The Edomite Nation Begins

Genesis 36:1-29

Proverbs 13:22 states, “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children:…” Though Esau viewed the things of God as of little value, his descendants were blessed by
god because of Isaac’s righteousness. At this point God takes time to show how his family was blessed. Over a thousand years later, Esau’s descendants, the Edomites were still in contact with Israel. God had told Rebekah that the elder, Esau, would serve the younger, while Jacob prophesied in his blessing that Esau would ultimately break free. We see here how the Edomite peoples developed.

“Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom. Esau 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; And Bashemath Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth.” (Genesis 36:1-3)

Esau initially married the two Canaanite women because they were who he was most familiar with. Later, when Jacob was sent away, he married his cousin Bashemath, the daughter of Ishmael in an effort to please his parents.

“And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz; and Bashemath bare Reuel; And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these are the sons of Esau, which were born unto him in the land of Canaan.” (Genesis 36:4-5)

By time Jacob returned from Padanaram, Esau’s family had grown to include his five sons, their wives and perhaps some of their children, as well as more than four hundred employees and followers. When Jacob moved close to Hebron, even though there was no longer enmity between Jacob and Esau, their combined herds and forces were more than the area would support in addition to the various Canaanite peoples who already claimed the land.

“And 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. For 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. Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.” (Genesis 36:6-8)

Esau moved his herds to the south east to a region known as Mount Seir, after the leader of the Horite People who lived there. Later the region was called Edom. In Christ’s day the region was known as Idumea. It encompassed most the southern part of present day Jordan and a small part of Saudi Arabia.

“And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir: These 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.” (Genesis 36:9-10)

Adah was a Hittite girl, of the descendants of Heth. While she and Esau had only one son, he had six sons. One of them was by a Horite woman named Timna. She named him Amalek.

“And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz. And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau's wife.” (Genesis 36:11-12)

Bashemath was Ishmaels daughter and she and Esau also had just one son, named Reuel. Reuel had four sons. Undoubtedly part of the reason for Esau moving to south was to be near Ishmael’s family.

“And these are the sons of Reuel; Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah: these were the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife.” (Genesis 36:13)

Aholibamah was a Hivite girl, but her mother was a Horite. She and Esau three sons.

“And 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.” (Genesis 36:14)

Each of Esau’s grandsons formed a clan of their own. The word translated duke here refers to either the clan itself, or the leader of the clan.

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

And 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.

And 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. These are the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these are their dukes.” (Genesis 36:15-19)

The Horites under Seir already possessed the land. After moving to Mount Seir, Esau’s son Eliphaz married Seir’s daughter, tying the two groups closely together.

“These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, And Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan: these are the dukes of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom. And the children of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan's sister was Timna.

And the children of Shobal were these; Alvan, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.” (Genesis 36:20-23)

One of the reasons Esau went to Mount Seir was probably that his wife Aholibamah was Seir’s great granddaughter. Esau’s son married Aholibamah’s aunt, Seir’s daughter. It is only as we understand how long people lived in those days that we can understand how this could be possible. Remember that at this time, Esau would have been about a hundred, and Isaac had lived to be a hundred eighty, Shem had died only a few years before, having lived five hundred years after the Flood.

“And 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.

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

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

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

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

These are the dukes that came of the Horites; duke Lotan, duke Shobal, duke Zibeon, duke Anah, Duke Dishon, duke Ezer, duke Dishan: these are the dukes that came of Hori, among their dukes in the land of Seir.” (Genesis 36:24-29)

Not all the original clans in Edom were descendants of Esau, but the two peoples lived together and became increasingly intermingled. Not all of Seir’s descendants formed their own clans. Eventually Esau’s descendants became the dominant force.