Genesis Chapter Thirty-Six Series

GENESIS CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX OVERVIEW

Overall what is happening in this chapter is that you have a record of Esau's descendants.

Thomas Coke (1801) – Genesis 36

Esau departs from the land of Canaan, where Jacob was, because of the multitude of their flocks. Esau's posterity is enumerated.

Joseph Benson’s Commentary (1857) – Genesis 36

Here we have:

(1) Esau’s wives, (Genesis 36:1-5).

(2) His removal to mount Seir, (Genesis 36:6-8).

(3) The names of his sons, (Genesis 36:9-14).

(4) The dukes which descended of his sons, (Genesis 36:15-19).

(5) The dukes of the Horites, (Genesis 36:20-30).

(6) The kings and dukes of Edom, (Genesis 36:31-43).

Keil and Delitzsch (1891) – Genesis 36

“Esau and Jacob shook hands once more over the corpse of their father. Henceforth their paths diverged, to meet no more” As Esau had also received a divine promise (Genesis 25:23), and the history of his tribe was already interwoven in the paternal blessing with that of Israel (Genesis 27:29 and Genesis 27:40), an account is given in the book of Genesis of his growth into a nation; and a separate section is devoted to this, which, according to the invariable plan of the book.

Peter Pett (2013) – Genesis 36

This chapter now deals with the history of Esau prior to putting him to one side. This fits in with the compiler’s methods all through Genesis where he deals with secondary lines first before concentrating on the main line (e.g. the Cainite line and then the line of Seth - Genesis 4 & Genesis 5).

It is an interesting chapter and raises complex questions for the reader. We can understand why a record should be kept of the family of Esau, for he was closely connected with the family tribe at the time of the death of Isaac and was clearly on good terms with Jacob, but why should a record be kept of the genealogy of Seir the Horite (Genesis 36:20-30) and of the kings of Edom (Genesis 36:31-43)? For these records must finally have been in the hands of the family tribe in order to be compiled with the other records and be recorded here. The only time when these would have been of such interest was when Esau was in close contact with them and in the process of amalgamating with them (and was connected with them by marriage), or possibly if some Edomites were included among the slaves in Egypt and in the mixed multitude of Exodus 12:38.

There would appear to be a number of records utilized, all genealogical. These comprise Genesis 36:2-9, the sons of Esau; Genesis 36:10-19 the descendants and chiefs (or dukes) of Esau; Genesis 36:20-30 the sons and chiefs of Seir the Horite; Genesis 36:31-39, the kings who reigned in the land of Edom; Genesis 36:40-43, chiefs that came from Esau.

Matthew Henry (1714) – Genesis 36

In this chapter we have an account of the posterity of Esau, who, from him, were called Edomites, that Esau who sold his birthright, and lost his blessing, and was not loved of God as Jacob was.

Here is a brief register kept of his family for some generations.

1. Because he was the son of Isaac, for whose sake this honor is put upon him.

2. Because the Edomites were neighbors to Israel, and their genealogy would be of use to give light to the following stories of what passed between them.

3. It is to show the performance of the promise to Abraham, that he should be “the father of many nations,” and of that answer which Rebekah had from the oracle she consulted, “Two nations are in thy womb,” and of the blessing of Isaac, “Thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth.”

We have here:

I. Esau's wives (Genesis 36:1-5).

II. His remove to mount Seir (Genesis 36:6-8).

III. The names of his sons (Genesis 36:9-14).

IV. The dukes who descended of his sons (Genesis 36:15-19).

V. The dukes of the Horites (Genesis 36:20-30).

VI. The kings and dukes of Edom (Genesis 36:31-43).

Little more is recorded than their names, because the history of those that were out of the church (though perhaps it might have been serviceable in politics) would have been of little use in divinity. It is in the church that the memorable instances are found of special grace, and special providence; for that is the enclosure, the rest is common. This chapter is abridged, (1 Chronicles 1:35).

KEY VERSE

Genesis 36:1 Now these are the records of the generations of Esau (that is, Edom).

KEY CROSS-REFERENCE

Genesis 25:23 The LORD said to her (Rebekah), "Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger."