Genesis 36

Matthew Poole’s English Annotations on the Bible on Genesis Chapter 36

Introduction

Gen. 36
Esau’s wives and children born in Canaan,
Gen. 36:1–5
.
They remove from Jacob to Seir; the reason,
Gen. 36:6–8
.
His posterity,
Gen. 36:9–19
; as also that of Seir the Horite,
Gen. 36:20
; among whom is Anah, who first found out mules in the wilderness,
Gen. 36:24
.
His children,
Gen. 36:25–30
.
A catalogue of kings and princes in Edom,
Gen. 36:31–43
.

Genesis 36:1

They are here mentioned partly to show the effect of his father’s blessing,
Gen. 27:39
; partly that the Israelites might be admonished to treat the Edomites like brethren, and not to invade their land. See
Deut. 23:7
.

Genesis 36:2

If this account be compared with that
Gen. 26:34
, we shall find some difficulties, which yet admit of an easy reconciliation, if these things be considered.
1. That it is very usual, and confessed by all, that the same persons are oft called by several names.
2. That the names of some persons are in Scripture given to others, because of a great resemblance between them. Upon which account the parents of the Israelites are called Armorites and Hittites,
Ezek. 16:3
; and the governors of Jerusalem are called the rulers of Sodom and Gomorrah,
Isa. 1:10
; and John the Baptist is called Elias,
Matt. 17:12
.
3. That the same men ere ofttimes denominated from several countries, as Christ is noted to have a threefold country in Scripture; Bethlehem by his birth, Nazareth by his education, and Capernaum by his much residence and preaching there.
4. That the same names are sometimes common to men and women.
5. That persons are called the children, not only of their immediate parents, but of their grandparents, and of those who adopted them. These things premised, the seeming contradictions objected by infidels do vanish. She who was properly called Judith,
Gen. 26:24
, is here called Aholibamah, a name which seems to be given her either by Isaac or by Moses, from her settledness in her idolatrous courses. And Adah was also called Bashemath,
Gen. 26:34
; and Mahalath, Ishmael’s daughter, was called Bashemath, either because in her principles and manners she resembled Esau’s other wife so called, or to show that Ishmael’s marriage to a third wife was no less opprobrious to him and displeasing to his parents than the former.
Anah, a man, and the son of Zibeon, as appears from
Gen. 35:24
, called here a Hivite, is called Beeri the Hittite,
Gen. 26:34
, either because those two people were mixed together in habitation and by marriage, or because the one people were larger than the other, and comprehended under their name, or because he was a Hivite by birth, a Hittite by habitation or incorporation with them. Hence also we may learn how Aholibamah here comes to be the daughter both of Anah and of Zibeon; the one being either the natural or proper father, and the other either the grandfather, or father by adoption.

Genesis 36:4

Eliphaz, the progenitor of that Eliphaz,
Job 2:11
.
Reuel, the father of Jethro. See
Ex. 2:18
,
Num. 10:29
.

Genesis 36:5

He had also daughters,
Gen. 36:6
, though their names be not here mentioned.

Genesis 36:6

1740
Quest.
1. Why went he thither?
Answ. Partly by his own choice, that wild and mountainous country being very commodious for hunting, to which he wholly addicted himself; partly by his wives’ persuasions, who were both utterly averse from cohabitation with Isaac or Jacob, and strongly inclined to their own country; but principally from the secret conduct of Divine Providence, thus accomplishing his promises. See
Josh. 24:4
,
Mal. 1:3
.
Quest.
2. When went he thither?
Answ. He went thither before this time in discontent at his parents, and dwelt in Seir before Jacob’s return to Canaan, as appears from
Gen. 32:3
,
Gen. 33:14
,
Gen. 33:16
; yet so as he came sometimes to Canaan, and to his father’s house, and did not quit his interest in his father’s estate. But when his father was dead, and Jacob and he agreed about the partition of the estate, he did totally and finally forsake Canaan, partly, for the reason here following; partly, for the other reasons now alleged; and partly, to avoid all occasion both of communication and contention with his brother.

Genesis 36:7

Which words contain the reason why that land which was large and fruitful could not bear them, because they were not entire possessors of it, but only sojourners in it, and therefore must take the owners’ leavings, which were not sufficient for both of them and their numerous families.

Genesis 36:8

This seems to be mentioned by the Holy Ghost by way of contempt or reproach; this is he who sold his birthright for a mess of red pottage, and therefore was called
Edom or red.

