Why does Esau leave Jacob, and how does the chapter trace the families and rulers of Edom?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Esau leaves because the brothers’ wealth and flocks are too great for the land to support them together. He lives in mount Seir as Edom. The chapter then records his family, the Horrite families, the kings who ruled before Israel had a king, and Edom’s dukes.

Chapter breakdown

The family record begins with Esau, who is also Edom. His wives from the daughters of Chanaan are Ada, daughter of Elon the Hethite, and Oolibama, daughter of Ana, who is described here as daughter of Sebeon the Hevite. That relationship is retained as this verse gives it.

Challoner notes that Esau’s wives are called by other names in Genesis 26. He explains that it was common among the ancients for the same person to have two names, as Esau himself is also called Edom.

Esau’s other wife is Basemath, daughter of Ismael and sister of Nabajoth. Ada bears Eliphaz; Basemath bears Rahuel; Oolibama bears Jehus, Ihelon and Core. These sons are born to Esau in Chanaan. Esau takes his wives, sons and daughters, everyone in his household, his property, cattle and everything he has acquired in Chanaan, and leaves his brother Jacob for another country. They are very rich and cannot live together: the land where they have stayed cannot support their many flocks. Esau lives in mount Seir. The record again identifies him as Edom and as the father of Edom in mount Seir.

The list names Eliphaz as Ada’s son and Rahuel as Basemath’s son. Eliphaz’s sons are Theman, Omar, Sepho, Gatham and Cenez. Thamna, Eliphaz’s concubine, bears him Amalech. The record groups these under Ada, Esau’s wife. Rahuel’s sons are Nahath, Zara, Samma and Meza, grouped under Basemath, Esau’s wife. Oolibama, described again as daughter of Ana, daughter of Sebeon, bears Esau Jehus, Ihelon and Core.

The record next lists dukes, the leaders named by that title in this edition. The dukes from Eliphaz, Esau’s firstborn, are Theman, Omar, Sepho, Cenez, Core, Gatham and Amalech. These are listed as Eliphaz’s sons in Edom and as Ada’s sons. The dukes from Rahuel, Esau’s son, are Nahath, Zara, Samma and Meza, listed under Rahuel in Edom and under Basemath. The dukes from Oolibama are Jehus, Ihelon and Core; she is identified as Ana’s daughter and Esau’s wife. The section closes by naming these as Esau’s sons and their dukes, and again identifies Esau as Edom. Core is retained in each group where the source lists that name.

The inhabitants of the land include the sons of Seir the Horrite: Lotan, Sobal, Sebeon, Ana, Dison, Eser and Disan. They are called Horrite dukes, sons of Seir in Edom. Lotan’s sons are Hori and Heman, and his sister is Thamna. Sobal’s sons are Alvan, Manahat, Ebal, Sepho and Onam. This part of the record gives these relationships without explicitly identifying Lotan’s sister with the earlier concubine of the same name.

Sebeon’s sons are Aia and Ana. This Ana finds hot waters in the wilderness while tending the donkeys of his father Sebeon. He has a son Dison and a daughter Oolibama. Dison’s sons are Hamdan, Eseban, Jethram and Charan. Eser’s sons are Balaan, Zavan and Acan. Verse 28 then names Dison again, giving his sons as Hus and Aram. The admitted edition’s name Dison is retained here, rather than silently substituting the similar name Disan from the earlier list.

The Horrite dukes are listed as Lotan, Sobal, Sebeon, Ana, Dison, Eser and Disan. They rule in the land of Seir.

The following kings rule in Edom before the children of Israel have a king. Bela, son of Beor, has the city Denaba. When Bela dies, Jobab, son of Zara, of Bosra, reigns in his place. After Jobab’s death, Husam from the land of the Themanites succeeds him. After Husam’s death, Adad, son of Badad, reigns. Adad defeats the Madianites in the country of Moab, and his city is Avith.

