1 - 8 Esau Goes Away from Jacob
1 Now these are [the records of] the generations of Esau (that is, Edom). 2 Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and the granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite; 3 also Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. 4 Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bore Reuel, 5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush and Jalam and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan. 6 Then Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters and all his household, and his livestock and all his cattle and all his goods which he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to [another] land away from his brother Jacob. 7 For their property had become too great for them to live together, and the land where they sojourned could not sustain them because of their livestock. 8 So Esau lived in the hill country of Seir; Esau is Edom.
When Isaac has died, history continues with his sons. First the oldest is mentioned, the son who does not follow the line of faith. The death of his father reveals what lives in the heart of Esau. It has not made a lasting impression on him. His heart has not changed: he goes away from his brother (verse 6), with which he indicates that he wants to have nothing to do with the line of God’s thoughts. He has his own plans and follows his own path.
Esau has three wives. The sons they give birth to are all born in Canaan, while the sons of Jacob, except Benjamin, are all born outside the land. And while Jacob enters the land, Esau leaves it to live in the hill country of Seir.
Esau is Edom, the father of the Edomites, so it says several times in this chapter (verses 1,8,9,19,43). This people will reveal themselves as Israel’s most bitter enemy. The judgment on them is written down by the prophet Obadiah.
Yet in this generation of curse, also an example of grace is present. In verse 15 we read about Kenaz. Caleb, about whom we read in Joshua 14, is called “the Kenizzite” (Jos 14:6). Kaleb is a descendant of Kenaz. Being born as an Edomite is therefore not hopeless (Jdg 3:9).
9 - 14 The Sons of Esau
9 These then are [the records of] the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. 10 These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Esau’s wife Adah, Reuel the son of Esau’s wife Basemath. 11 The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho and Gatam and Kenaz. 12 Timna was a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz and she bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These are the sons of Esau’s wife Adah. 13 These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath and Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath. 14 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and the granddaughter of Zibeon: she bore to Esau, Jeush and Jalam and Korah.
These generations built the Edomite people in the hill country of Seir. In the names mentioned here, we see a piece of God’s accountancy. Nothing escapes Him. Among these almost all unknown names, a name like “Amalek” (verse 12) stands out. This name we encounter more often in the course of the history of Israel (Exo 17:8-16; Deu 25:17-19). It is the avowed enemy of God’s people, a picture of the flesh of the believer. This cannot be otherwise as a descendant of Esau.
All these names are about the persons, not about their history or their actions. God calls their names because of the connection that exists between the generation of Esau and His people. Unfortunately not as friends, but as enemies.
15 - 19 The Chiefs
15 These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau, are chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 16 chief Korah, chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These are the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah. 17 These are the sons of Reuel, Esau’s son: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah. These are the chiefs descended from Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath. 18 These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah. These are the chiefs descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. 19 These are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these are their chiefs.
It seems that the Edomites, like the Israelites, are divided into tribes, after the names of the sons.
20 - 30 The Sons of Seir
20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan and Shobal and Zibeon and Anah, 21 and Dishon and Ezer and Dishan. These are the chiefs descended from the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. 22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan’s sister was Timna. 23 These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan and Manahath and Ebal, Shepho and Onam. 24 These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah—he is the Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness when he was pasturing the donkeys of his father Zibeon. 25 These are the children of Anah: Dishon, and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. 26 These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan and Eshban and Ithran and Cheran. 27 These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan and Zaavan and Akan. 28 These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. 29 These are the chiefs descended from the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah, 30 chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief Dishan. These are the chiefs descended from the Horites, according to their [various] chiefs in the land of Seir.
Of the sons of Seir, the inhabitants of the land to which Esau went, the chiefs are mentioned. They live there, before Esau comes there (Deu 2:12,22).
Sometimes a particular event is mentioned between the enumeration of the names. This may have to do with a find (verse 24) or a military act (verse 35). Anah is mentioned as making a special discovery: he finds hot springs in the wilderness. In a hot wilderness, the discovery of a spring promises refreshment and life. However, if hot water comes from that source, it worsens the condition of the thirsty desert traveler. Finding a hot spring in a wilderness indicates the experience of great disillusionment, while a great pleasure was expected.
Inventors and politically influential figures have shaped mankind without God. They always promise to improve living conditions. The people believe in it and therefore choose them as their leaders, but time and again it turns out to be a bitter disappointment.
31 - 39 Kings in Edom
31 Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the sons of Israel. 32 Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. 33 Then Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah became king in his place. 34 Then Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites became king in his place. 35 Then Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the field of Moab, became king in his place; and the name of his city was Avith. 36 Then Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah became king in his place. 37 Then Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the [Euphrates] Jdgver became king in his place. 38 Then Shaul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor became king in his place. 39 Then Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar became king in his place; and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezahab.
It seems as if Esau is more successful in life than his brother. In his posterity honorable men are mentioned sooner than in the descendants of Jacob (verse 31). With the Edomites everything goes much faster. But God deals with their entire history in one chapter. The history of Jacob is seen from Genesis 37 onward in relation with Joseph. In that history we see how suffering precedes glory.
40 - 43 The Chiefs
40 Now these are the names of the chiefs descended from Esau, according to their families [and] their localities, by their names: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth, 41 chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 42 chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 43 chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom (that is, Esau, the father of the Edomites), according to their habitations in the land of their possession.
Here again the same persons are mentioned that we have also seen in verses 15-19. Only there the names of the persons are mentioned, while here their localities are mentioned.