Genesis 36:1-19
Esau's Descendants
1This is the account of Esau (that is, Edom).
2Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite,
3and Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.
4And Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath gave birth to Reuel,
5and Oholibamah gave birth to Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan.
6Later, Esau took his wives and sons and daughters and all the people of his household, along with his livestock, all his other animals, and all the property he had acquired in Canaan, and he moved to a land far away from his brother Jacob.
7For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together; the land where they stayed could not support them because of their livestock.
8So Esau (that is, Edom) settled in the area of Mount Seir.
9This is the account of Esau, the father of the Edomites, in the area of Mount Seir.
10These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel son of Esau’s wife Basemath.
11The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.
12Additionally, Timna, a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, gave birth to Amalek. These are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Adah.
13These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. They are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath.
14These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah (daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon) whom she bore to Esau: Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.
15These are the chiefs among the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: Chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,
16Korah, Gatam, and Amalek. They are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom, and they are the grandsons of Adah.
17These are the sons of Esau’s son Reuel: Chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. They are the chiefs descended from Reuel in the land of Edom, and they are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath.
18These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: Chiefs Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. They are the chiefs descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.
19All these are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and they were their chiefs.
Berean Standard Bible
Genesis 36 records the family of Esau, also called Edom. Esau takes wives from the women of Canaan: Adah, Oholibamah, and Basemath. The genealogy names their children and grandchildren, including Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jalam, Korah, and others.
Esau takes his household, livestock, animals, and possessions and moves away from Jacob. The land cannot support both brothers because their property has become too great. Esau settles in the hill country of Seir. His separation from Jacob is not described as another exile; it is a practical division of households because the land cannot hold both flocks together.
The list names chiefs descended from Esau's sons. These are the chiefs of the Edomites, the people who come from Esau. The genealogy gives Esau a real family, land, and future. The covenant story narrows through Jacob, but Esau is not presented as a person without God's providential care.
The chapter is a needed correction to the temptation to read family history only from the viewpoint of the chosen line. Jacob's story will carry the specific promise, yet Esau's descendants are counted, organized, and remembered. A family can have a particular calling without turning relatives outside that calling into nonentities.
Genealogies also remind us that conflict never stays between two individuals. The choices of Jacob and Esau create histories that continue through children, chiefs, and nations. Reconciliation and responsibility matter partly because the next generation will live inside what the present generation decides.
Esau's genealogy is also a record of God's patience with a family outside the covenant line. The chapter does not ask Jacob's descendants to pretend that every relationship is easy, but it does require them to see Esau and his children as people with land, work, and a future rather than as a discarded branch.
Questions
1 What other name is Esau given?
AnswerEsau is also called Edom.
2 Why did Esau move away from Jacob?
AnswerTheir possessions were too great for the land to support both households.
3 Where did Esau settle?
AnswerEsau settled in the hill country of Seir.
4 Who were the chiefs named in the list?
AnswerThey were chiefs descended from Esau’s sons among the Edomites.
What This Means for Us
When families separate, do not erase the people who take a different path. Make practical room where possible, keep communication truthful, and remember that children inherit the effects of adult conflict. God's care is wider than the line we happen to be following, so our household should resist contempt for relatives outside our plans.
Prayer
God of every family line, keep us from reducing relatives to rivals or outsiders. Give us wisdom when households need distance and kindness when paths divide. Help us make choices that protect the next generation from inheriting our contempt, and teach us to trust your care beyond the boundaries of our own story. Amen.