose family Esau
married, and of his children, and the dukes among them, Genesis 36:20; then
follows a list of the kings of Edom, before there were any in Israel, Genesis 36:31; and
the chapter is closed with a brief narration of the dukes of Esau, according to
their families, Genesis 36:40.
Genesis 36:1. Now
this is the genealogy of Esau, who is Edom.
YLT 1And these [are] births of
Esau, who [is] Edom.
Now these are
the generations of Esau, who is Edom.
Who was surnamed Edom,
from the red pottage he sold his birthright for to his brother Jacob, Genesis 25:30; an
account is given of him, and his posterity, not only because he was a son of
Isaac, lately made mention of as concerned in his burial; but because his
posterity would be often taken notice of in the sacred Scriptures, and so their
genealogy would serve to illustrate such passages; and MaimonidesF13Moreh
Nevochim, par. 3. c. 50. p. 510. thinks the principal reason is, that whereas
Amalek, a branch of Esau's family, were to be destroyed by an express command
of God, it was necessary that all the rest should be particularly described,
lest they should all perish together; but other ends are answered hereby, as
partly to show the fulfilment of the promise to Abraham, concerning the
multiplication of his seed, and the accomplishment of the oracle to Rebekah,
signifying that two nations were in her womb, one of which were those Edomites;
as also to observe how the blessing of Isaac his father came upon him with
effect, Genesis 22:17.
Genesis 36:2. 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;
YLT 2Esau hath taken his wives
from the daughters of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah
daughter of Anah, daughter of Zibeon the Hivite,
And Esau took
his wives of the daughters of Canaan,....
Of the Canaanites, the
posterity of cursed Canaan, most of them were of them, though not all, the two
following were, and so those, if different from them in Genesis 26:34, one
of his wives was of the family of Ishmael, as after related:
Adah the
daughter of Elon the Hittite;
according to Jarchi and
Aben Ezra, this is the same with Bashemath, Genesis 26:34; and
that she had two names:
and Aholibamah
the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;
the daughter of the one,
and the granddaughter of the other, it being usual in Scripture to call
grandchildren children, for Zibeon and Anah were father and son, Genesis 36:24; and
the Samaritan, Septuagint, and Syriac versions read here, "the daughter of
Anah the son of Zibeon": there are an Anah and a Zibeon who were brethren,
Genesis 36:20;
wherefore Aben Ezra supposes that these two brothers, or the father and son,
lay with the same woman, and it could not be known whose child it was that was
born of her, and therefore this was called the daughter of them both. Jarchi
supposes this wife of Esau to be the same with Judith, Genesis 26:34; but
not only the names differ, but also the names of their fathers, and of the
tribe or nation they were of.
Genesis 36:3. 3 and
Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebajoth.
YLT 3and Bashemath daughter of
Ishmael, sister of Nebajoth.
And Bashemath,
Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebaioth,....
The eldest son of Ishmael,
see Genesis 28:9;
called there Mahalath.
Genesis 36:4. 4 Now
Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bore Reuel.
YLT 4And Adah beareth to Esau,
Eliphaz; and Bashemath hath born Reuel;
And Adah bare
to Esau Eliphaz,....
This son of Esau,
according to JeromF14Trad. Heb. in Gen. fol. 71. L. tom. 3. , is the
same with him mentioned in the book of Job, as one of his friends that came to
visit him, Job 2:11; and so
says the Targum of Jonathan on Genesis 36:10; but
he rather was the grandson of this man, since he is called the Temanite:
and Bashemath
bare Reuel;
the name is the same with
Reuel or Raguel, the name of Jethro; but cannot be the same person as is said
by some, for he was a Midianite and not an Edomite, Exodus 2:18.
Genesis 36:5. 5 And
Aholibamah bore Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau
who were born to him in the land of Canaan.
YLT 5and Aholibamah hath born
Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah. These [are] sons of Esau, who were born to him in
the land of Canaan.
And Aholibamah
bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah,....
In this genealogy mention
is made of another Korah among the sons of Eliphaz, Genesis 36:16;
which Jarchi thinks is the same with this, and takes him to be a bastard, and
begotten in incest by Eliphaz, on his father's wife Aholibamah; but Aben Ezra
observes, that some are of opinion that there were two Korahs, one the son of
Aholibamah, and the other the son of Adah; but he thinks there were but one,
which was the son of Aholibamah, and is reckoned among the sons of Eliphaz,
because he dwelt among them; or perhaps his mother died when he was little, and
Adah brought him up with her sons, and so was reckoned her son; such were the
children of Michal, Saul's daughter:
these are
the sons of Esau, which were born to him in the land of Canaan;
and we do not read of any
born to him elsewhere; so that of all his wives, which some think were four,
others five, he had but five sons; what daughters he had is not related, though
from Genesis 36:6, it
appears he had some.
Genesis 36:6. 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.
YLT 6And Esau taketh his wives,
and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle,
and all his beasts, and all his substance which he hath acquired in the land of
Canaan, and goeth into the country from the face of Jacob his brother;
And Esau took
his wives, and his sons, and his daughters,....
