The red sandstone mountains of Seir at sunset, cliffs and canyons falling to a dry valley where a herder's black tents and flock sit small below.

The Book of

Genesis 36

Jacob’s brother goes his own way. Genesis still writes down every name: wives, sons, chiefs and kings in the red hills of Seir.

43 verses≈ 6 min4 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

1–11BeginningsCreation, fall, flood, Babel
12–24AbrahamThe call and the promise
25–36Isaac and JacobThe promise passed onChapter 36
37–50JosephGod meant it for good

The Descendants of Esau

Genesis 36:1

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

Family line

Esau’s wives and sons

Married Adah, Oholibamah and Basemath
Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite, and Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.
- Eliphaz
- Reuel
Sons of Adah and Basemath
And Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath gave birth to Reuel,
- Jeush
- Jalam
- Korah
Sons of Oholibamah
and Oholibamah gave birth to Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
Born in Canaan
These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

Stylised map · locations approximate

On the map

Mount Seir

From Canaan, where Isaac had lived near Hebron, Esau moved southeast past the Dead Sea to the red hill country of Seir. Bozrah, the home of one of Edom’s early kings, lies in its northern hills.

Esau

their possessions were too great for them to dwell together

Genesis 36:7

This is the account of Esau, the father of the Edomites, in the area of Mount Seir.

An old herdsman seen from behind at the door of a black goat-hair tent at dusk, his grown sons and their boys gathered around a small fire before him.

Family line

Esau’s sons and grandsons

- Eliphaz
- Reuel
These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel son of Esau’s wife Basemath.
- Teman
- Omar
- Zepho
- Gatam
- Kenaz
The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.

Additionally, Timna, a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, gave birth to Amalek. These are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Adah.

Family line

The chiefs of Esau

Reuel
- Nahath
- Zerah
- Shammah
- Mizzah
Basemath’s grandsons
These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. They are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath.
- Jeush
- Jalam
- Korah
Sons of Oholibamah
These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah (daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon) whom she bore to Esau: Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
The chiefs of his sons
These are the chiefs among the sons of Esau.
- Teman
- Omar
- Zepho
- Kenaz
- Korah
- Gatam
- Amalek
Esau’s firstborn
The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: Chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, Korah, Gatam, and Amalek. They are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom, and they are the grandsons of Adah.
Reuel
- Nahath
- Zerah
- Shammah
- Mizzah
These are the sons of Esau’s son Reuel: Chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. They are the chiefs descended from Reuel in the land of Edom, and they are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath.
- Jeush
- Jalam
- Korah
Chiefs from Oholibamah
These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: Chiefs Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. They are the chiefs descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.
All of them chiefs
All these are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and they were their chiefs.

Two brothers, two nations

Whiteboard

Two brothers, two nations. Both are blessed with sons and a land, but the promise God made to Abraham goes on through Jacob, as God said before the twins were born. Esau’s family settles “in the area of Mount Seir.”

Reflect

Too much to share

Esau and Jacob didn’t part over a quarrel this time. They parted because “their possessions were too great for them to dwell together.” Years before, Esau had planned to kill his brother; now there is simply too much stuff. Plenty can divide people as surely as want can. Is anything you own, or want, putting distance between you and someone you love? Write it down.

The Descendants of Seir

Family line

The sons of Seir the Horite

Seir
- Lotan
- Shobal
- Zibeon
- Anah
- Dishon
- Ezer
- Dishan
The Horite
These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who were living in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.
Chiefs of the Horites
They are the chiefs of the Horites, the descendants of Seir in the land of Edom.
Lotan
- Hori
- Hemam
Timna was his sister
The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam. Timna was Lotan’s sister.
Shobal
- Alvan
- Manahath
- Ebal
- Shepho
- Onam
These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.

These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah. (This is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness as he was pasturing the donkeys of his father Zibeon.)

Family line

The Horite clans and chiefs

- Dishon
- Oholibamah
These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah daughter of Anah.
Dishon
- Hemdan
- Eshban
- Ithran
- Cheran
These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.
Ezer
- Bilhan
- Zaavan
- Akan
These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.
Dishan
- Uz
- Aran
These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
- Lotan
- Shobal
- Zibeon
- Anah
- Dishon
- Ezer
- Dishan
The Horite chiefs
These are the chiefs of the Horites: Chiefs Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.
In the land of Seir
They are the chiefs of the Horites, according to their divisions in the land of Seir.

Pray

Every name written down

Genesis could have skipped Esau’s family and gone straight back to Jacob. Instead it writes down wives, sons, grandsons, chiefs, even a man who “found the hot springs in the wilderness” while minding his father’s donkeys. God sees the people outside the main story too. Thank Him that no one is a side note to Him, and pray for a family or people you find it easy to overlook.

The Kings of Edom

These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites:

Family line

The kings of Edom

Bela
His city: Dinhabah
Bela son of Beor reigned in Edom; the name of his city was Dinhabah.
Jobab
From Bozrah
When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in his place.
Husham
From the Temanites’ land
When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.
Hadad
His city: Avith
defeated Midian in Moab
When Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his place. And the name of his city was Avith.
Samlah
From Masrekah
When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah reigned in his place.
Shaul
From Rehoboth
When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the Euphrates reigned in his place.
Baal-hanan
Son of Achbor
When Shaul died, Baal-hanan son of Achbor reigned in his place.
Hadad
Married Mehetabel
His city: Pau
When Baal-hanan son of Achbor died, Hadad reigned in his place. His city was named Pau, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-zahab.

Edom's high plateau at dawn, black tents and grazing flocks on the upland, the land breaking off in red cliffs to the deep valley of the Arabah.

These are the names of Esau’s chiefs, according to their families and regions, by their names: Chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, Magdiel, and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements in the land they possessed. Esau was the father of the Edomites.

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Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Question

Quick question

Genesis gives Esau a second name, and his people take it.

Which people does Genesis 36 say came from Esau?

You’ve experienced

Genesis 36

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A verse to carry with you

This is the account of Esau (that is, Edom).

Genesis 36:1

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