After Adad dies, Semla of Masreca reigns. After Semla dies, Saul of the river Rohoboth reigns. After Saul dies, Balanan, son of Achobor, succeeds to the kingdom. When Balanan dies, Adar reigns in his place. Adar’s city is Phau, and his wife is Meetabel, daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezaab. The sequence records these deaths and successors without saying that the kings were elected or explaining how each was chosen.

The final list gives Esau’s dukes by their family groups, places and names: Thamna, Alva, Jetheth, Oolibama, Ela, Phinon, Cenez, Theman, Mabsar, Magdiel and Hiram. These are the dukes of Edom living in the land they govern. The chapter closes by identifying Esau as the father of the Edomites.

The story inside

Esau’s departure gives a practical reason for the move before the chapter turns to its lists. He takes the entire household, property and cattle away from Jacob because their wealth and flocks exceed what the land can support with both families together. The destination is mount Seir, and the name Edom connects the man Esau to the family and ruler records that follow. The lists then serve different purposes: one traces wives and children; another groups dukes under Esau’s descendants; another names Seir’s Horrite families and dukes; the king list records a sequence of deaths and successors; and the closing list groups Edom’s dukes by families and places. Keeping those lists distinct lets the reader follow the recorded relationships without treating every repeated name as the same person or turning the succession list into an invented political system.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The chapter gives a concrete reason for the brothers’ separation: the land cannot support their many flocks together. Esau’s move is therefore explained by the stated limit on living together, rather than by an invented dispute or a claim that he knowingly gives up a divine promise.
2
Family relationships carry the content of the lists. Ada, Basemath and Oolibama each have their named sons, while Seir’s Horrite families receive a separate record. Preserving the names and groupings helps the reader see whose family is being described instead of blending them into a general story about Edom.
3
The king list records who follows whom and adds particular facts, including Adad’s defeat of the Madianites and Adar’s city and wife. It dates these rulers before Israel has a king but does not state an election system. Reading only what the list establishes keeps its historical detail without an unsupported explanation of how rule passed.

Test your recall

What makes Esau and Jacob unable to live together, where does Esau settle, and how do the family lists, Horrite dukes and sequence of kings differ in what they record?

Show answer

Their possessions and flocks are too large for the land to support both households together. Esau moves to Mount Seir. The family lists trace children and descendants; the Horrite list identifies the land’s inhabitants and their dukes; the king list records successive rulers of Edom before Israel had a king. The closing list identifies Edomite dukes by families and places.

