Genesis 36:31–42

But there is another genealogy (Gen. 36), and strikingly introduced in this place. The Edomite interrupts the course of the line of God's dealings. We see at once what remarkable maturity there was here. It is always so — first that which is natural, afterwards that which is spiritual. Even then we find a rapid development of power in the family of Esau. They were all great people, to be sure — chief after chief, right to the end of the chapter. Even kings, we are told, reigned there before there were any in Israel. I have no doubt that this is given to us as an important element to mark how quickly what is not of God shoots up. Growth according to God is slower, but then it is more permanent.

Edom had kings before Israel had any; that is all that is said. The point to be recorded is that Edom had them at a time when Israel still had none. Edom was a settled nation with regular rule before God's people Israel were. In the chapter before, God had promised that kings would come from Jacob. Yet the natural went first in apparent strength: God's people must wait His time.

The passage in Genesis 36:31, which critics stress most, is surely from Moses… Israel had the promise of kings; Esau had not. Yet Esau had many kings, one after another, long before any sign of royalty appeared in the people who held that promise. If the passage had been written after Saul or David's line began to reign, the wording would have been different — not "any" or "a" king, but "the king" or "the kings."

The list of kings in Edom consists of eight. Now Phinehas was the seventh in descent from Jacob, and he was in full strength and activity in the time of Moses. So the kings of Edom named in Genesis very possibly did not extend beyond the time of Moses, though we are not given the data to fix when they began.

Since no son succeeded his father, some think the Edomite monarchy was elective. But this supposes the people had enough power to choose their own ruler — a democratic principle we have no ground to suppose existed in those early days. Violence and lust of power were there, and bore fruit. The ambitious, unscrupulous man will try to win over the crowds and ride them to power. That is a different thing from an elective monarchy. What we do see in Esau's descendants, and what has marked the world, is rival factions fighting for power, where of course the strongest arm wins. God lets the world show itself, and its power, or rather lack of power, first. Then come His purpose and its firm foundation. For there were kings in Edom before any were found in Israel. The Edomite kings are gone, but God's King remains for ever.

It was no small moral test for the sons of Israel. God had given them His promises, yet Esau's descendants were long settled in peace as lords of their own soil. Jacob and his family, meanwhile, lived as strangers who were only tolerated, and were soon to be slaves — slaves for a long while — in the land of Ham… And the Bible holds, in the same books, both the promise and the trial that early appearances made for faith. It sets it all down calmly, as the word of One who sees the end from the beginning.

This is the first positive mention of a king in Israel, for in Genesis 36:31 the word is mentioned in a purely negative way. David was raised up as a king, a picture of Christ; but only when Christ Himself returns in glory will "the shout of a king" really be heard among them.

The world that has turned away from God sets itself up in power, while the heirs of the promise are still poor pilgrims on the earth. This last point is a distinct part of what God has revealed.

The Edomite line interrupts the course of God's dealings. We see at once how fully developed it already was. It is always so — first the natural, then the spiritual. Even then we find power growing fast in the family of Esau… I have no doubt this is given to us for an important reason. It marks how quickly what is not of God shoots up. Growth according to God is slower, but then it is more permanent.

Edom had kings before Israel had any; that is all that is said. The point worth recording was that Edom had kings while Israel still had none. Edom was a settled nation under steady rule before God's people Israel were. In the chapter before, God had promised that kings would come from Jacob. Yet the natural went first in apparent strength: God's people must wait His time.

Suppose this passage came from a time after Saul or David's line began to reign. The wording would then have been different — not "any" king or "a" king, but "the king" or "the kings."

The kings of Edom are listed next… Violence marks this whole race, because not a single one of these kings has his own son as his successor.

As one faction won out over another, different cities produced different kings. In the end, it seems, their royal authority was cut back, and dukes followed them. We still see this change in the form of authority in our own day. It shows a typical feature — we might say a flaw — of human power: its instability. Man is unable to retain supreme and sole power in himself.

Bozrah was the royal city of Edom, and the prophets pronounced judgments on it… Christ is pictured coming from there with garments stained red, after treading the winepress of His wrath on the nations (Gentiles). Isa. 63:1-4: compare Isa. 34.

God lets the world show itself first, and its power — or rather its lack of power. Then comes His purpose, with its firm foundation… The Edomite kings are gone, but God's King remains forever. Edom gets this special mention because of their great hatred of Israel. They were one of the most relentless of all the nations around them (Num. 20:14-21). It showed itself long years later, when the Edomites rejoiced at the overthrow of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (Psalm 137). For this very reason God remembers them for judgment (Obadiah 10).