The names of his wives and
sons are before given; but what were the names of his daughters, or their
number, is not said:
and all the
persons of his house:
his menservants and
maidservants that were born in his house, or bought with his money; the word
for "persons" signifies "souls"F15נפשות "animus", Pagninus, Montanus, &c. , and
is sometimes used for slaves that are bought and sold, see Ezekiel 27:13,
and his cattle,
and all his beasts;
his sheep and oxen, camels
and asses:
and all his
substance which he had got in the land of Canaan:
before he went to Seir the
first time, part of which he might leave behind in Canaan, with servants to
improve it; and also that part of his father's personal estate which fell to
him at his death, as well as what he might further acquire after his death,
during his stay in Canaan:
and went into
the country from the face of his brother Jacob;
not into another part of
the same country; but into another country, as the Targums of Onkelos and
Jonathan supply it, and so the Arabic version, even unto Seir, as appears by
what follows; and whither he had been before, and had obtained large
possessions, and now having got all he could at his father's death, and collecting
together all his other substance, thought fit to retire from thence to Seir,
which he liked better, and for a reason afterwards given; God thus disposing
his mind, and making the circumstances of things necessary, that he should
remove in order to make way for Jacob, and his posterity, to dwell in a land
which was designed for them: and so the Samaritan and Septuagint versions read
it, "and he went out of the land of Canaan": and the Syriac version
is, "and he went to the land of Seir". Some render the words to this
sense, that he went thither "before the coming of Jacob"F16מפני יעקב "ante
adventum", Jahakobi, Junius & Tremellius. ; and it is true that he did
go thither before his brother came again into Canaan; but of this the text
speaks not, for what follows will not agree with it; others better,
"because of Jacob"F17"Propter Jacobum",
Piscarat. ; not for fear of him, as the Targum of Jonathan, which paraphrases
the words,"for the terror of his brother Jacob was cast upon him;'but
because he knew, by the blessing of his father, and the oracle of God, and his
concurring providence in all things, that the land of Canaan belonged to him,
and also for a reason that follows.
Genesis 36:7. 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.
YLT 7for their substance was
more abundant than to dwell together, and the land of their sojournings was not
able to bear them because of their cattle;
For their
riches were more than that they might dwell together,....
And therefore it was
proper to part, as Abraham and Lot had done before, Genesis 13:6,
and the land
wherein they were strangers could not bear them, because of their cattle;
their cattle were so
numerous that they could not get pasturage for them, there not being enough
left them by the inhabitants of it for them to occupy; nor could they hire land
of them sufficient for them both; they being not possessors but sojourners in
it, and therefore could have no more of it than the inhabitants thought fit to
let unto them.
Genesis 36:8. 8 So
Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom.
YLT 8and Esau dwelleth in mount
Seir: Esau is Edom.
Thus dwelt Esau
in Mount Seir,....
Before he is said to be in
the land of Seir, Genesis 32:3; now
to dwell in a mount of that name; from which driving the Horites, he seized
upon and dwelt in it; it had not its name from his own rough, shaggy hair, as
Josephus saysF18Antiqu. l. 1. c. 20. sect. 3. , much less from the
satyrs, and hairy demons that frequented it, as R. Abraham SebaF19Tzeror
Hammor, fol. 47. 1. , but rather from Seir the Horite who inhabited the land, Genesis 36:20;
unless he had his name from the mountain which might be so called, from its
being rough and rugged like shaggy hair, and being covered with bushes and
brambles which carried such a resemblance; and so it stands opposed to Mount
Halak near it, Joshua 11:17, which
signifies the bald or smooth mountain, being destitute of shrubs, &c. The
Targum of Jonathan calls this mountain Mount Gabla, and one part of the land of
Edom, or Idumea, was called Gobolites, as JosephusF20Antiqu. l. 2.
c. 1. sect. 2. relates, perhaps the same with Gebal, Psalm 83:7; hither
Esau went and took up his residence, after things were amicably adjusted
between him and his brother Jacob; the Jews sayF21Pirke Eliezer, c.
38. fol. 43. 1. , that Isaac left, all he had to his two sons, and that after
they had buried him, Esau said to Jacob, let us divide what our father has left
us into two parts, and I will choose because I am the firstborn; so Jacob
divided it into two parts; all that his father had left he made one part, and
the land of Israel the other part, and Esau took what his father left, see Genesis 36:6; and
the land of Israel and the cave of Machpelah he delivered to Jacob, and they
drew up everlasting writings between them. Now this or something like it being
the case, and those the circumstances of fixings, thus, and by that means, so
it came to pass, that Esau dwelt in Seir; and Jacob remained secure and quiet
in the land of Canaan:
Esau is
Edom,
so called from the red
pottage he had of Jacob, which is repeated to fix the odium of that transaction
upon him, as well as for the sake of what follows, showing the reason why his
posterity were called Edomites.
Genesis 36:9. 9 And
this is the genealogy of Esau the father of the Edomites in Mount Seir.