Genesis 36:15

1715
These were dukes, princes or heads of their several families and little principalities, according to the manner of those times, who ruled their dominions, either severally, each his own, or jointly, by common advice, or it may be under one chief prince, their superior either in title or in power. And in this division Eliphaz, as he was Esau’s first-born, so he had more than a double portion, his six sons being made dukes, as Esau’s immediate sons were. Compare
1 Chron. 5:1
.

Genesis 36:16

Korah is not mentioned among the sons of Eliphaz, and therefore is thought to be his grandson. There is another Korah,
Gen. 36:14
,
Gen. 36:18
.

Genesis 36:20

1840
The sons of Seir are here mentioned, partly because of their alliance with Esau’s family,
Gen. 35:2
,
Gen. 35:20
,
Gen. 35:22
,
Gen. 35:24–25
, and partly because the government was translated from his to Esau’s family.
Who inhabited the land, and ruled there, till Esau and his posterity drove them out,
Deut. 2:12
,
Deut. 2:22
.

Genesis 36:24

Mules; so most understand the word Jemim, which is no where else used, and give this sense of it, that he found out the way of the generation of mules by the copulation of a horse and a mare. Others render it waters, that he found out some springs of water, which in those hot countries were rare and precious; or hot waters, some hot and medicinal springs. But the Chaldee renders it giants, and the Samaritan version Emims, a sort of giants mentioned
Deut. 2:10–11
; who also were neighbours to the Horites here spoken of, as appears from
Gen. 14:5–6
; and therefore might, according to the manner of those times, make inroads one upon another. So Jemim is put for Emim, either by an apocope of the first letter, or by the change of the Hebrew letter Jod into Aleph, both which are frequent among the Hebrews. And the sense is, that Anah the Horite found out the Emims; that is, he met with them, or came upon them suddenly, and smote them. In this sense the word finding is oft used, as
Judg. 1:5
,
1 Sam. 31:3
,
Ps. 21:8
,
Isa. 10:10
.

Genesis 36:25

The children, Heb. sons, though but one son be mentioned. Either then he had other sons not here expressed; or the plural number is put for the singular, as
Gen. 21:7
.

Genesis 36:30

Among other dukes which were in that country. Or, according to their dukedoms or principalities; the word duke being here put for dukedom as the word king is put for kingdom,
Isa. 23:15
,
Dan. 7:17
.

Genesis 36:31

He speaks of the posterity of Esau, who after they had subdued the Horites, erected a kingdom there.
Here profane wits triumph. How, say they, could Moses write this, when as yet there was no king in Israel?
Answ.
1. The word may be taken for any chief governor, in which sense the title of king is given to Moses,
Deut. 33:5
; and to the judges,
Judg. 17:6
; and to others who were not kings, properly so called,
Ps. 119:46
,
Luke 22:25
,
Acts 9:15
;c.
Answ. 2. Moses might well say thus, because he did by the Spirit of prophecy foresee, and therefore could foretell, that the Israelites would have a king, as appears from
Deut. 17:14–15
.
Answ. 3. This, with other clauses of the same nature, might be inserted afterwards by some holy and inspired man of God, as it is confessed that part of the last chapter of Deuteronomy was.

Genesis 36:32

Where he was born or dwelt, and so in the rest. The diversity of their cities makes it probable, that these kings had not their power by succession, but either by election, or by usurpation, according to Isaac’s prophecy of them,
Gen. 27:40
; By thy sword thou shalt live.

Genesis 36:34

Of which land, see
Jer. 49:7
,
Jer. 49:20
, so called either from the city Teman, or from Teman the son of Eliphaz,
Gen. 36:11
. Or, of the south country, as the ancient translations render it.

Genesis 36:37

The river; either Euphrates, or a branch of it, called Chabras, by which there is even at this day a city called Rahabath-melic, i.e. King’s Rahabath, as the learned observe; or some other river of note in those times and parts.

Genesis 36:39

Either Matred was the father, and Mezahab the mother; or Matred was the mother, and
Mezahab the grandmother.

Genesis 36:40

1496
The names of the dukes, of their persons, and generations, and families. The state of Edom between the times of Esau and Moses seems to have been this; there were first dukes, then kings, and after them dukes again. But if it be objected, that the time was too short for a succession of so many persons, it may be replied, that what is confessed concerning the dukes preceding the kings, might be true also of these succeeding dukes, and that the Edomites either having taken some distaste at kingly government, or differing about the choice of a new king, divided themselves again into several petty principalities or dukedoms; and so several of those were dukes at the same time in divers parts.
Genesis 36