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 4073–4083
Genesis Chapter 36 Esau with his wives and children parteth from Jacob. An account of his descendants, and of the first kings of Edom. 36:1. And these are the generations of Esau, the same is Edom. 36:2. Esau took wives of the daughters of Chanaan: Ada the daughter of Elon the Hethite, and Oolibama the daughter of Ana, the daughter of Sebeon the Hevite:
Lines 4084–4087
Ada.... These wives of Esau are called by other names, Gen. 26. But it was very common amongst the ancients for the same persons to have two names, as Esau himself was also called Edom.
Lines 4088–4108
36:3. And Basemath, the daughter of Ismael, sister of Nabajoth. 36:4. And Ada bore Eliphaz: Basemath bore Rahuel. 36:5. Oolibama bore Jehus, and Ihelon, and Core. These are the sons of Esau, that were born to him in the land of Chanaan. 36:6. And Esau took his wives, and his sons and daughters, and every soul of his house, and his substance, and cattle, and all that he was able to acquire in the land of Chanaan: and went into another country, and departed from his brother Jacob. 36:7. For they were exceeding rich, and could not dwell together: neither was the land in which they sojourned able to bear them, for the multitude of their flocks. 36:8. And Esau dwelt in mount Seir: he is Edom. 36:9. And these are the generations of Esau, the father of Edom, in mount Seir.
Lines 4109–4123
36:10. And these the names of his sons: Eliphaz the son of Ada, the wife of Esau: and Rahuel, the son of Basemath, his wife. 36:11. And Eliphaz had sons: Theman, Omar, Sepho, and Gatham and Cenez. 36:12. And Thamna was the concubine of Eliphaz, the son of Esau: and she bore him Amalech. These are the sons of Ada, the wife of Esau. 36:13. And the sons of Rahuel were Nahath and Zara, Samma and Meza. These were the sons of Basemath, the wife of Esau. 36:14. And these were the sons of Oolibama, the daughter of Ana, the daughter of Sebeon, the wife of Esau, whom she bore to him, Jehus, and Ihelon, and Core.
Lines 4124–4140
36:15. These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau: duke Theman, duke Omar, duke Sepho, duke Cenez, 36:16. Duke Core, duke Gatham, duke Amalech: these are the sons of Eliphaz, in the land of Edom, and these the sons of Ada. 36:17. And these were the sons of Rahuel, the son of Esau: duke Nahath, duke Zara, duke Samma, duke Meza. And these are the dukes of Rahuel, in the land of Edom: these the sons of Basemath, the wife of Esau. 36:18. And these the sons of Oolibama, the wife of Esau: duke Jehus, duke Ihelon, duke Core. These are the dukes of Oolibama, the daughter of Ana, and wife of Esau. 36:19. These are the sons of Esau, and these the dukes of them: the same is Edom.
Lines 4141–4152
36:20. These are the sons of Seir, the Horrite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, and Sobal, and Sebeon, and Ana, 36:21. And Dison, and Eser, and Disan. These are dukes of the Horrites, the sons of Seir, in the land of Edom. 36:22. And Lotan had sons: Hori and Heman. And the sister of Lotan was Thamna. 36:23. And these the sons of Sobal: Alvan, and Manahat, and Ebal, and Sepho, and Onam.
Lines 4153–4165
36:24. And these the sons of Sebeon: Aia and Ana. This is Ana that found the hot waters in the wilderness, when he fed the asses of Sebeon, his father: 36:25. And he had a son Dison, and a daughter Oolibama. 36:26. And these were the sons of Dison: Hamdan, and Eseban, and Jethram, and Charan. 36:27. These also were the sons of Eser: Balaan, and Zavan, and Acan. 36:28. And Dison had sons: Hus and Aram.
Lines 4166–4171
36:29. These were dukes of the Horrites: duke Lotan, duke Sobal, duke Sebeon, duke Ana, 36:30. Duke Dison, duke Eser, duke Disan: these were dukes of the Horrites that ruled in the land of Seir.
Lines 4172–4186
36:31. And the kings that ruled in the land of Edom, before the children of Israel had a king, were these: 36:32. Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his city Denaba. 36:33. And Bela died, and Jobab, the son of Zara, of Bosra, reigned in his stead. 36:34. And when Jobab was dead, Husam, of the land of the Themanites, reigned in his stead. 36:35. And after his death, Adad, the son of Badad, reigned in his stead, who defeated the Madianites in the country of Moab; and the name of his city was Avith.
Lines 4187–4199
36:36. And when Adad was dead, there reigned in his stead, Semla, of Masreca. 36:37. And he being dead, Saul, of the river Rohoboth, reigned in his stead. 36:38. And when he also was dead, Balanan, the son of Achobor, succeeded to the kingdom. 36:39. This man also being dead, Adar reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Phau: and his wife was called Meetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Mezaab.
Lines 4200–4211
36:40. And these are the names of the dukes of Esau in their kindreds, and places, and callings: duke Thamna, duke Alva, duke Jetheth, 36:41. Duke Oolibama, duke Ela, duke Phinon, 36:42. Duke Cenez, duke Theman, duke Mabsar, 36:43. Duke Magdiel, duke Hiram: these are the dukes of Edom dwelling in the land of their government; the same is Esau, the father of the Edomites.