YLT 9And these [are] births of
Esau, father of Edom, in mount Seir.
And these are
the generations of Esau,....
Or the posterity of Esau,
his children and grandchildren, as before and hereafter related:
the father of
the Edomites in Mount Seir;
from whom they of that
mountain and in the adjacent country had the name of Edomites or Idumeans.
Genesis 36:10. 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.
YLT 10These [are] the names of the
sons of Esau: Eliphaz son of Adah, wife of Esau; Reuel son of Bashemath, wife
of Esau.
These are the
names of Esau's sons,....
In this and some following
verses, an account is given of the sons of Esau, which agrees with what is
before observed, and of his sons' sons:
Eliphaz the son
of Adah the wife of Esau:
who seems to be his first
wife, and this his first son:
Reuel the son
of Bashemath and wife of Esau;
his second son by another
wife, a daughter of Ishmael, Genesis 36:3.
Genesis 36:11. 11 And the sons of Eliphaz
were Teman, Omar, Zepho,[a] Gatam, and
Kenaz.
YLT 11And the sons of Eliphaz are
Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz;
And the sons of
Eliphaz were Teman,....
This was his firstborn,
and from him the city of Teman in Edom or Idumea had its name, see Jeremiah 49:7; and
Eliphaz is called the Temanite from hence, Job 2:11; four more
sons are mentioned:
Omar, Zepho,
and Gatam, and Kenaz;
but I do not find that any
towns or cities, or any part of the land of Edom, were denominated from any of
them; only it may be observed that Zepho is called Zephi in 1 Chronicles 1:36;
the account seems fabulous and not to be depended on, which Josephus Ben GorionF23Hist.
Heb. l. 1. c. 2. vid. Chizzuk Emunab, par. l. c. 6. p. 66. & Nachman apud
Buxtorf. Lex. Talmud. col. 31, 32. gives of him, of opposing the burial of
Jacob, being taken by Joseph and carried into Egypt, and at his death fleeing
to Carthage, and from thence to the Romans, and was king of themF24Vid.
Huls. Theolog. Jud. par. 1. p. 132, &c. .
Genesis 36:12. 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.
YLT 12and Timnath hath been
concubine to Eliphaz son of Esau, and she beareth to Eliphaz, Amalek; these
[are] sons of Adah wife of Esau.
And Timna was
concubine to Eliphaz, Esau's son,....
She is said to be the
sister of Lotan, the eldest son of Seir the Horite, Genesis 36:22; in 1 Chronicles 1:36
mention is made of Timna among the sons of Eliphaz, and of Duke Timnah here, Genesis 36:40; and
GerundinsisF25Apud Menasseh ben Israel, conciliator in Gen. Quaest.
57. p. 81. is of opinion, that Timnah the concubine of Eliphaz, after she had
bore Amalek, conceived and bore another son, and she dying in childbirth, he
called it by her name to perpetuate her memory: but Jarchi says, that Eliphaz
lay with Lotan's mother, the wife of Seir the Horite, of whom was born Timna,
and when she grew up she became his concubine, and so was both his daughter and
his concubine:
and she bare to
Eliphaz Amalek;
from whence the Amalekites
sprung, often mentioned in Scripture, whom the Israelites were commanded
utterly to destroy, 1 Samuel 15:18,
these were
the sons of Adah, Esau's wife;
that is, her grandsons.
Genesis 36:13. 13 These
were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were
the sons of Basemath, Esau’s wife.
YLT 13And these [are] sons of
Reuel: Nahath and Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah; these were sons of Bashemath wife
of Esau.
And these are
the sons of Reuel,....
Another son of Esau's;
this man had four sons, as follow:
Nahath, and
Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah:
of whom we know no more
than their names, unless Maps or Massa, which PtolemyF26Geograph. l.
5. c. 16. places in Idumea, should have its name from Mizzah:
these were the
sons of Bashemath, Esau's wife;
her grandsons, as before.
Genesis 36:14. 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.
YLT 14And these have been the
sons of Aholibamah daughter of Anah, daughter of Zibeon, wife of Esau; and she
beareth to Esau, Jeush and Jaalam and Korah.
And these were
the sons of Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, Esau's
wife,....
See Gill on Genesis 36:2; here
also the Samaritan and Septuagint versions read, "the daughter of Anah,
the son of Zibeon":
and she bare to
Esau, Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah;
this is repeated from Genesis 36:5; no
mention is made of her grandchildren, as of his other wives.
Genesis 36:15. 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,
YLT 15These [are] chiefs of the sons
of Esau: sons of Eliphaz, first-born of Esau: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief
Zepho, chief Kenaz,
These were
dukes of the sons of Esau,....
Ben Melech says, the
difference between a duke and a king was, that a king is crowned and a duke is
not crowned; but Jarchi interprets the word of heads of families, which seems
probable; so that as Esau's sons and grandsons are before related, here it is
suggested that they had large and numerous families, of which they were the
heads and governors; and in this and the following verses, Genesis 36:16; the
sons and grandsons of Esau by his several wives are rehearsed as in the
preceding verses, with the title of "duke" given to each of them.
