✝
← Bible
ARCBLIVREKJVVBL

Genesis 36

KJV · Chapter 36/50

1Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.

2Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;

3And Bashemath Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebajoth.

4And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz; and Bashemath bare Reuel;

5And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these are the sons of Esau, which were born unto him in the land of Canaan.

6And Esau took 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 had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob.

7For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle.

8Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.

9And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir:

10These are the names of Esau’s sons; Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau.

11And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz.

12And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau’s son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau’s wife.

13And these are the sons of Reuel; Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah: these were the sons of Bashemath Esau’s wife.

14And these were the sons of Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife: and she bare to Esau Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.

15These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau; duke Teman, duke Omar, duke Zepho, duke Kenaz,

16Duke Korah, duke Gatam, and duke Amalek: these are the dukes that came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons of Adah.

17And these are the sons of Reuel Esau’s son; duke Nahath, duke Zerah, duke Shammah, duke Mizzah: these are the dukes that came of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Bashemath Esau’s wife.

18And these are the sons of Aholibamah Esau’s wife; duke Jeush, duke Jaalam, duke Korah: these were the dukes that came of Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau’s wife.

19These are the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these are their dukes.

20These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah,

21And Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan: these are the dukes of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom.

22And the children of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan’s sister was Timna.

23And the children of Shobal were these; Alvan, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.

24And these are the children of Zibeon; both Ajah, and Anah: this was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.

25And the children of Anah were these; Dishon, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah.

26And these are the children of Dishon; Hemdan, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.

27The children of Ezer are these; Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Akan.

28The children of Dishan are these; Uz, and Aran.

29These are the dukes that came of the Horites; duke Lotan, duke Shobal, duke Zibeon, duke Anah,

30Duke Dishon, duke Ezer, duke Dishan: these are the dukes that came of Hori, among their dukes in the land of Seir.

31And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel.

32And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom: and the name of his city was Dinhabah.

33And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.

34And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of Temani reigned in his stead.

35And 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.

36And Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.

37And Samlah died, and Saul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead.

38And Saul died, and Baal–hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.

39And Baal–hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.

40And these are the names of the dukes that came of Esau, according to their families, after their places, by their names; duke Timnah, duke Alvah, duke Jetheth,

41Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon,

42Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar,

43Duke Magdiel, duke Iram: these be the dukes of Edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession: he is Esau the father of the Edomites.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The extensive genealogy of Esau and his descendants, who became the Edomites, is presented, including the list of kings who ruled Edom before there were kings in Israel.

Explanation

Although mainly a genealogical list, this chapter fulfills an important role in the structure of the book: it formally 'closes out' the line of Esau before the narrative focuses exclusively on Jacob and his descendants in the final chapters. This follows a common pattern in Genesis, where the genealogy of the secondary line (such as Ishmael's in chapter 25) is documented and then set aside, so the main focus can follow the line of promise. The mention that Edom already had kings 'before there reigned any king over the children of Israel' (v. 31) is an editorial note showing that the text of Genesis, though dealing with ancient events, was arranged or finalized at a later period, when Israel already had its own monarchy. The lesson here is subtle: even those outside the main line of promise receive recognition, dignity, and a recorded place in God's history.

