- Book: [[Genesis]] - Next chapter: [[Genesis 37]] > [!summary] Summary > - [[Esau]] moves to [[Seir]] and his big family is tabulated, including intermarriage with [[Canaan]]ites > - Wouldn't this have been an easier way for [[God]] to establish a nation? Sets up later [[Israel]]-[[Edom]] conflict > [!info] Why is this here? > - Completes the genealogy of Isaac’s other son before the spotlight turns to [[Joseph]] (Gen 37 ff.) > - Explains where the neighbors/enemies called [[Edom]] come from and legitimises their kingship (and threat level) “before any king ruled the Israelites” (v. 31) # Overview ## v. 1-8: [[Esau]]'s Family and Move to [[Seir]] - [[Esau]] (also named [[Edom]]) and his [[Canaanite]] wives: - [[Adah]] the [[Hittite]], daughter of [[Elon]] (mother of [[Eliphaz]]) - [[Oholibamah]] the [[Hivite]], daughter of [[Anah]], son of [[Zibeon]] (mother of [[Jeush]], [[Jalam]], [[Korah]]) - Basemath, [[Ishmael]]'s daughter, sister of Nebaioth (mother of Reuel) - “Their possessions were too great for them to dwell together … so [[Esau]] settled in the hill country of [[Seir]]” > [!note] Parallel with [[Lot]] > Like [[Lot]], Esau chooses territory outside the promised land, yet God still makes a nation of him (cf. [[Genesis 13]]:6, [[Deuteronomy 2]]:4-5). > - Same with [[Ishmael]] > [!note] Wives of [[Esau]] - A Slight Discrepancy? > The names and lineage of [[Esau]]'s wives here differ somewhat from [[Genesis 26]]:34 and [[Genesis 28]]:9. > - [[Genesis 26]]:34: [[Judith]] daughter of [[Beeri]] the [[Hittite]], and [[Basemath]] daughter of [[Elon]] the [[Hittite]]. > - [[Genesis 28]]:9: [[Mahalath]] daughter of [[Ishmael]], sister of [[Nebaioth]]. > Possible explanations: renaming, multiple wives, or different emphasis in genealogies. "[[Adah]]" might be another name for [[Basemath]] daughter of Elon. "[[Oholibamah]]" is a new name in this list. "[[Basemath]]" here is [[Ishmael]]'s daughter, previously called [[Mahalath]]. ## v. 9-14 Descendants born in [[Seir]] - [[Eliphaz]]’ sons: [[Teman]], [[Omar]], [[Zepho]], [[Gatam]], [[Kenaz]]; plus [[Amalek]] by concubine [[Timna]] - [[Reuel]]’s sons: [[Nahath]], [[Zerah]], [[Shammah]], [[Mizzah]] - [[Oholibamah]]'s sons: [[Jeush]], [[Jalam]], [[Korah]] - Repetition stresses [[Esau]] as father of the [[Edom]]ites > [!note] The Amalekites > [[Amalek]], grandson of [[Esau]] through [[Eliphaz]] and his concubine [[Timna]], becomes the progenitor of the [[Amalekite]]s, who are persistent enemies of [[Israel]] (cf. [[Exodus 17]]:8-16, [[1 Samuel 15]]). This genealogy establishes their connection to [[Esau]]'s line. ## v. 15-19 Chiefs among the sons of [[Esau]] - Lists the chiefs (clans) descended from [[Esau]]: - Chiefs from [[Eliphaz]]: [[Teman]], [[Omar]], [[Zepho]], [[Kenaz]], [[Korah]], [[Gatam]], [[Amalek]] - (Note: [[Korah]] appears again. Could be a different one, or something incestuous) - Chiefs from [[Reuel]]: [[Nahath]], [[Zerah]], [[Shammah]], [[Mizzah]]. - Chiefs from [[Oholibamah]]: [[Jeush]], [[Jalam]], [[Korah]]. ## v. 20-30 The [[Horite]] line of [[Seir]] - Indigenous [[Horite]] clans: [[Lotan]], [[Shobal]], [[Zibeon]], [[Anah]], [[Dishon]], [[Ezer]], [[Dishan]] - Notable notes - [[Anah]] discovers the “hot springs/ mules” in the wilderness - Marital fusion: [[Oholibamah]] could be the same as the one that married [[Esau]] ## v. 31-39 Eight kings of Edom *before* Israel had any king | # | King | City (seat) | Notable detail | | --- | ---------------------------- | --------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | | 1 | [[Bela]] b. [[Beor]] | [[Dinhabah]] | - | | 2 | [[Jobab]] b. [[Zerah]] | [[Bozrah]] | – likely [[Edom]]ite capital | | 3 | [[Husham]] | “land of the [[Teman]]-ite” | - | | 4 | [[Hadad]] b. [[Bedad]] | [[Avith]] | defeated [[Midian]] ([[Ishmael]]) in [[Moab]] | | 5 | [[Samlah]] | [[Masrekah]] | - | | 6 | [[Shaul]] | [[Rehoboth]]-on-the-River | maybe the [[Euphrates]] | | 7 | [[Baal-hanan]] b. [[Achbor]] | - | - | | 8 | [[Hadar]] | [[Pau]] (or Pai) | wife [[Mehetabel]] daughter of [[Mezahab]] | > [!note] Why kings already? > Demonstrates [[Edom]]’s political maturity long before [[Saul]] or [[David]], and quietly raises the question, “When will [[Israel]] catch up?” ## v. 40-43 Final list of Edomite chiefs - [[Timna]], [[Alvah]], [[Jetheth]], [[Oholibamah]], [[Elah]], [[Pinon]], [[Kenaz]], [[Teman]], [[Mibzar]], [[Magdiel]], [[Iram]] - Note that [[Oholibamah]] was a chief -- not exclusively male # Details - [[Horite]] people -- last seen in [[Genesis 14]]:6 defeated by [[Kedorlaomer]] - **Three wives, three groups**: Hittite, Horite-Hivite, and Ishmael-ite; Esau mirrors Abraham’s mixed wider family network. - [[Amalek]] (v. 12) becomes [[Israel]]’s archenemy ([[Exodus 17]]; [[1 Samuel 15]]). [[Edom]]’s animosities start early. - Kings list lacks dynastic succession -- Edomite rule was likely elective or city-state based. - The formula “before any king ruled the Israelites” (v. 31) signals the writer knows Israel’s monarchy era (post-Saul). - [[Teman]] becomes proverbial for Edomite wisdom ([[Jeremiah 49]]:7; [[Obadiah 8]]). - [[Kenaz]] line later produces [[Othniel]], Israel’s first judge ([[Judges 1]]:13; [[Judges 3]]:9) -- a hint of cross-family cooperation. # Diagrams ```dot digraph Patriarchs { rankdir=LR; node [shape=box]; /*—- primeval & patriarchal line —-*/ "Noah" -> "Ham"; "Noah" -> "Shem"; "Shem" -> "Terah" [style=dashed,label="…"]; "Terah" -> "Abraham"; "Abraham" -> "Isaac"; "Abraham" -> "Ishmael"; /*—- Ishmael’s side (Basemath) —-*/ "Ishmael" -> "Nebaioth"; "Ishmael" -> "Basemath"; /*—- Ham → Canaan path for the Canaanite wives —-*/ "Ham" -> "Canaan"; "Canaan"-> "Heth"; "Heth" -> "Elon"; "Elon" -> "Adah"; "Canaan"-> "Zibeon" [style=dashed,label="Hivite"]; /*—- Esau and his household —-*/ "Isaac" -> "Esau"; edge [color=blue,style=dotted,arrowhead=none]; "Esau" -> "Adah"; "Esau" -> "Basemath"; "Esau" -> "Oholibamah"; "Eliphaz" -> "Timna"; edge [color=black,style=solid,arrowhead=normal]; /*—- children of each wife —-*/ "Adah" -> "Eliphaz"; "Basemath" -> "Reuel"; "Oholibamah" -> "Jeush"; "Oholibamah" -> "Jalam"; "Oholibamah" -> "Korah"; /*—- Eliphaz line —-*/ "Eliphaz" -> "Teman"; "Eliphaz" -> "Omar"; "Eliphaz" -> "Zepho"; "Eliphaz" -> "Gatam"; "Eliphaz" -> "Kenaz"; "Eliphaz" -> "Korah"; "Timna" -> "Amalek"; /*—- Reuel line —-*/ "Reuel" -> "Nahath"; "Reuel" -> "Zerah"; "Reuel" -> "Shammah"; "Reuel" -> "Mizzah"; /*—- Seir the Horite clan —-*/ "Horites" -> "Seir"; "Seir" -> "Lotan"; "Seir" -> "Shobal"; "Seir" -> "Zibeon"; "Seir" -> "Anah S"; "Seir" -> "Dishon S"; "Seir" -> "Ezer"; "Seir" -> "Dishan"; "Seir" -> "Timna"; /* Lotan */ "Lotan" -> "Hori"; "Lotan" -> "Homam"; /* Shobal */ "Shobal" -> "Alvan"; "Shobal" -> "Manahath"; "Shobal" -> "Ebal"; "Shobal" -> "Shepho"; "Shobal" -> "Onam"; /* Zibeon */ "Zibeon" -> "Aiah"; "Zibeon" -> "Anah"; "Anah" -> "Dishon A"; "Anah" -> "Oholibamah"; /* Anah (son of Zibeon) */ /* Dishon (son of Anah) */ "Dishon A" -> "Hemdan"; "Dishon A" -> "Eshban"; "Dishon A" -> "Ithran"; "Dishon A" -> "Keran"; /* Ezer */ "Ezer" -> "Bilhan"; "Ezer" -> "Zaavan"; "Ezer" -> "Akan"; /* Dishan (son of Seir) */ "Dishan" -> "Uz"; "Dishan" -> "Aran"; Isaac -> Jacob; subgraph cluster_Patriarchs { label = "Promises"; style = filled; color = lightblue; Abraham Isaac Jacob Reuben Simeon Levi Judah Issachar Zebulun Joseph Benjamin Dan Naphtali Gad Asher Rachel Leah Bilhah Zilpah Dinah } Terah -> Nahor; Nahor -> Laban [style=dashed,label=" Bethuel"]; Laban -> Leah; Laban -> Rachel; Canaan -> Hamor [style=dashed,label=" Hivites"]; Hamor -> Shechem; Jacob -> Leah [style=dotted,arrowhead=None]; Jacob -> Rachel [style=dotted, arrowhead=None]; Jacob -> Bilhah [style=dotted, arrowhead=None]; Jacob -> Zilpah [style=dotted, arrowhead=None]; Reuben -> Bilhah [style=dotted, arrowhead=None]; Leah -> {Reuben Simeon Levi Judah Issachar Zebulun Dinah}; Rachel -> {Joseph Benjamin}; Bilhah -> {Dan Naphtali} Zilpah -> {Gad Asher} Dinah -> Shechem [style=dashed, arrowhead=None]; } ``` ```mermaid flowchart LR %% --- node labels that contain spaces --- Anah_S["Anah S"] Dishon_A["Dishon A"] Dishon_S["Dishon S"] %% --- sub-graph for the covenant line --- subgraph Promises style Promises fill:#ADD8E6,stroke:black,stroke-width:1px Abraham Isaac Jacob Reuben Simeon Levi Judah Issachar Zebulun Joseph Benjamin Dan Naphtali Gad Asher Rachel Leah Bilhah Zilpah Dinah end %% --- primeval & patriarchal line --- Noah --> Ham Noah --> Shem Shem -.|…|-> Terah Terah --> Abraham Abraham --> Isaac Abraham --> Ishmael %% Ishmael’s side Ishmael --> Nebaioth Ishmael --> Basemath %% Ham → Canaan line Ham --> Canaan Canaan --> Heth Heth --> Elon Elon --> Adah Canaan -.|"Hivite"|-> Zibeon %% Esau and household (dotted, no arrow-head = marriages) Isaac --> Esau Esau -.- Adah Esau -.- Basemath Esau -.- Oholibamah Eliphaz -.- Timna %% concubine tie %% Wives → children Adah --> Eliphaz Basemath --> Reuel Oholibamah --> Jeush Oholibamah --> Jalam Oholibamah --> Korah %% Eliphaz line Eliphaz --> Teman Eliphaz --> Omar Eliphaz --> Zepho Eliphaz --> Gatam Eliphaz --> Kenaz Eliphaz --> Korah Timna --> Amalek %% Reuel line Reuel --> Nahath Reuel --> Zerah Reuel --> Shammah Reuel --> Mizzah %% Horite clan Horites --> Seir Seir --> Lotan Seir --> Shobal Seir --> Zibeon Seir --> Anah_S Seir --> Dishon_S Seir --> Ezer Seir --> Dishan Seir --> Timna Lotan --> Hori Lotan --> Homam Shobal --> Alvan Shobal --> Manahath Shobal --> Ebal Shobal --> Shepho Shobal --> Onam Zibeon --> Aiah Zibeon --> Anah Anah --> Dishon_A Anah --> Oholibamah Dishon_A --> Hemdan Dishon_A --> Eshban Dishon_A --> Ithran Dishon_A --> Keran Ezer --> Bilhan Ezer --> Zaavan Ezer --> Akan Dishan --> Uz Dishan --> Aran %% Isaac’s younger branch Isaac --> Jacob %% Nahor branch Terah --> Nahor Nahor -.|"Bethuel"|-> Laban Laban --> Leah Laban --> Rachel %% Canaanite (Hivite) side chain Canaan -.|"Hivites"|-> Hamor Hamor --> Shechem %% Jacob’s marriages (dotted, no arrow-heads) Jacob -.- Leah Jacob -.- Rachel Jacob -.- Bilhah Jacob -.- Zilpah Reuben -.- Bilhah %% Reuben’s later liaison %% Children by each wife Leah --> Reuben Leah --> Simeon Leah --> Levi Leah --> Judah Leah --> Issachar Leah --> Zebulun Leah --> Dinah Rachel --> Joseph Rachel --> Benjamin Bilhah --> Dan Bilhah --> Naphtali Zilpah --> Gad Zilpah --> Asher %% Dinah & Shechem (dashed courting link) Dinah -.| |-> Shechem ``` # Questions - (rhetorical) What does [[Edom]] having kings sooner imply about God’s timetable for Israel? - Why list [[Horite]] chiefs alongside [[Esau]]’s? - The repeated genealogies (vv 1-5, 9-14) seem redundant -- are they two source traditions woven together?