Genesis 36:16. 16 Chief
Korah,[b] Chief
Gatam, and Chief Amalek. These were the chiefs of Eliphaz in the
land of Edom. They were the sons of Adah.
YLT 16chief Korah, chief Gatam,
chief Amalek; these [are] chiefs of Eliphaz, in the land of Edom; these [are]
sons of Adah.
Duke Korah,....
Only among the sons of
Eliphaz is reckoned Duke Korah, not before mentioned among his sons, and is
left out in the Samaritan version; See Gill on Genesis 36:7; to
which it may be added, that according to GerundinsisF1Apud Menaasseh
ut supra. (conciliator in Gen. Quaest. 57. p. 81.) , this is the same with
Timna, related among the sons of Eliphaz, 1 Chronicles 1:36;
who was called by his father Korah: or this might be a grandson of Eliphaz.
Genesis 36:17. 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.
YLT 17And these [are] sons of
Reuel son of Esau: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah;
these [are] chiefs of Reuel, in the land of Edom; these [are] sons of Bashemath
wife of Esau.
And these are
the sons of Reuel....
See Gill on Genesis 36:15.
Genesis 36:18. 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.
YLT 18And these [are] sons of
Aholibamah wife of Esau: chief Jeush, chief Jaalam, chief Korah; these [are]
chiefs of Aholibamah daughter of Anah, wife of Esau.
And these are
the sons of Aholibamah Esua's wife;....
See Gill on Genesis 36:15.
Genesis 36:19. 19 These
were the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these were their chiefs.
YLT 19These [are] sons of Esau
(who [is] Edom), and these their chiefs.
These are
the sons of Esua,....
See Gill on Genesis 36:15.
Genesis 36:20. 20 These
were the sons of Seir the Horite who inhabited the land: Lotan, Shobal,
Zibeon, Anah,
YLT 20These [are] sons of Seir
the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and
Anah,
These are
the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land,....
"Before", as the Targum of Jonathan
adds, that is, before it was inhabited by Esau and his posterity, and called
Edom, and had from him the name of Seir; but the Horites dwelt here before him,
even in Abraham's time, Genesis 14:6; and
who were so called from their dwelling under ground in holes and caves, with
which the further part of the land of Edom abounded, and are the same the
Greeks call Trogloditae: Jarchi says, from their Rabbins, these were very
expert in the nature of the land, and knew what was fit for olives and what for
vines. Now the genealogy of this man is here given, partly to show who were the
ancient inhabitants of this land before they were drove out, and succeeded by Esau
and his sons, Deuteronomy 1:12;
and partly because of the intermarriages of Esau and his posterity with them,
whereby they more easily came into the possession of the country; for Esau
married the daughter of Anah, the son of Zibeon, a son of Seir, Genesis 36:11; and
Eliphaz took Timna, a sister of Lotan the son of Seir, to be his concubine, Genesis 36:12; the
names of the sons of Seir follow:
Lotan, and
Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah:
the first of these is saidF2Shalshalet
Hakabala, fol. 79. 1. to be the same with Latinus, a king that reigned in
Italy, which seems to be taken from the fancied resemblance of names. Zibeon
and Anah are here spoken of as brethren, the sons of Seir; whereas in Genesis 36:24; they
are made mention of as father and son; see Gill on Genesis 36:2;
Zibeon, according to the Jewish writersF3T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 54.
1. & Bava Bathra, fol. 115. 2. Bereshit Rabba, sect. 82. fol. 72. 1. ,
committed incest with his mother, whence came Anah, and is called his brother,
because of the same mother, and his son, as being begotten by him. They seem to
seek for such kind of copulations to reproach the Edomites.
Genesis 36:21. 21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.
These were the chiefs of the Horites, the sons of Seir, in the land of
Edom.
YLT 21and Dishon, and Ezer, and
Dishan; these [are] chiefs of the Horites, sons of Seir, in the land of Edom.
And Dishon, and
Ezer, and Dishan,....
These were three others of
the sons of Seir, which with the other four before mentioned made seven:
these are
the dukes of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom;
these were in the land of
Edom before it was so called and possessed by the Edomites, and whose posterity
afterwards became tributary to them.
Genesis 36:22. 22 And
the sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam.[c] Lotan’s
sister was Timna.
YLT 22And the sons of Lotan are
Hori and Heman; and a sister of Lotan [is] Timna.
And the
children of Lotan were Hori and Heman,....
The first of these seems
to have his name from the general name of the tribe or nation, and the other is
called Homam, 1 Chronicles 1:39,
and Lotan's
sister was Timna:
whom Eliphaz the firstborn
of Esau took for his concubine, Genesis 36:12; for
the sake of which her relation to Lotan is here mentioned; and she is said to
be the sister of this man particularly, though there were seven brethren of
them, because she might be his sister both by father and mother's side, when
she was not of the other only by the father's side.
Genesis 36:23. 23 These
were the sons of Shobal: Alvan,[d] Manahath,
Ebal, Shepho,[e] and Onam.