Fun facts

  • Edom, the nation descended from Esau, occupied the mountainous region southeast of the Dead Sea, and would maintain a long and complex history of conflicts and alliances with Israel, documented in later books such as Numbers, 2 Samuel, and Obadiah.
  • The observation that Edom had kings before Israel did (v. 31) is one of the few moments in Genesis that appears to reflect a later editorial perspective, likely from the era of the Israelite monarchy, showing how the final text of the book was carefully compiled over time.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Genesis 36:1The text makes it explicit “who is Edom” — Esau and Edom are the same person and the same people. The name Edom, meaning red, had already appeared earlier tied to the red stew Esau traded for his birthright; this chapter lists his descendants, who form the nation of Edom, Israel’s neighbor and later rival.
  2. Genesis 36:2The names of Esau’s Canaanite wives here — Adah and Aholibamah — do not exactly match those given in 26:34, where Judith and Bashemath appeared. It is quite likely these are the same women under alternate names, something common at the time, but the text does not clarify this directly.
  3. Genesis 36:3This Bashemath is described as Ishmael’s daughter, the same woman called Mahalath in 28:9 — another case of a double name within Esau’s genealogy.
  4. Genesis 36:4The list of Esau’s sons begins here: Eliphaz, from Adah, and Reuel, from Bashemath — the two names who will lead the main branches of the future nation of Edom.
  5. Genesis 36:5Aholibamah completes the list with Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah — closing out the sons of Esau born to him in the land of Canaan, before the separation from Jacob.
  6. Genesis 36:6Esau takes his wives, sons, daughters, and all his substance, gotten in the land of Canaan, and goes into another country from the face of his brother Jacob — the practical reason is explained in the next verse.
  7. Genesis 36:7The riches of the two brothers were too great for them to dwell together — the same reason that had already separated Abraham and Lot, back in chapter 13.
  8. Genesis 36:8Esau dwells in mount Seir, and the text directly confirms the identification that will repeat throughout the chapter: Esau is Edom.
  9. Genesis 36:9A second line of descent begins here, now presenting Esau specifically as “the father of the Edomites” already settled in mount Seir.
  10. Genesis 36:10The names of the two main sons, Eliphaz and Reuel, are repeated here as a formal heading before the list goes deeper into Esau’s grandsons.
  11. Genesis 36:11Eliphaz’s sons — Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz — form the second generation of the line that will lead entire clans of Edom.
  12. Genesis 36:12Timna was Eliphaz’s “concubine,” not his wife — a socially recognized position at the time, with fewer rights than a wife, but whose children still counted in the family genealogy. That is why her son, Amalek, is listed normally alongside Esau’s other grandsons.
  13. Genesis 36:13Reuel’s sons — Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah — complete the other main branch of the genealogy, descended from Bashemath.
  14. Genesis 36:14The list repeats Aholibamah’s sons, Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah, now formally organized by mother within the genealogical scheme.
  15. Genesis 36:15From here the list shifts focus: instead of just sons, it now names “dukes,” meaning clan chiefs — beginning with Eliphaz’s descendants, Esau’s firstborn.
  16. Genesis 36:16Korah, Gatam, and Amalek complete the dukes descended from Eliphaz — among them is the name that gives rise to the future Amalekites, recurring enemies of Israel later in the Bible.
  17. Genesis 36:17The dukes descended from Reuel — Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah — form the second group of Edom’s clan chiefs.
  18. Genesis 36:18Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah appear again, now as dukes linked to Aholibamah, closing out the three main branches of Edomite leadership.
  19. Genesis 36:19The verse sums it all up: these are the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these are their dukes — reinforcing once more that Esau and Edom are one and the same.
  20. Genesis 36:20From here the list changes subject: it turns to describe the Horites, the people who already inhabited the land of Seir before the arrival of Esau’s line — beginning with Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, and Anah.
  21. Genesis 36:21Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan complete the list of Horite dukes, the original inhabitants of that mountainous land before it became Edom.
  22. Genesis 36:22Lotan’s children are Hori and Hemam, and his sister was Timna — the same woman who appears as Eliphaz’s concubine in verse 12, linking the native line of Seir to Esau’s family through marriage.
  23. Genesis 36:23Shobal’s children — Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam — continue detailing the local Horite clans.
  24. Genesis 36:24“The mules” is an uncertain translation: the original Hebrew word is rare, appearing only here in the entire Bible, and scholars disagree — it may indeed mean mules (a cross between horse and donkey) or it may refer to hot springs. The verse only means that Anah found something unusual while feeding his father Zibeon’s donkeys.
  25. Genesis 36:25Among Anah’s children is Aholibamah, the same woman who married Esau — showing that she came from the native Horite line, not only from the Canaanites in a broad sense.
  26. Genesis 36:26Dishon’s children — Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran — continue detailing the branches of the Horite family.
  27. Genesis 36:27Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan are the children of Ezer, another branch of this same native line of Seir.
  28. Genesis 36:28Uz and Aran close out the children of Dishan — the name Uz is also associated with the land of Job, though here it refers only to a person within this genealogy.
  29. Genesis 36:29The list sums up the Horite dukes by name — Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah — before completing it with the last three in the next verse.
  30. Genesis 36:30Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan close the list of Horite dukes, the native people who preceded the Edomites in Seir.
  31. Genesis 36:31This phrase, which speaks of a time before “any king” reigned over the children of Israel, looks forward in time — to the era of Israel’s kings, like Saul and David, who would only exist centuries after Jacob. It is one of the details showing that lists like this were compiled or revised much later than the events they record.
  32. Genesis 36:32The list of the kings of Edom begins here — Bela, son of Beor, is the first named, with his city Dinhabah. The previous verse already notes that this list covers kings before any king existed over Israel, suggesting the text was compiled or revised at a time when Israel already had a monarchy.
  33. Genesis 36:33Jobab of Bozrah succeeds Bela — the list follows a fixed pattern of “so-and-so died, so-and-so reigned in his stead,” without detailing how the transfers of power took place.
  34. Genesis 36:34Husham of the land of Temani succeeds Jobab on the throne of Edom.
  35. Genesis 36:35Hadad succeeds Husham, and receives an extra detail the other kings lack: mention that he smote Midian in the field of Moab.
  36. Genesis 36:36Samlah of Masrekah succeeds Hadad — another name in the sequence of kings without a fixed dynastic territory.
  37. Genesis 36:37Saul of Rehoboth by the river succeeds Samlah — the name is the same as Israel’s first king, but this is a completely different person, from Edom.
  38. Genesis 36:38This king of Edom shares his name with Israel’s first king, Saul — but here it is only coincidence: Edom already had kings long before Israel had its first.
  39. Genesis 36:39Hadar is the last king listed, and the only one whose wife’s name, Mehetabel, is recorded — an extra detail suggesting the list was written near the end of his reign, without yet knowing who would come next.
  40. Genesis 36:40After the kings, the list returns to naming Edom’s dukes by their places and by their names — beginning with Timnah, Alvah, and Jetheth.
  41. Genesis 36:41Aholibamah, Elah, and Pinon continue the final list of dukes, each associated with a region within Edomite territory.
  42. Genesis 36:42Kenaz, Teman, and Mibzar continue completing this final list of Edom’s clan chiefs.
  43. Genesis 36:43Magdiel and Iram close the list of dukes, and the chapter ends by restating the summary: this is Esau, the father of the Edomites.

Chapters

1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647484950

Our apps

Our apps →

Bible in Stories

The Bible told as a story, with audio and videos.

📱 Get the app

World in Stories

True stories of humanity that sound made up.

App StoreGoogle Play

Feito! Pequenas Vitórias

A light daily routine for people who lose track of the day.

App StoreGoogle Play