Esau
Background and Printed Text: Genesis 36
1And these are the birthings of Hairy [Esau]; he is Red [Edom].
2Hairy [Esau] took his women from the daughters of Merchant [Canaan]:
Her-Witness [Adah] daughter of Strength [Elon] the Hottie [Hittite],
and
My-Tent-Is-A-High-Place [Aholibamah] daughter of He-Answered/Humbled [Anah], daughter of Dye [Zibeon] the Life [Hivite]
3and
Spice [Basmat] daughter of Mighty-[One]-Shall-Hearken [Ishmael] sister of Fruitfulnesses [Nevayot].
4And Her-Witness [Adah] childed My-Mighty-[One]-Is-Fine-Gold [Eliphaz] to Hairy [Esau].
And Spice [Basmat] childed They-Shepherded-Mighty-[One] [Reuel].
5And My-Tent-Is-A-High-Place [Aholibamah] childed He-Will-Cause-To-Be-Made [Yeush]
and
He-Will-Hide [Yaalam]
and
Bald [Korakh].
These are the sons of Hairy [Esau] who were childed to him in the land of Merchant [Canaan].
6And Hairy [Esau] took his women and his sons and his daughters and all the beings of his house and his cattle and all his beasts and all his acquisition that he possessed in the land of Merchant [Canaan]. And he walked unto a land from the faces of He-Will-Heel [Jacob] his brother. 7For their possession was multiplied from dwelling together. And the land of their sojourning will not be able to carry them from the faces of their acquisitions.
8And Hairy [Esau] dwelt in Goat-Kid Mountain [Mount Seir]. Hairy [Esau]: he is Red [Edom].
9And these are the birthings of Hairy [Esau] father of Red [Edom] in Goat-Kid Mountain [Mount Seir].
10These are the names of the sons of Hairy [Esau]:
My-Mighty-[One]-Is-Fine-Gold [Eliphaz] son of Her-Witness [Adah], woman of Hairy [Esau];
They-Shepherded-Mighty-[One] [Reuel] son of Spice [Basmat], woman of Hairy [Esau].
11And the sons of My-Mighty-[One]-Is-Fine-Gold [Eliphaz] were
South [Teman],
He-Says [Omar],
Oversight [Zepho]
and
Their-Bellow [‘Moo’ – Gatam]
and
He-Acquired/He-Sprinkled [Kenaz].
12And Thou-Wilt-Restrain [Timna] was a concubine to My-Mighty-[One]-Is-Fine-Gold [Eliphaz] son of Hairy [Esau]. And she childed
Lick-Lap-People [Amalek] to My-Mighty-[One]-Is-Fine-Gold [Eliphaz].
These are sons of Her-Witness [Adah] Hairy’s [Esau’s] woman.
13And these are the sons of They-Shepherded-Mighty-[One] [Reuel]:
He-Penetrated [Nahat]
and
Sunrise [Zerah],
Over-There [Shammah]
and
From-This [Mezzah].
These were sons of Spice [Basmat] Hairy’s [Esau’s] woman.
14And these were sons of My-Tent-Is-A-High-Place [Aholibamah] daughter of He-Answered/Humbled [Anah] daughter of Dye [Zibeon], Hairy’s [Esau’s] woman. And she childed
He-Will-Cause-To-Be-Made [Yeush]
and
He-Will-Hide [Yaalam]
and
Bald [Korakh]
to Hairy [Esau].
15These are Aloofs [Thousands], sons of Hairy [Esau]. The sons of My-Mighty-[One]-Is-Fine-Gold [Eliphaz] firstborn of Hairy [Esau]:
Aloof South [Teman],
Aloof He-Said [Omar],
Aloof Oversight [Zepho],
Aloof He-Acquired/He-Sprinkled [Kenaz],
16Aloof Bald [Korakh],
Aloof Their-Bellow [‘Moo’ – Gatam],
and
Aloof Lick-Lap-People [Amalek]—
these are the Aloofs of My-Mighty-[One]-Is-Fine-Gold [Eliphaz] who came into the land of Red [Edom]. These are sons of Her-Witness [Adah].
17And these are the sons of They-Shepherded-Mighty-[One] [Reuel] Hairy’s [Esau’s] son:
Aloof He-Penetrated [Nahat],
Aloof Sunrise [Zerakh],
Aloof Over-There [Shammah],
Aloof From-This [Mizzah].
These are the Thousands [Aloofs] of They-Shepherded-Mighty-[One] [Reuel] in the land of Red [Edom]. These are sons of Spice [Basmat], Hairy’s [Esau’s] woman.