YLT 23And these [are] sons of
Shobal: Alvan and Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho and Onam.
And the
children of Shobal were these,....
Who was the second son of
Seir, and whose sons were the five following:
Alvan, and
Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho, and Onam;
in 1 Chronicles 1:40
Alvan is called Alian, and Shepho is Shephi.
Genesis 36:24. 24 These
were the sons of Zibeon: both Ajah and Anah. This was the Anah
who found the water[f] in the
wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon.
YLT 24And these [are] sons of
Zibeon, both Ajah and Anah: it [is] Anah that hath found the Imim in the
wilderness, in his feeding the asses of Zibeon his father.
And these are
the children of Zibeon,....
The third son of Self, and
who had two sons:
both Ajah and
Anah;
of the latter it is
observed:
this was
that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of
Zibeon his father;
who observed, while he was
feeding his father's asses in the wilderness, that the he asses coupled with
mares, or horses with the she asses, and produced another sort of creatures
called mules; and by this means found out the way how such creatures might be
produced, and practised it: so Aelianus saysF4De Animal. l. 12. c.
16. , that mules are not the produce of nature, but you may call it an
adulterous invention of human contrivance and boldness, and a theft: this is
the common interpretation, and to which our version leads: but against it it
may be observed, that the word for "mules" is different from this
here used, nor is this word ever used of mules, nor does it appear that there
were any creatures of this sort before the days of David; nor is the word
translated "found" ever used of that which before was not in being,
but of what already existed; nor is there any mention of horses or mares in
this account also; had it referred to a mixture of these creatures with asses,
it would not have been omitted. Some think therefore the words are to be
rendered, "he found waters in the wilderness"; sources and
collections of waters which were not usual in a wilderness, and of great worth
and use in desert lands, as Edom was, and in those hot countries, and the
Vulgate Latin version renders it, "hot waters"; but then to the
fixing of either of these versions, the word must be altered either in its
points or letters, for which there is no authority. The Targum of Onkelos
renders it mighty ones or giants, and may signify the "Emim", the
"aleph" being changed for "yod", as Aben Ezra observes; and
then the sense is, that these gigantic people, who were so called from the
terror they taught upon their neighbours, and, who dwelt near the Horim in
Seir, Deuteronomy 2:10,
as they used to steal from their flocks, Anah lighted on them in the
wilderness, and fell upon them, and took them; and with this agrees the
Samaritan version, "he found giants, in the wilderness"; and so
Abendana interprets the words: Aben Ezra observes that many interpret the word
of plants or herbs; and a very learnedF5Wagenseil, in Sota, p. 217,
218. man is of opinion that the word used is the name of an useful herb or
plant, first discovered by Anah. This Anah, though a keeper of his father's
asses, is afterwards called Duke Anah; it being the custom of the sons of great
personages to be the keepers of flocks and herds; See Gill on Genesis 29:9.
Genesis 36:25. 25 These
were the children of Anah: Dishon and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah.
YLT 25And these [are] sons of
Anah: Dishon, and Aholibamah daughter of Anah.
And the
children of Anah were these,.... Dishon,
the name of one of his
uncles. Genesis 36:21,
and Aholibamah
the daughter of Anah;
Aben Ezra thinks this is
not the same Anah that was mentioned in the beginning of this verse; since, if
he was the same, there was no need to mention him again, but that he is the
same that is mentioned in Genesis 36:2; but
if he is not the same that is spoken of in this verse and Genesis 36:24, it
is difficult to account for the mention of him at all in this place: that he is
the same as in Genesis 36:2 seems
to be right, though it is attended with this difficulty, that the Anah and
Aholibamah there are represented as of the Hivites, whereas here they are
reckoned among the Horites; but it may be, as Ainsworth observes on Genesis 36:20, that
the Horites were of the race of the Hivites originally; and indeed this
Aholibamah being the wife of Esau seems to be the reason of this particular
notice taken of her here. She is omitted in 1 Chronicles 1:41.
Genesis 36:26. 26 These
were the sons of Dishon:[g]Hemdan,[h] Eshban,
Ithran, and Cheran.
YLT 26And these [are] sons of
Dishon: Hemdan, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.
And these are
the sons of Dishon,....
Not of Dishon the son of
Anah, but of Dishon the son of Seir, Genesis 36:21; and
they are the four following:
Hemdan, and
Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran;
the first of these is called
Amram, or rather Chamram, 1 Chronicles 1:41.
Genesis 36:27. 27 These
were the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.[i]
YLT 27These [are] sons of Ezer:
Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Akan.
The children of
Ezer are these,....
Another son of Seir, who
had the following sons:
Bilhan, and
Zaavan, and Achan;
the two last are called
Zavan and Jakan, in 1 Chronicles 1:42.
Genesis 36:28. 28 These
were the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
YLT 28These [are] sons of Dishan:
Uz and Aran.
The children of
Dishon are these,....
The last of the seven sons
of Seir, and who had two sons:
Uz and Aran;
from the former of these
the land of Uz, inhabited by the Edomites, had its name, Lamentations 4:21;
some have taken this to be the country of Job, Job 1:1.
