Genesis-Chapter-36
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“Genesis Chapter 36”
The
Generations of Esau..
With Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
Genesis 36 is often viewed as a mere list of names, but it is a profound record
of how a family becomes a nation. While Jacob’s family is
still a small group of wanderers, Esau’s descendants, Edom rapidly establish a structured
society with chiefs and kings. This chapter provides the historical
context of the people who would become Israel’s most significant and
complex neighbour.
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Let us read Genesis
Chapter 36 verses 1 to 43: (JPS-1917 version of
the Torah). Below this chapter you will find my commentary for this study.
1 “Now these are the
generations of Esau, the same is Edom. 2 Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah
the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite, 3 and Basemath Ishmael’s daughter, sister
of Nebaioth. 4 And Adah bore to Esau Eliphaz; and Basemath bore Reuel; 5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush, and Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau, that
were born unto him in the land
of Canaan. 6 And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and
all the souls of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his
possessions, which he had gathered in the land of Canaan;
and went into a land away from his brother Jacob. 7 For
their substance was too great for them to dwell
together; and the land of their sojournings could not
bear them because of their cattle. 8 And Esau dwelt in
the mountain-land of Seir, Esau is Edom. 9 And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the mountain-land of Seir. 10 These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz
the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel
the son of Basemath the wife of Esau. 11 And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz. 12 And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau’s son; and she bore to Eliphaz
Amalek. These are the sons of Adah
Esau’s wife. 13 And these are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Basemath
Esau’s wife. 14 And these were the sons of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah,
the daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife; and she bore to
Esau Jeush, and Jalam, and Korah. 15 These are the chiefs of
the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the first-born
of Esau: the chief of Teman, the chief of Omar, the
chief of Zepho, the chief of Kenaz, 16 the chief of Korah, the chief of Gatam, the chief of Amalek. These
are the chiefs that came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom. These are the sons of Adah. 17 And these are the sons of
Reuel Esau’s son: the chief of Nahath,
the chief of Zerah, the chief of Shammah,
the chief of Mizzah. These are the chiefs that came
of Reuel in the land of Edom.
These are the sons of Basemath Esau's wife. 18 And these are the sons of Oholibamah
Esau's wife: the chief of Jeush, the chief of Jalam, the chief of Korah. These
are the chiefs that came of Oholibamah the daughter
of Anah, Esau’s wife. 19 These
are the sons of Esau, and these are their chiefs; the same is Edom. 20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan
and Shobal and Zibeon and Anah, 21 and Dishon
and Ezer and Dishan. These
are the chiefs that came of the Horites, the children
of Seir in the land of Edom. 22 And the children of Lotan were
Hori and Hemam; and Lotan's
sister was Timna. 23 And
these are the children of Shobal: Alvan
and Manahath and Ebal, Shepho and Onam. 24 And
these are the children of Zibeon: Aiah
and Anah--this is Anah who
found the hot springs
in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his
father. 25 And these are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah. 26 And these are the children of Dishon:
Hemdan and Eshban and Ithran and Cheran. 27 These are the children of Ezer: Bilhan and Zaavan and Akan. 28 These are the children of
Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29 These are the chiefs that came of the Horites:
the chief of Lotan, the chief of Shobal,
the chief of Zibeon, the chief of Anah, 30 the chief of Dishon, the chief of
Ezer, the chief of Dishan.
These are the chiefs that came of the Horites,
according to their chiefs in the land
of Seir.
31 And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom,
before there reigned any king over the children of Israel. 32 And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom; and the name of his city was Dinhabah. 33 And Bela
died, and Jobab the son of Zerah
of Bozrah reigned in his stead. 34 And
Jobab died, and Husham of
the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead. 35 And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote
Midian in the field of Moab, reigned
in his stead; and the name of his city was Avith. 36 And Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his
stead. 37 And Samlah died,
and Shaul of Rehoboth by the River reigned in his
stead. 38 And Shaul died,
and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor
reigned in his stead. 39 And Baal-hanan
the son of Achbor died, and Hadar
reigned in his stead; and the name of the city was Pau; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred,
the daughter of Me’zahab. 40 And
these are the names of the chiefs that came of Esau, according to their
families, after their places, by their names: the chief of Timna,
the chief of Alvah, the chief of Jetheth; 41 the chief of Oholibamah, the
chief of Elah, the chief of Pinon; 42 the chief of Kenaz, the chief of Teman, the chief of Mibzar; 43 the chief of Magdiel, the chief
of 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”.
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My Commentary on Verses 1-43:
Verses
1-8: (The Departure
to Seir). The narrative begins by identifying Esau as Edom and
listing his wives. Much like Abraham and Lot, the text notes that their “substance
was too great” for them to dwell together in Canaan.
Esau’s move to Mount
Seir
is an act of establishing a separate inheritance, showing that even outside the
main Covenant, the Almighty provides for the descendants of Isaac.
Verses
9-14: (The
Sons of Esau). These verses meticulously list the grandsons of Esau. This level of detail
confirms that Esau was blessed with great fruitfulness. It establishes the
foundational families that would form the core of the Edomite
identity.
Verses
15-19: (The
Dukes of Edom). The term “Duke” (Aluf) signifies a transition from a family unit to a
political one. These were clan leaders. Esau’s family was organized and
powerful, creating a stable leadership structure long before Israel had such a system.
Verses
20-30: (The
Sons of Seir the Horite). The Torah acknowledges
the indigenous people of the land (the Horites) whom
the Edomites eventually integrated with or displaced.
This shows a realistic historical view of how nations are formed through both
lineage and the absorption of local cultures.
Verses
31-39: (The
Kings of Edom). This section is critical:
it lists kings who reigned in Edom
“before there reigned any king over the children of Israel”. It
highlights a paradox: the world’s kingdoms (Edom)
often achieve outward glory and sovereignty quickly, while the Kingdom of Heaven
(Israel)
must go through a long, painful refinement before reaching its destination.
Verses
40-43: (The
Final Census). The chapter closes by returning to the names of the Dukes and their habitations.
It concludes with: “He is Esau the father of the Edomites”,
anchoring a whole nation’s character back to the man who once sold his birthright
for a bowl of pottage.
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My Closing Message:
Chapter 36 reminds us that every person’s choices echo through history. Esau
chose the immediate the land
of Seir
and the swift establishment of a kingdom. While Edom became a power first, the chapter
serves as a backdrop to the “long game” of the Covenant. It teaches us to
respect the history of others while remaining focused on the unique, often
slower, path the Almighty has set for His people.
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Rabbi,
Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
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