Ip – Esau’s Sons and Grandsons 36: 9-14

Esau’s Sons and Grandsons
36: 9-14

This is the account of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir (36:9). He had five sons and ten grandsons. Esav’s daughters (36:6) probably married Horite men and presumably his granddaughters did also. First, there is a summary statement about Esau’s first two wives. These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz, the son of Esav’s wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esau’s wife Basemath (36:10). First, the sons of Eliphaz are mentioned. They were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam and Kenaz (36:11). Later one of Jobs three friends was named Eliphaz the Temanite (Job 2:11, 4:1 to7:21). It very well could have been this son because they lived about the same time. These were grandsons of Esau’s wife Adah (36:12).

Then, as a side note, Moses tells us that Esav’s son Eliphaz also had a concubine named Timna, who bore him Amalek who was to play a key role in the future history of Isra’el. Because Amalek was the son of a concubine, he was looked down upon by the other sons of Eliphaz and seen as inferior. This may have forced him to live in a separate region and to develop his own nation. The descendants of Amalek became the notorious Amalekites, who settled in the area of the Sinai and the Negev (Genesis 14:7, Numbers 13:29, 14:43-45). The Amalekites were the first nation to oppose the entrance of Isra’el into the Promised Land after their deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 17:8-16), and they later subjugated Isra’el in the period of the judges (Judges 3:13, 6:3, 7:12). However, they were slaughtered under King Sha’ul (1 Samuel 14:48, 15:1-9). It is important to note that Sha’ul did not completely destroy all the Amalekites everywhere, only in this specific battle. He only attacked them from Hialeah to Shur, allowing many to escape. The Amalekites were a nomadic, widespread tribe, meaning they likely survived in neighboring regions and regrouped. Later, King David fought them (1 Samuel 27:8, 30:1). And a remnant continued until the tribe of Simeon exterminated them in the days of Hezekiah (1 Chron 4:42-43).

Next, the sons of Esau’s second son Reuel are mentioned. They were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah. These were grandsons of Esav’s wife Basemath (36:13). These were Esav’s grandsons through his son Reuel.

Lastly, the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon, who bore three sons to Esav: Jeush, Jalam and Korah (36:14). At that point no grandchildren were recorded.