Genesis 36:29. 29 These
were the chiefs of the Horites: Chief Lotan, Chief Shobal, Chief Zibeon,
Chief Anah,
YLT 29These [are] chiefs of the
Horite: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah,
These are
the dukes that came of the Horites,....
Not that succeeded one
after another, as the kings next mentioned did, but were together, at the same
time, heads of respective families, and governors of them; and then the seven
sons of Seir are rehearsed in this verse and Genesis 36:30 in
their order, with the title of "duke" annexed to each of them,
"Duke Lotan", &c.
Genesis 36:30. 30 Chief
Dishon, Chief Ezer, and Chief Dishan. These were the chiefs of the
Horites, according to their chiefs in the land of Seir.
YLT 30chief Dishon, chief Ezer,
chief Dishan: these [are] chiefs of the Horite in reference to their chiefs in
the land of Seir.
These are
the dukes that came of Hori,....
The ancestor of Seir,
whence he is called the Horite, unless the singular is put for the plural, used
in Genesis 36:29,
among their
dukes in the land of Seir;
not that there were other
dukes besides them in the land of Seir until Esau got among them, but these
were they whose habitations were before in the land of Gabla (or Seir); as the
Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it; or "in", or "according to
their dukedoms", as the Septuagint version; in their respective families
where they had the government, and which became very numerous.
Genesis 36:31. 31 Now these were the
kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children
of Israel:
YLT 31And these [are] the kings
who have reigned in the land of Edom before the reigning of a king over the
sons of Israel.
And these are
the kings that reigned in the land of Edom,....
In the land that was
afterwards called the land of Edom; for this laud was not so called when these
kings began to reign: for, according to Bishop CumberlandF6Orig.
Gent. Antiq. p. 1-24. , and those that follow himF7Bedford in his
Scripture Chronology, and the Authors of the Universal History. , these were
Horite kings, who, after their defeat by Chedorlaomer, Genesis 14:5; in
order to secure themselves the better from such a calamity for the future, set
up a kingdom, and which appears, by the following account, to be elective; and
so MaimonidesF8Morch Nevochim, par. 3. c. 50. p. 510. observes, that
not one of these kings were of Edom: and these were:
before there
reigned any king over the children of Israel;
and there being no kings
over Israel until many years after the times of Moses, hence some have thought
these words are inserted by some other writer after him; but there is no need
to suppose that; for Moses knew, from foregoing prophecies and promises, that
kings would arise out of them and reign over them, Genesis 17:6; and
this he was so certain of, that he himself, by divine direction, gave laws and
rules to the children of Israel respecting their future kings, Deuteronomy 17:14;
besides Moses himself was king in Jeshurun or Israel, Deuteronomy 33:5,
so that it is the same as if he had said, these are the kings that reigned in
Edom, before this time.
Genesis 36:32. 32 Bela
the son of Beor reigned in Edom, and the name of his city was Dinhabah.
YLT 32And Bela son of Beor
reigneth in Edom, and the name of his city [is] Dinhabah;
And Bela the
son of Beor reigned in Edom,....
His name was not Balac, as
the Septuagint version, which may lead to think of Balak king of Moab; nor is
this the same with Balaam, the son of Beor, who lived ages after, as some in
Aben Ezra: who he was we know no more of than what is here said; he was the
first Horite king, and is placed by Mr. BedfordF9Scripture
Chronology, p. 316. in A. M. 2002:
and the name of
his city was Dinhabah,
the place either where he
was born, or where he had been governor before, but of it we read nowhere else.
Genesis 36:33. 33 And
when Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place.
YLT 33and Bela dieth, and reign
in his stead doth Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah;
And Bela died,....
How long he reigned is not
known with any certainty, nor whether he left any sons behind him; if he did,
they did not succeed him in the throne; for
Jobab the son
of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead:
this king some have
thought to be the same with Job, and from whom one of the books of Scripture has
its name; but neither their names, nor age, nor country agree: who this Jobab
and his father Zerah were cannot be said: they seem to be of the same country
in which Jobab reigned, since he is said to be of Bozrah, a famous city of
Idumea, after spoken of in the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah and others, Isaiah 34:6; Jarchi
takes it to be a city of Moab, and indeed it is sometimes placed in Moab, and
sometimes in Edom, it being on the borders of both, and sometimes belonged to
the one and sometimes to the other. According to Mr. BedfordF11Scripture
Chronology, p. 327. , this king began his reign, A. M. 2135, so that the former
king must have reigned about forty two years; which is a space of time he
allows to each successor, taking them one with another, the particular and
exact time of each reign he not being able to fix.
Genesis 36:34. 34 When
Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.
YLT 34and Jobab dieth, and reign
in his stead doth Husham from the land of the Temanite.
And Jobab died,....
According to Mr. Bedford,
A. M. 2177:
and Husham of
the land of Temani reigned in his stead;
or of the land of the
south, as the Targum of Jonathan, of the southern part of the land of Idumea,
as it was afterwards called; the metropolis of which was the city of Teman,
after spoken of in Scripture, which had its name from Teman the son of Eliphaz;
See Gill on Genesis 36:11.
