Genesis 36: Esau, that is, Edom
Esau settles in Seir, and his line becomes Edom's chiefs and kings before any king reigns over Israel.
Where Genesis 36 sits
- In the story
- Act III, Promise: Genesis 12–50; Job
- In the Bible
- Old Testament · The Law · chapter 36 of 50 in Genesis
- In Genesis
- Esau's line, 36:1–37:1 · part of One family
- Before
- Genesis 35: Back to Bethel
- After
- Genesis 37: Joseph sold
Genesis 36 summary
Esau's heading lists his wives and the sons born to him in Canaan, then tells how he moved away to the hill country of Seir because the land could not hold both brothers' flocks. A second heading lists his descendants in Seir and the chiefs who came from them, alongside the Horite clans who lived there before. The kings of Edom are named, kings who reigned before any king ruled Israel, and the chapter ends with Edom's chiefs by their territories.
Genesis 36 in context
- Speaking
- Moses, narrating
- Written for
- Israel, who would meet Edom on the way to Canaan, learning that God gave Esau his own land and kept the promised land for Jacob
- Around it
- Closes Isaac's account (ch. 35) with the brother who is not chosen; Jacob's account and the Joseph story begin at 37:2
How Genesis 36 points to Christ
Edom's kings come first, but the kings promised to Jacob (35:11) lead to the King from Judah to whom the peoples gather (49:10)
The sections of Genesis 36
- From Canaan to Seir36:1–8
Esau's sons born in Canaan are listed; since the land cannot hold both brothers' herds, he moves to Seir.
- Sons and chiefs in Seir36:9–19
Under a second heading, Esau's descendants in Seir and the chiefs descended from his sons are named.
- The Horites36:20–30
The sons of Seir the Horite, the land's earlier inhabitants, and their chiefs are listed.
- Kings of Edom36:31–39
The kings who reigned in Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites are named in order.
- Chiefs by their places36:40–43
Edom's chiefs are listed by clans and territories: this is Esau, father of the Edomites.
Read Genesis 36
The Descendants of Esau
1This is the account of Esau (that is, Edom). 2Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite, 3and Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth. 4And Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath gave birth to Reuel, 5and Oholibamah gave birth to Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan.
6Later, Esau took his wives and sons and daughters and all the people of his household, along with his livestock, all his other animals, and all the property he had acquired in Canaan, and he moved to a land far away from his brother Jacob. 7For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together; the land where they stayed could not support them because of their livestock. 8So Esau (that is, Edom) settled in the area of Mount Seir.
9This is the account of Esau, the father of the Edomites, in the area of Mount Seir.
10These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel son of Esau’s wife Basemath.
11The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. 12Additionally, Timna, a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, gave birth to Amalek. These are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Adah.
13These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. They are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath.
14These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah (daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon) whom she bore to Esau: Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
15These are the chiefs among the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: Chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, 16Korah, Gatam, and Amalek. They are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom, and they are the grandsons of Adah.
17These 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.
18These 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.
19All these are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and they were their chiefs.
The Descendants of Seir
20These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who were living in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 21Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. They are the chiefs of the Horites, the descendants of Seir in the land of Edom.
22The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam. Timna was Lotan’s sister.
23These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.
24These 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.)
25These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah daughter of Anah.
26These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran.
27These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.
28These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.
29These are the chiefs of the Horites: Chiefs Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 30Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. They are the chiefs of the Horites, according to their divisions in the land of Seir.
The Kings of Edom
31These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites:
32Bela son of Beor reigned in Edom; the name of his city was Dinhabah.
33When Bela died, Jobab son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in his place.
34When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.
35When 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.
36When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah reigned in his place.
37When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth on the Euphrates reigned in his place.
38When Shaul died, Baal-hanan son of Achbor reigned in his place.
39When 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.
40These are the names of Esau’s chiefs, according to their families and regions, by their names: Chiefs Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, 41Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, 42Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, 43Magdiel, and Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements in the land they possessed. Esau was the father of the Edomites.
Berean Standard Bible, 43 verses. The BSB is in the public domain.
Around Genesis 36
Places
- Seir
- Midian
Read alongside
- Deuteronomy 2:5 God gave Mount Seir to Esau as his possession.
- Numbers 20:14–21 Edom refuses Israel passage.
- 1 Chronicles 1:35–54 Esau's line and Edom's kings retold.
Chapters that point here
- Obadiah 1
How Genesis 36 connects
- Kingship · Genesis 36:31 · Edom has kings first; the kings promised to Jacob are still to come.
Doctrines Genesis 36 teaches
- Providence · Genesis 36:6–8; Deuteronomy 2:5
How Genesis 36 is shaped
Two headings for Esau Gen 36:1–43
- Heading 36:1 The account of Esau (that is, Edom): sons born in Canaan
- Sub-heading 36:9 The account of Esau, father of the Edomites, in the area of Mount Seir
The shift from Canaan (36:5) to Seir (36:8–9) explains the second heading; it is read as a sub-heading inside one Esau section (36:1–37:1).
Questions on Genesis 36
Why does Esau's line have two “account” headings (36:1 and 36:9)?
Show the answer
Because Esau moved. The first heading (36:1) covers his family in Canaan; when the land could not hold both brothers’ herds, he settled in Mount Seir (36:6–8), and the second (36:9) traces his line there, a sub-heading within one section.
What does 36:31 assume about Israel's future?
Show the answer
That Israel would one day have kings. Edom’s kings reigned “before any king reigned over the Israelites” (36:31), and God had just promised Jacob that kings would descend from him (35:11).
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