36:1–5 The toledot formula always introduces the story of the next generation, those whom the eponymous ancestor “brought forth” (Hb. yalad).487 This is now the ninth of the ten formulae that structure the book of Genesis. The toledot of Esau is relatively short compared to that of Isaac, which it follows, reflecting the fact that Esau’s offspring represent a side branch of the family line. But his story is not ignored; though he is not the chosen son of Isaac, through whom the promise will descend, he is nonetheless a son of Isaac, and the Lord’s blessing rests upon him.

Esau’s story is introduced with the reminder of his choice of wives from among the Canaanites rather than from the Abrahamic family (cf. Gen. 26:34). This demonstrated a lack of spiritual discernment and of valuing the call to be a distinct people, a shortcoming unremedied by his adding a wife from the line of Ishmael to his collection (28:9). Just as Jacob’s sons were ordered with reference to their mothers (35:23–26), so too are Esau’s offspring (36:4–5). Whereas Jacob’s children (except Benjamin) were “born to him in Paddan-aram,” Esau’s children were Canaanite in both birth and heredity (v. 5).488

The names assigned to Esau’s wives differ here from those mentioned earlier: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite;489 Oholibamah the (grand)daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;490 and Basemath, the daughter of Ishmael (Gen. 36:2–3)—as opposed to Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite (26:34), and Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael (28:9). There is no reason to assume that conflicting traditions have been conflated here, as some commentators do. Since women as well as men sometimes had multiple names in the ancient world, it is likely that Adah = Basemath (the daughter of Elon), and Mahalath = Basemath (the daughter of Ishmael). Meanwhile, neither list is necessarily comprehensive; if Judith had no sons, there would be no reason to mention here, while the three wives listed earlier were only the wives that Esau had married prior to Jacob’s departure from home. Oholibamah may well have been a later addition to his family.491 From these three women (out of four wives in total), Esau had five sons, as well as daughters whose names are not listed (36:4, 6). This is significantly fewer than Jacob’s twelve sons, though many more than Abraham or Isaac produced.

36:6–8 Having listed Esau’s wives and offspring, the narrative recounts his move to Mount Seir (v. 8). Esau took with him his people and his possessions, both of which were acquired “in the land of Canaan” (v. 6), which underlines the fact that his destination was outside the land of Canaan—the Land of Promise—and “away from his brother Jacob” (v. 6; cf. 27:39). The separation of Jacob and Esau is described in similar terms to that of Abraham and Lot, as it was due to the inability of the land to support their livestock together (36:7; cf. 13:6), even though Esau had already settled at Seir before Jacob’s return home (32:3) and later invited Jacob to join him there (33:12–14). This comparison highlights the fact that Esau, like Lot before him, voluntarily chose to settle outside the land, where he stayed—unlike Jacob, who, after a temporary sojourn outside the land, returned there as heir to the promise.

36:9–19 The first section of the chapter ends with a version of the formula “Esau (that is Edom)” (36:8), which highlights the twofold nature of the account, focusing on Esau the person (vv. 1–8) and on Edom the tribe (vv. 9–43). The new section is also marked by an unusual repetition of the toledot formula (v. 9; cf. v. 1). The story of Edom begins with the next generation, the children of Esau’s children. These are also categorized in terms of Esau’s wives and are described as “chiefs” (Hb. ʾallufim; v. 19). The word likely originated as the leader of an ʿelef (lit., “a thousand,” a military unit that may in practice have often been much smaller; Num. 31:5).492 Thus these men were likely founders and heads of various clans within Edom.

36:20–30 Next the genealogy of the native inhabitants of Seir are listed, with whom the descendants of Esau intermarried. These are described as “Horites” after Seir’s grandson, Hori (v. 20). Horites are often linked with the Hurrians, a non-Semitic people who were widely distributed through the ancient Near East at this time. However, this particular group of Horites are not so easily connected with the Hurrians and may well have been a separate people; the name may be connected to “cave dweller” (cf. 1 Sam. 14:11).493 As with Esau, after the sons are listed the account itemizes the chieftains (or “clans”; cf. comment above).

36:31–43 The list of Edomite kings follows eight successive generations, with a consistent formula. The comment at the end of verse 31 (“Before any king reigned over the Israelites”) is probably a later editorial note, though the expectation of Israelite kings has already been raised (35:11), so it could simply be an anticipation of that promised outcome. After these eight generations of Edomite kings Israel gained the ascendancy over Edom for much of the subsequent period.

In many respects the Edomite story recounted here is a variant of Israel’s own story ahead of time: Edom too conquered the “land of their possession” (Hb. ʾerets ʿakhuzzah, Gen. 36:43; cf. Deut. 2:12; Josh. 22:4) and established a society run by kings. However, their land was outside the promised boundaries of Israel’s land, and they possessed their land by intermarriage with the native peoples rather than by conquest. The differences in Edom’s experience compared to Israel’s are thus ultimately more significant that the similarities, and of course the end of their story will be very different, as Malachi 1:2–5 makes clear. Although divine election does not result in a smoother pathway through life for Israel than for Edom—if anything, it does the reverse—ultimately it makes all the difference in the world. God’s choosing is the foundation upon which redemption is possible after sin and judgment; the Lord will not abandon the people he has elected.

    Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

    the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! (Ps. 33:12)