Genesis 36:35. 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.
YLT 35And Husham dieth, and reign
in his stead doth Hadad son of Bedad (who smiteth Midian in the field of Moab),
and the name of his city [is] Avith;
And Husham died,....
As is thought, about A. M.
2219, above forty years after the death of Abraham, as computed by the above
writer:
and Hadad the
son of Bedad (who smote Midian in the field of Moab) reigned in his stead:
who he or his father were
we have no other account, nor of this warlike action of his; probably the
Midianites came out to invade him, hearing of which, he went out against them,
and met with him in the fields of Moab, which were near to Midian, and fought
them and conquered them: Jarchi says, the Midianites came out to make war
against the Moabites, and the king of Edom went out to help the Moabites, and
hence, he says, we learn, that Midian and Moab were near each other; and in the
days of Balaam they made peace, that they might combine against Israel: this
battle is supposed to be fought in the twelfth year of his reign; and it is
thought to be in his reign that Esau came with his family and dwelt in SeirF12Bedford's
Scripture Chronology, p. 343,349. ; though some place it later, either in the
following reign, or in that of his successorsF13Universal History,
vol. 2. p. 170. :
and the name of
his city was Avith:
where it was is not
certain.
Genesis 36:36. 36 When
Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place.
YLT 36and Hadad dieth, and reign
in his stead doth Samlah of Masrekah;
And Hadad died,....
As is supposed, about A.
M. 2241.
and Samlah of
Masrekah reigned in his stead;
but who he was, or the
place he was of, cannot be said.
Genesis 36:37. 37 And
when Samlah died, Saul of Rehoboth-by-the-River reigned in his place.
YLT 37and Samlah dieth, and reign
in his stead doth Saul from Rehoboth of the River;
And Samlah died,....
As is supposed, about A.
M. 2283.
and Saul of
Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead;
Rehoboth was one of the
cities built by Ashur, Genesis 10:11; and
was situated near the river Euphrates; and so the Targum of Jonathan calls it
Rehoboth which is by Euphrates; but JeromF14De loc. Heb. fol. 93. M.
& 94. A. , from Eusebius, takes it to be another city by a river in Edom,
and says, that there was in his days a garrison in the country of Gabalena (a
part of Idumea), a large village called by that name.
Genesis 36:38. 38 When
Saul died, Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place.
YLT 38and Saul dieth, and reign
in his stead doth Baal-hanan son of Achbor;
And Saul died,....
About A. M. 2325:
and Baalhanan
the son of Achbor reigned in his stead:
whose name, inverted, is
observed by Grotius to be the same with Hannibal; it signifies a gracious lord
or king.
Genesis 36:39. 39 And
when Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor died, Hadar[j] reigned in
his place; and the name of his city was Pau.[k] His wife’s
name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
YLT 39and Baal-hanan son of
Achbor dieth, and reign in his stead doth Hadar, and the name of his city [is]
Pau; and his wife's name [is] Mehetabel daughter of Matred, daughter of
Me-zahab.
And Baalhanan
the son of Achbor died,....
About A. M. 2367.
and Hadar
reigned in his stead;
the last of the Horite
kings, when an end was put to this monarchy by the united families of Seir and
Esau, and changed into dukedoms; of which there were seven of the race of Seir,
and fourteen of the race of Esau, of whom an account is given in the preceding
part of this chapter: as for this last king it is further said of him:
and the name of
his city was Pau;
but where it was cannot be
said:
and his wife's
name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab;
this woman seems to be a
person of note, by the particular mention made of her; but whether the names of
her ancestors are the names of men or women it is not certain: some take Matred
to be the name of her father, and Mezahab the name of her grandfather; but
according to Aben Ezra, Marred was the name of her mother, who was the daughter
of Mezahab her grandfather; whom the Targum of Jonathan interprets melter of
gold, as does Saadiah Gaon.
Genesis 36:40. 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,[l] Chief
Jetheth,
YLT 40And these [are] the names
of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families, according to their places,
by their names: chief Timnah, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth,
And these are
the names of the dukes that came of Esau,....
After the regal monarchy
ceased, the government in Edom was by dukes, and of these there were two sons,
one of which an account has been given of already, who were partly of the race
of Seir, and partly of the race of Esau; and who were dukes not by succession,
but together, in and over their respective families: and it may be observed,
that neither Esau, nor his sons by his two first wives, Eliphaz and Reuel, are
called dukes, only his three sons by his last wife; all the rest are his
grandsons and sons of the two former, which seems to give some light as to the
time when those dukedoms took place; and very probably it was by the joint
influence of Seir and Esau, whose families had intermarried, that an end was
put to the regal power, and who, for a course of years, governed in the above
manner: and they of Esau's race in those times are said to be "dukes in
the land of Edom", as a learned manF15Shuckford's Connection,
p. 192. has observed; whereas those that follow, which are a second race of
them, are called "dukes of Edom", Genesis 36:43; who
took possession of the country and ruled in it, driving out the Horites and
succeeding in their stead: these are described
according to
their families;
they were the heads of:
after their
places, by their names;
the places where they
lived, which were called after their names, and are as follow:
Duke Timnah,
Duke Alvah, Duke Jetheth;
these were both the names
of the dukes, and of the places where they governed, called after their names;
so Timnah or Themna, as Jerom calls it, is by him said to be a city of the
princes of Edom, the same he says of JethethF16De loc. Heb. fol. 92.
