Most people aren’t really interested in genealogies, usually because they find them boring, and so they tend to just skip over any long list of names they come across in the Scriptures.
However, as I’ve mentioned before, it was very important for the Jews to be able to trace their ancestry back in time to its beginnings. In this chapter, we read about God’s promise to Esau about becoming a great nation being fulfilled, Genesis 36:1 / Genesis 25:29-34 / Genesis 27:30-40.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The generations of Esau are particularly marked, to show how exactly God fulfilled the promises he made to him, Genesis 25:29-34 / Genesis 27:30-40, and those of Seir the Horite are added, because his family became in some measure blended with that of Esau.’
We also read about Esau’s genealogy and the rulers of Edom who were continually causing trouble for God’s people. It’s pretty difficult to identify some of these people mentioned because it was very common for people to change their names during this period of time.
Notice that Esau is called ‘Edom’ twice in the text, Genesis 36:1 / Genesis 36:8. This is simply to emphasise his genealogy and let the readers know that Esau became the Edomites, Genesis 25:30. The Edomites are mentioned one hundred and thirty times in relation to opposing Jacob’s descendants.
They were a constant thorn in their side for many, many years until God finally destroyed them as a nation, Deuteronomy 23:7 / Numbers 20:21 / 2 Samuel 8:14 / 2 Kings 8:16-22 / Obadiah 1-21. Esau took his wives from the Canaanites, Genesis 36:2 / Genesis 26:34 / Genesis 28:9.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following concerning Genesis 36:2.
‘It appears that Esau’s wives went by very different names. Aholibamah is named Judith, Genesis 26:34; Adah is called Bashemath in the same place; and she who is here called Bashemath is called Mahalath, Genesis 28:9. These are variations which cannot be easily accounted for, and they are not of sufficient importance to engross much time. It is well known that the same persons in Scripture are often called by different names, Genesis 25:18.’
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following concerning Oholibamah, daughter of Anah, daughter of Zibeon the Hivite, Genesis 36:2.
‘This may have been the fourth wife of Esau in the order of time, though she is here classed with the daughter of Elon, because she was of the daughters of Kenaan. ‘Daughter of Zibeon’ means his granddaughter, by the mother’s side. ‘The Hivite’, Genesis 10:17. Zibeon is thus distinguished from the Horite of the same name, Genesis 36:20. The Hivite race we have already met with at Shechem, Genesis 34:2. They also held four cities a short way north of Jerusalem, of which Gihon was the chief, Joshua 9:3 / Joshua 9:7 / Joshua 9:17. It was easy, therefore, for Anah the Horite to marry the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite. ‘Basemath,’ previously called Mahalath.’
Eliphaz, Genesis 36:4, was also the name of one of Job’s friends, Job 2:11 / Job 4:1 / Job 15:1. Reuel, Genesis 36:4, was also the name of Moses’ father-in-law, Exodus 2:18. Notice also that Jacob and Esau separate from one another because there wasn’t enough space in the land for both of them, Genesis 36:6-8.
Bible Hub says the following concerning Genesis 36:9.
‘Esau is explicitly called ‘the father of the Edomites,’ linking him to a recognisable nation in later biblical history, e.g., Numbers 20:14 / Obadiah 1-21. The geographic note ‘hill country of Seir’ shows the fulfilment of territorial settlement promised to Esau, Genesis 32:3 / Genesis 36:8.’
Here we have a continuation of the descendants of Esau through Eliphaz, Genesis 36:10. It was from his second wife, Timna, that he had Amalek, Genesis 36:12, who would eventually become enemies of Israel when they came out of captivity, Deuteronomy 25:17 / Deuteronomy 25:19 / Exodus 17:8-16.
Dummelow, in his commentary, says the following concerning Amalek, Genesis 36:12.
‘This does not mean that the great tribe of the Amalekites was descended from Edom, but that a branch became attached to the Edomites.’
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following concerning Timna, Genesis 36:12.
‘As Timna was the sister of Lotan the Horite, Genesis 36:22, we see how the family of Esau and the Horites got intermixed. This might give the sons of Esau a pretext to seize the land, and expel the ancient inhabitants, as we find they did, Deuteronomy 2:12.’
The KJV uses the word ‘duke’ whilst the NIV uses the word ‘chiefs’, Genesis 36:15. It really makes no difference when we understand what is being written as a whole.
The focus here is on the fathers because they established extended families, which simply means that each of the families is being led by a father or, as the text says, a chief. In other words, the fathers were the head of the household and were responsible for leading their families.
A person of interest here is Teman, who was the oldest son of Eliphaz, Genesis 36:15. He was later to become a very powerful tribe; he was so powerful that the land of Edom was sometimes called Teman, Amos 1:12 / Obadiah 1:9.
Pett, in his commentary, says the following concerning Oholibamah, Genesis 36:18.
‘The constant mention of Oholibamah’s mother, Anah, suggests that she was very important. She was related to the Hivites/Horites, and possibly Esau’s marriage connection with her was very important in amalgamating the tribes to finally form Edom. No sons of these chieftains are recorded. It may be that they were childless when slain on a raid or in battle.’
It’s obvious that the Horites already lived in the land, Genesis 36:20, and it seems that they have intermarried with Esau’s descendants. And so, what we have here is what many would call dual-heritage families, where any child born will have different cultural parents.
Pett, in his commentary, says the following.
‘We are now given the genealogy and status of the family of Seir the Horite. One of them is Zibeon, father of Anah, whose daughter married Esau, Genesis 36:2. It is a very interesting fact that this genealogy is recorded in 1 Chronicles 1:38-42 even though they were not directly related to the patriarchs. They were somehow looked on as ‘family’.
Please note that Zibeon is called a Hivite in Genesis 36:2, and a Horite in Genesis 36:20. It seems that Hivite is an alternative word for Horite, and both are applied where ‘Hurrians’ are involved.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘These Horites were the original inhabitants of the country of Seir, called the land of the Horites, and afterwards the land of the Idumeans, when the descendants of Esau had driven them out. These people are first mentioned in Genesis 14:6.’
Note that most modern translations say that Anah discovered the hot springs in the desert while he was grazing the donkeys of his father Zibeon, Genesis 36:24. The KJV version says Anah found the mules in the wilderness. There are many opinions on this, and the matter may never be settled as to which one is correct.
Wesley, in his commentary, says the following concerning Genesis 36:24.
‘This Anah was not only industrious in his business, but ingenious too, and successful, for he found mules, or, (as some read it) waters, hot baths in the wilderness. Those that are diligent in their business sometimes find more advantages than they expected.’
Here we read a list of the names of kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king reigned, Genesis 36:31 / 1 Chronicles 1:43-50. Something which is often overlooked here in this text is that every single one of the kings mentioned was actually succeeded by another king who was not his son. Also, notice that the capital city of the kingdom was moved with the consent of each new king.
Constable, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This list of Edomite kings demonstrates the partial fulfilment of God’s promise that kings would come from Abraham’s loins, Genesis 17:16.’
Pett, in his commentary, says the following concerning Genesis 36:32-34.
‘The ‘city’ of Dinhabah need only have been a group of dwellings or even a tent encampment. Bozrah similarly, although a long time later it was an established city. Whether the Temanites were named after Teman, Genesis 36:11, or Teman was named after the Temanites, we do not know. Eliphaz the Temanite was one of Job’s comforters, Job 2:11. Much later on, Teman was an established city, Jeremiah 49:20.’
The inclusion of women’s names, Timna and Oholibamah, Genesis 36:40-41, as titles of certain chiefs, shows that the chief took his title from the tribal mother in some cases.