18And these are sons of My-Tent-Is-A-High-Place [Aholibamah] Hairy’s [Esau’s] woman:
Aloof He-Will-Cause-To-Be-Made [Yeush],
Aloof He-Will-Hide [Yaalam],
Aloof Bald [Korakh].
These are Thousands [Aloofs] of My-Tent-Is-A-High-Place [Aholibamah] daughter of He-Answered/Humbled [Anah], Hairy’s [Esau’s] woman. 19These are the sons of Hairy [Esau]. And these are their Aloofs. He is Red [Edom].
20These are sons of Goat-Kid [Seir] the cave-dweller [Horite], inhabitants of the land:
Envelop [Lotan]
and
Shower [Shobal]
and
Dye [Zibeon]
and
He-Answered/Humbled [Anah]
21and
Fattened [Dishon]
and
He-Helped [Ezer]
and
Their {fem.}-Threshing [Dishan].
These are the Aloofs of the cave-dweller [Horite], the children of Goat-Kid [Seir] in the land of Red [Edom].
22And the children of Envelop [Lotan] were
My-Cave-dweller [Hori]
and
He-Caused-Discomfiture [Hemam].
And Envelop’s [Lotan’s] sister was Thou-Wilt-Restrain [Timna].
23And these are the children of Shower [Shobal]:
Ascension [Alvan]
and
He-Makes-Descend [Manahat]
and
Heap-Of-Confusion [Eval],
Of-His-Lip [Shepho]
and
Their-Lust [Onan].
24And these are the children of Dye [Zibeon]:
Where-Is-Yah [Ayah]
and
He-Answered/Humbled [Anah];
he is the He-Answered/Humbled [Anah] who found the seas in the desert during his pasturing the asses to Dye [Zibeon] his father.
25And these are the children of He-Answered/Humbled [Anah]:
Fattened [Dishon]
and
My-Tent-Is-A-High-Place [Aholibamah] daughter of He-Answered/Humbled [Anah].
26And these are the children of Fattened [Dishon]:
Their {fem.}-Desire [Hemdan]
and
Fire-Is-In-Them {fem.} [Eshban]
and
Their {fem.}-Remainder [Eetran]
and
Their {fem.}-He-Lamb [Kheran].
27These are the children of He-Helped [Ezer]:
Their {fem.}-Growing-Old [Bilhan]
and
Their {fem.}-Trembling [Zaavan]
and
Their-Reeling [Akan].
28These are children of Their {fem.}-Threshing [Dishan]:
Wooded [Uz]
and
I-Will-Ululate [Aran].
29These are Thousands [Aloofs] of the Cave-dwellers [Horites]:
Aloof Envelop [Lotan],
Aloof Shower [Shobal],
Aloof Dye [Zibeon],
Aloof He-Answered/Humbled [Anah],
30Aloof Fattened [Dishon],
Aloof He-Helped [Ezer],
Aloof Their {fem.}-Threshing [Dishan].
These are Thousands [Aloofs] of the My-Cave-dweller [Hori] to their Thousands [Aloofs] in the land of Goat-Kid [Seir].
31And these are the kings who reigned in the land of Red [Edom] before a king reigned to the children of Israel. 32And He-Swallowed [Bela] the son of Burned [Beor] reigned in Red [Edom]. And the name of his city is Adjudication-To-Come [Dinhabah].
33And He-Swallowed [Bela] died. And Yehovah-Shall-Hollow-Out [Yovav] the son of Sunrise [Zerakh] from In-Her-Tribulation [Bozrah] reigned under him.
34And Yehovah-Shall-Hollow-Out [Yovav] died. And Their-Haste [Husham] from the land of My-South [Temani] reigned under him.
35And Their-Haste [Husham] died. And The-Lover [Hadad], son of He-Isolated [Bedad], the smiter of Contention [Midian] in the field of From-Papa [Moab] reigned under him. And the name of his city is Iniquity [Avit].
36And The-Lover [Hadad] died. And Garment [Samlah] from Her-Vinedresser [Masrekah] reigned under him.
37And Garment [Samlah] died. And Asked [Shaul] from Boulevards-of-The-River [Rehobot HaNahar] reigned under him.
38And Asked [Shaul] died. And Lord-Favour [Baalhanan] son of Mouse [Achbor] reigned under him.
39And Lord-Favour [Baalhanan] the son of Mouse [Achbor] died. And Majesty [Hadar] reigned under him. And the name of his city is Groan [Pau]. And his woman’s name is What-Will-Mighty-[One]-Well-Do [Mehetavel] daughter of He-Is-Driving-Away [Matred] daughter of Waters-Of-Gold [Mezahav].