F. 95. C. , so the like may be concluded of Alvah.
Genesis 36:41. 41 Chief Aholibamah, Chief
Elah, Chief Pinon,
YLT 41chief Aholibamah, chief
Elah, chief Pinon,
Duke
Aholibamah, Duke Elah, Duke Pinon.
The former is the name of
a woman, Genesis 36:2; here
the name of a man, and also of the place of which he was duke; for Jerom
observesF17De Loc. Heb. fol. 93. K. , that Oolibama is a city of the
princes of Edom, and who also makes mention of Elath, a country of the princes
of Edom, and a city of Esau, ten miles from Petra to the eastF18Ib.
fol. 91. E. , and the seat of Duke Pinon was very probably Phinon, which lay
between Petra and ZoarF19Eusebius apud Reland. Palestin. illustrat.
p. 71. .
Genesis 36:42. 42 Chief
Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar,
YLT 42chief Kenaz, chief Teman,
chief Mibzar,
Duke Kenaz,
Duke Teman, Duke Mibzar.
There was a Kenaz the son
of Eliphaz, and so a Teman a son of his, who were both dukes; but these seem to
be different from them, though the latter might be duke of the place called
Teman from him: which, in Jerom's timeF20De loc. Hebrews 3. fol. 95. B. , was a village five miles
distant from Petra, and where was a Roman garrison, and so Mabsar in his timesF21Ib.
, was a large village in the country of Gabalena (a part of Idumea), and called
Mabsara, and belonged to the city Petra.
Genesis 36:43. 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.
YLT 43chief Magdiel, chief Iram:
these [are] chiefs of Edom, in reference to their dwellings, in the land of their
possession; he [is] Esau father of Edom.
Duke Magdiel,
Duke Iram,....
Magdiel also, JeromF23De
loc. Hebrews 3. fol. 93. B. says, was in the
country of Gabalena, formerly possessed by the dukes of Edom; and the Targum of
Jonathan says, this duke was called Magdiel from the name of his city, which
was a strong "migdal" or tower: and Jarchi's note upon this word is,
this is Rome; so the Jewish writers elsewhere sayF24Pirke Eliezer,
c. 38. , that Esau had an hundred provinces from Seir to Magdiel; as it is said,
"Duke Magdiel, Duke Iram", this is Rome:
these be
the dukes of Edom, according to their habitations, in the land of their
possession;
the former race of dukes,
as has been observed, were dukes in the land of Edom, were sojourners in the
land, at least had not sovereign dominion, or were not the only dukes in it;
there were dukes of the race of Seir at the same time; but now these having
driven out the Horites, were sole possessors and sovereign lords; and thus
while Israel and his posterity were sojourners in a strange land, Esau and his
family were possessors and lords of a country they could call their own:
he is
Esau the father of the Edomites;
that is, Edom, the dukes
of whose race are before reckoned up; the same is Esau, who had the name of Edom
from selling his birthright for a mess of red pottage: and this is the man from
whom the Edomites or Idumeans sprung, often hereafter spoken of in the
Scripture, though no more in this history. He is saidF25Shalshalet
Hakabala, fol. 5. 1. to be killed by the tribes of Israel, at the funeral of
Jacob, he coming forth with a great army to hinder his interment in the cave of
Machpelah: it is a tradition of the JewsF26T. Hieros. Gittin, fol.
47. 2. , he was slain by Judah.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New
King James Version (NKJV)
a.
Genesis 36:11
Spelled Zephi in 1 Chronicles 1:36
b.
Genesis 36:16
Samaritan Pentateuch omits Chief Korah.
c.Genesis 36:22
Spelled Homam in 1 Chronicles 1:39
d.
Genesis 36:23
Spelled Alian in 1 Chronicles 1:40
e.
Genesis 36:23
Spelled Shephi in 1 Chronicles 1:40
f.
Genesis 36:24
Following Masoretic Text and Vulgate (hot springs); Septuagint reads Jamin;
Targum reads mighty men; Talmud interprets as mules.
g.
Genesis 36:26
Hebrew Dishan
h.
Genesis 36:26
Spelled Hamran in 1 Chronicles 1:41
i.
Genesis 36:27
Spelled Jaakan in 1 Chronicles 1:42
j.
Genesis 36:39
Spelled Hadad in Samaritan Pentateuch, Syriac, and 1 Chronicles 1:50
k.Genesis 36:39
Spelled Pai in 1 Chronicles 1:50
l.
Genesis 36:40
Spelled Aliah in 1 Chronicles 1:51