seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Genesis 36:1 This is the account of the family line of Esau (that is, Edom).
2 Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite— 3 also Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.
4 Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel, 5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam and Korah. These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in Canaan.
2 Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite— 3 also Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.
4 Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel, 5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam and Korah. These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in Canaan.
I was going to skip chapter 36 because it's all about the family line from Esau. After all, it's one of the boring names and names chapters that no one wants to delve into. I've never even heard a preacher talk about this chapter..... but it's got a purpose.... it'll help me understand the rest of the story better. I don't know how many mini-series I have watched on TV where I thought someone was insignificant and they turned out to be major later. So I'll make this a painless as possible for myself.
It wasn't easy to find a summary of these verses. The commentaries either left it out all together, or got so involved that the commentary was much much much longer than the chapter itself. I did find a kind of easy to understand section in bible-commentaries.com. I've highlighted the commentary as it stood out to me to make it easier.
Vs. 1-5 a list of Esau's wives and their children.
The Pulpit Commentary links this chapter to the opening verse of the next one, where we read: "Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan."
The obvious reason for the inclusion of this chapter in the Genesis account is not only that Esau was Jacob's brother, but also to indicate the origin of Israel's enemies. Edom was a thorn in Israel's flesh during the whole period that the two nations lived in each others vicinity. And Amelek became Israel's archenemy.
Adam Clark remarks about this chapter: "The generations of Esau are particularly marked, to show how exactly God fulfilled the promises He made to him, chapter xxv and xxvii, and those of Seir the Horite are added, because his family became in some measure blended with that of Esau."
About the first section of this chapter, The Pulpit Commentary says the following: "The difference between this account and that previously given (ch. xxvi. 34 ; xxviii. 9) will appear at a glance by setting the two lists of wives in parallel columns :-
1. Juduth, daughter of Berreithe Hittite. 1. Aholibamah, daughter of Anah, daughter of Zibeon the
2. Bashemat, daughter of Elon the Hittite .2. Adah, daughter of Hittite.
3. Mahalath, daughter of Ishmael, sister of Nebajoth. 3. Bashemath, Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth.
The two lists agree in saying (1) that Esau had three wives, (2) that one of them was the daughter of Elon the Hittite, (3) that another of them was Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nabajoth, and (4) that the name of one of them was Bashemath.
Only five sons are mentioned as Esau's offspring. We read in vs. 4 and 5: "Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel, and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam and Korah. These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in Canaan."
The Pulpit Commentary links this chapter to the opening verse of the next one, where we read: "Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan."
The obvious reason for the inclusion of this chapter in the Genesis account is not only that Esau was Jacob's brother, but also to indicate the origin of Israel's enemies. Edom was a thorn in Israel's flesh during the whole period that the two nations lived in each others vicinity. And Amelek became Israel's archenemy.
Adam Clark remarks about this chapter: "The generations of Esau are particularly marked, to show how exactly God fulfilled the promises He made to him, chapter xxv and xxvii, and those of Seir the Horite are added, because his family became in some measure blended with that of Esau."
About the first section of this chapter, The Pulpit Commentary says the following: "The difference between this account and that previously given (ch. xxvi. 34 ; xxviii. 9) will appear at a glance by setting the two lists of wives in parallel columns :-
1. Juduth, daughter of Berreithe Hittite. 1. Aholibamah, daughter of Anah, daughter of Zibeon the
2. Bashemat, daughter of Elon the Hittite .2. Adah, daughter of Hittite.
3. Mahalath, daughter of Ishmael, sister of Nebajoth. 3. Bashemath, Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth.
The two lists agree in saying (1) that Esau had three wives, (2) that one of them was the daughter of Elon the Hittite, (3) that another of them was Ishmael's daughter, the sister of Nabajoth, and (4) that the name of one of them was Bashemath.
Only five sons are mentioned as Esau's offspring. We read in vs. 4 and 5: "Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel, and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam and Korah. These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in Canaan."
Again, this will make a lot more sense when I get to later chapters in the Bible. But remember.... Esau married Hittite women. Esau also married Ishmael's daughter. Ishmael, was Isaac's step brother. They were bitter enemies their whole life. Remember, too, that God made a promise to bless the families of Ishmael, as well as Esau, and this chapter shows that God kept his word.
p.s. I left out a big argument about the wive's names because it would just confuse me but some say the names of the wives is because their names changed upon marriage, which was an Arabian custom.... like the way we change our last name.
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