40And these are the names of Thousands [Aloofs] of Hairy [Esau] to their families to their places via their names:
Aloof Thou-Wilt-Restrain [Timna],
Aloof They-Ascended-Her [Alvah],
Aloof He-Will-Give [Yetet],
41Aloof My-Tent-Is-A-High-Place [Aholibamah],
Aloof These [Elah],
Aloof Turning [Pinon],
42Aloof He-Acquired/He-Sprinkled [Kenaz],
Aloof South [Teman],
Aloof Enfortress [Mivtzar],
43Aloof My-Teller-Is-Mighty-[One] [Magdiel],
Aloof Their-City [Iram].
These are Aloofs of Red [Edom] to their settlements in the land of their possession. He is Hairy [Esau], father of Red [Edom].
I. Esau and His Wives (verses 1-3)
Yehovah recorded Esau’s wives and sons, giving the births of each. These texts confirmed that Esau is Edom.
Esau’s women (wives) came from the daughters of Canaan. One was named Adah, another was Aholibamah, and the third was Basmat.
Adah’s papa was Elon, a Hittite.
Aholibamah’s mama was Anah, and Anah was the daughter of Zibeon, a Hivite.
Basmat’s papa was Ishmael, and Basmat’s sister was Navayot.
Questions
1. Why are the birthings of Esau mentioned in the Bible when Yehovah hated Esau and saw him as so evil?
2. Why must the reader know that Esau is Edom?
3. What is significant about Esau taking his women from the daughters of Canaan?
4. What is a Hittite?
5. Is Anah a male or a female in verse 2?
6. Why is Basmat’s sister Nevayot mentioned?
II. Esau’s Women Bear Children in Canaan (verses 4-5)
Adah’s first son was Eliphaz.
Basmat’s first son was Reuel.
Aholibamah’s first son was Yeush. She also childed Yaalam and Korakh. These births were in the land of Canaan.
Questions
1. What kind of a name is “My Mighty One is Fine Gold”?
2. What does “They shepherded Mighty One” tell?
3. What kind of a name is “My Tent is a High Place”?
4. Why name a child Bald?
III. The Move, the Meeting and the Move (verses 6-8)
Esau took his women, sons and daughters, all the beings of his house, his cattle and all his animals, and everything that he had acquired in Canaan; it was time to move. He met with Jacob, and then he continued on away from Jacob. Their possession greatly increased from their dwelling together. The land could not carry them both because of all they acquired.
Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. The text again confirmed that Esau is Edom.
Questions
1. Why did Esau leave Canaan?
2. Did Esau spend any time with Jacob after leaving the area of Canaan where he had been for a long time?
3. What does “he walked unto a land from the faces of Jacob his brother” mean?
4. What does “the land of their sojourning will not be able to carry them from the faces of their acquisitions” mean?
5. Why would a mountain be called Goat Kid Mountain?
6. Why did Esau dwell on this particular mountain?
7. Why did the text again state, “Esau: he is Edom”?
IV. Esau’s Birthings in Mount Seir through Adah (verses 9-12)
The text then listed the birthings of Esau’s children starting with those that took place in Canaan and continuing with those that took place in Mount Seir.
Adah bore Eliphaz.
Basmat bore Reuel.
Eliphaz also had sons:
- Teman
- Omar
- Zepho
- Gatam
- Kenaz
Eliphaz had a concubine named Timna. She bore Amalek.
All these births are attributed to Adah.
Questions
1. Why did Yehovah again mention the names of sons of Esau, as if they hadn’t already been mentioned above?
2. How would you liked to be named, Gatam?
3. What is a concubine?
4. What does Lick-Lap-People mean?
V. Esau’s Birthings in Mount Seir through Basmat (verse 13)
Reuel had the following sons:
- Nahat
- Zerah
- Shammah
- Mezzah
These births are attributed to Basmat.
Questions
1. Who was Reuel’s wife?
2. How could these be sons of Basmat if Reuel was the son of Basmat?
VI. Esau’s Birthings in Mount Seir through Aholibamah (verse 14)
Aholibamah was the daughter of Anah, and Anah was the daughter of Zibeon. She childed the following sons:
- Yeush
- Yaalam
- Korakh
Questions
1. Several times when Aholibamah is mentioned, she is called the “daughter of Anah, daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s woman.” Why doesn’t the text mention only Aholibamah’s father? Why are several persons mentioned to identify Aholibamah?
VII. The Aloofs from Esau and Adah (verses 15-16)
An aloof is a ruler over a thousand or more persons. Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau, had a number of sons who became aloofs:
- Teman
- Omar
- Zepho
- Kenaz
- Korakh
- Gatam
- Amalek
They are sons of Adah (who bore Eliphaz).
Questions
1. What is an aloof?
2. Whose children are these aloofs?
VIII. The Aloofs from Esau and Basmat (verse 17)
Reuel also produced some aloofs:
- Nahat
- Zerakh
- Shammah
- Mizzah
Questions
1. Whose children were these?
IX. The Aloofs from Esau and Aholibamah (verses 18-19)
Aholibamah also produced leaders:
- Yeush
- Yaalam
- Korakh
The text again tells that Aholibamah was the daughter of Anah. It also repeats that these are Esau’s sons, and Esau’s sons’ aloofs. Esau is again identified as Edom.
Questions
1. How did so many grandsons of Esau become aloofs?
X. The Sons of Seir (verses 20-21)
Another important man in the area was Seir from a race known as cave dwellers (Horites). Seir had some sons:
- Lotan
- Shobal
- Zibeon
- Anah
- Dishon
- Ezer
- Dishan
They were also the aloofs from the cave dweller race, children of Seir in Edom’s (Esau’s) land.
Questions
1. What is a caveman?
2. Why would anyone want to live in a cave?
3. Why would Fattened (Dishon) be a good name for a child?
XI. Lotan’s Relatives (verse 22)
Lotan had some sons:
- Hori
- Hemam
Lotan also had a sister: Timna.
Questions
1. Why does the text give Lotan’s sister’s name?
XII. Shobal’s Relatives (verse 23)
Shobal had sons:
- Alvan
- Manahat
- Eval
- Shepho
- Onan
Questions
1. Look at the names. Do you see anything strange?
2. What is lust?
XIII. Zibeon’s Relatives (verse 24)
Zibeon had two sons:
- Ayah
- Anah
This Anah found the seas in the desert while pasturing asses to Zibeon his father!
Questions
1. What kind of a name is “Where is Yah”?
2. The text states that Anah was the man “who found the seas in the desert during his pasturing the asses to Zibeon his father.” What does this mean?
XIV. Anah’s Relatives (verse 25)
Anah had one son and one daughter named here:
- Dishon (a son)
- Aholibamah (a daughter).
Questions
1. Are two persons, one male and one female, named Anah in this chapter?
XV. Dishon’s Relatives (verse 26)
Dishon had the following sons:
- Hemdan
- Eshban
- Eetran
- Kheran
Questions
1. Why would someone name a child “Fire is in them”?
XVI. Ezer’s Relatives (verse 27)
Ezer’s sons were:
- Bilhan
- Zaavan
- Akan
Questions
1. What does reeling mean?
XVII. Dishan’s Relatives (verse 28)
Dishan had two sons:
- Uz
- Aran
Questions
1. What does ululate mean?
XVIII. The Aloofs of the Horites (verses 29-30)
The Horites, cave dwellers, had aloofs:
- Lotan
- Shobal
- Zibeon
- Anah
- Dishon
- Ezer
- Dishan
Thus, the Horites also had aloofs in Seir.
Questions
1. Why did Yehovah record the aloofs among the Horites?
XIX. The First Kings in Edom (verses 31-39)
Edom had kings before the Israelis did.
- The first king was Bela, the son of Beor, who had the city named Dinhabah.
- After Bela died, Yovav son of Zerakh was the next king. He came from the city of Bozrah.
- After Yovav died, Husham from the land of Temani was the next king.
- After Husham died, Hadad son of Bedad was the next king. (Bedad was known as the smiter of Midian; he did this battle action in a Moabite field.) Hadad’s city was Avit.
- After Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah was the next king.
- After Samlah died, Shaul from Rehobot was the next king.
- After Shaul died, Baalhanan son of Achbor was the next king.
- After Baalhanan the son of Achbor died, Hadar was the next king. Hadar’s city was Pau. Hadar’s woman was Mehetavel. She was the daughter of Matred, and Matred was the daughter of Mezahav.
Questions
1. What is the difference between an aloof and a king?
2. Why did kings begin sooner with Esau than with Israel?
3. Why should the Bible record the names of kings and their principle cities?
4. Look at the proposed meanings of the names in verse 33. What do these proposed names tell?
5. What did Hadad do, and where did he do it, according to verse 35?
6. What does naming a city Avit show?
7. What are “Boulevards of the River”?
8. What does “He is driving away” mean in this text?
9. Why are three women mentioned in verse 40?
XX. More of Esau’s Aloofs (verses 40-43)
Esau had more aloofs identified by names with their families and their places:
- Timna
- Alvah
- Yetet
- Aholibamah
- Elah
- Pinon
- Kenaz
- Teman
- Mivtzar
- Magdiel
- Iram
These Edomite aloofs were over settlements in the land of their possession.
Esau is the father of Edom.
Questions
1. Who are these aloofs?
2. The last verse states, “Esau, father of Edom.” The text previously stated that Esau was Edom. Explain this.
3. Go through this chapter, and string together the names that are in this chapter. What types of statements and what information appear?