Esau becomes Edom

36:1 What follows is the account of Esau (also known as Edom). 36:2 Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite, 36:3 in addition to Basemath the daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth. 36:4 Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel, 36:5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan. 36:6 Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, all the people in his household, his livestock, his animals, and all his possessions which he had acquired in the land of Canaan and went to a land some distance away from Jacob his brother 36:7 because they had too many possessions to be able to stay together and the land where they had settled was not able to support them because of their livestock. 36:8 So Esau (also known as Edom) lived in the hill country of Seir. 36:9 This is the account of Esau, the father of the Edomites, in the hill country of Seir. 36:10 These were the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz, the son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esau’s wife Basemath. 36:11 The sons of Eliphaz were: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 36:12 Timna, a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These were the sons of Esau’s wife Adah. 36:13 These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath. 36:14 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon: She bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah to Esau. 36:15 These were the chiefs among the descendants of Esau, the sons of Eliphaz, Esau’s firstborn: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 36:16 chief Korah, chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons of Adah. 36:17 These were the sons of Esau’s son Reuel: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah. These were the chiefs descended from Reuel in the land of Edom; these were the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath. 36:18 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah. These were the chiefs descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. 36:19 These were the sons of Esau (also known as Edom), and these were their chiefs. 36:20 These were the sons of Seir the Horite, who were living in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 36:21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, the descendants of Seir in the land of Edom. 36:22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam; Lotan’s sister was Timna. 36:23 These were the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. 36:24 These were the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah (who discovered the hot springs in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon). 36:25 These were the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. 36:26 These were the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran. 36:27 These were the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. 36:28 These were the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 36:29 These were the chiefs of the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah, 36:30 chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, according to their chief lists in the land of Seir. 36:31 These were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites: 36:32 Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom; the name of his city was Dinhabah. 36:33 When Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in his place. 36:34 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 36:35 When Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated the Midianites in the land of Moab, reigned in his place; the name of his city was Avith. 36:36 When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah reigned in his place. 36:37 When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth by the River reigned in his place. 36:38 When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place. 36:39 When Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor died, Hadad reigned in his place; the name of his city was Pau. His wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab. 36:40 These were the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families, according to their places, by their names: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth, 36:41 chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 36:42 chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 36:43 chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements in the land they possessed. This was Esau, the father of the Edomites. Joseph’s Dreams

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Genesis 36 records the family line of Esau, also called Edom. It lists his wives, children, chiefs, and kings. Esau leaves Canaan and settles in Seir because his household and Jacob’s household are too large to stay together. The chapter shows that Esau’s line became a real nation with land and rulers, but it remained outside the covenant line that continued through Jacob.

This chapter is a family record that becomes a nation record. Esau is Abraham’s grandson, but his line does not carry the covenant promise forward. The text lists his wives, sons, grandsons, chiefs, and kings to show that his family grew into the nation of Edom.

Esau moved away from Jacob because both families had too many possessions to live in the same place. The land could not support them together. So Esau settled in Seir, and that land became linked with Edom.

The chapter also names the older people living in Seir, the Horites. This shows that Edom came into a real land with a real history. The list of kings shows that Edom had political order before Israel had a king. The repeated chief lists show clan structure and settled territory.

Genesis presents this plainly, without praise or blame for every detail. It records what happened so the reader can see how Esau’s line became a separate people. At the same time, the chapter reminds us that outward success, land, and rulers are not the same as God’s covenant promise.

• Esau is also called Edom.
• Esau’s line became a distinct nation.
• Esau left Canaan and settled in Seir.
• The land could not support Jacob’s and Esau’s households together.
• Edom had chiefs, clans, territory, and kings.
• The Horites lived in Seir before Edom.
• The covenant line continues through Jacob, not Esau.

• The passage warns against measuring blessing only by size, wealth, or political power.
• It warns that family growth and national success do not equal covenant inheritance.
• It calls the reader to respect God’s ordering of history and the distinct place of different peoples in the biblical story.

God’s promise in Genesis continues through Jacob, while Esau becomes the father of Edom. This chapter shows God’s providence over both lines. Esau receives real material and national growth, but the redemptive promise narrows to the covenant line. The passage helps set the stage for later Israel-Edom history.

Do not confuse outward success with God’s saving favor. A person, family, or nation may grow large and strong and still stand outside the covenant promise. Read this chapter with humility, and do not use it for ethnic pride or prejudice. Let it teach you to trust God’s ordering of history.

• Lite Commentary
• In-depth Commentary