Most place the land of Uz (chapter 1:1) east of the river Jordan, toward the border of Arabia, in the land of Edom (compare Lam. 4:21) or nearby. In the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) Job is even identified with Jobab, the second king of the Edomites (Gen. 36:33).

A city in the East, "by the river," from which a man named Saul, or Shaul, became an early king of Edom (Genesis 36:37; 1 Chronicles 1:48). There are two places named Rahabeh near the Euphrates which may be these cities. One of them is called Rahabeh Melek, that is, "royal."

The kings of Edom are listed next (verses 43-54; compare Genesis 36:31-42). Violence marks this whole race, for not one of these kings has his son as his successor.

Violence seems to have marked them, for not one king is succeeded by his son. As one faction won out over another, so kings arose from different cities... This change in the form of authority is not unknown in our own day. It shows a characteristic element — we might call it a flaw — in human power: it is unstable.

Israel had the promise of kings, and Esau had no such promise. Yet Esau had one king after another long before any sign of royalty appeared in the one who held that promise. A writer living after the line of Saul or David began to reign would have put it differently — not "any" or "a" king, but "the king" or "the kings."

Even then we find a rapid development of power in the family of Esau. They were all great people, to be sure — duke this and duke that, to the end of the chapter. Even kings, we are told, reigned among them before there were any in Israel. I have no doubt this is given to us as an important point, to mark how quickly what is not of God shoots up. Growth according to God is slower, but then it is more lasting.

The chapter shows us that Esau prospered in earthly things, so his father's blessing came true for him (27:39-40). He held his own territory and became quite independent of Jacob. His descendants multiplied and became chiefs and men of note. They became not only "dukes" but even "kings," and that before any king appeared in Israel's line. In earthly greatness and power the children of this world have always gone ahead of the children of God.

The long list of names is meant to impress one thing on us. God has taken full account of the flesh and all its activities, and finds it only vanity.

God lets the world display itself and its power — or rather its lack of power — first. Then come His purpose and its firm foundation. For there were kings in Edom before any were found in Israel. The Edomite kings are gone, but God's King remains for ever. Edom gets this special mention because of their great hatred of Israel. They were as unyielding as any of the nations around them (Numbers 20:14-21). It showed long years later, when the Edomite rejoiced at the overthrow of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (Psalm 137). For that very reason they are remembered for judgment (Obadiah 10).

The seventh of the ancient kings of Edom. Gen. 36:38-39; 1 Chr. 1:49-50.

Baal-hanan — Baal is merciful.

Violence seems to have marked Esau's descendants, since no son follows his father on the throne. As one faction prevailed over another, so kings arose from different cities, until it seems the kingly authority was cut back and dukes followed them. In this change in the form of authority there is a characteristic element — we might say flaw — in human power: it is unstable. Man is unable to keep supreme and sole power in himself.

Because no son succeeded his father, some think the Edomite monarchy was elective. But this supposes that the people had enough power to choose their own ruler. That is a democratic principle, and we have no ground to suppose it existed in those early days. Violence and lust of power were there, and they bore fruit.

Edom had kings before Israel had any; that is all that is said. Edom was a settled nation under regular rule before God's people Israel were. In the chapter before, kings had been promised from Jacob's line. Yet the natural went first in apparent strength: God's people must wait His time.

Even then we find a rapid development of power in the family of Esau. They were all great people, to be sure — duke this and duke that, to the end of the chapter. Even kings, we are told, reigned in Edom before Israel had any. I have no doubt this is given to us as an important element, to mark how rapidly what is not of God shoots up. Growth according to God is slower, but then it is more permanent.

His sons are dukes, and before Israel had a king they had kings. Look at the record as it passes: the pride and pomp of dukes and kings, the alliances with God's enemies, the whole of it unmarked by any feature of God. We cannot help recognising the line of the flesh.

God lets the world show itself, and its power — or rather lack of power — first. Then come His purpose and its firm foundation. The Edomite kings are gone, but God's King remains for ever.

This was not the height of their development. "These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the Israelites." No fewer than eight kings are traced one after another, from Bela to Hadar. Yet the record carefully states that we have Esau's chiefs again (verses 40-43).

Mother of Mehetabel the wife of Hadad, or Hadar, king of Edom. Genesis 36:39; 1 Chronicles 1:50.

Apparently "Hadad" was a title of the kings of Edom rather than a name.

City in Edom in which Hadad or Hadar reigned. 1 Chronicles 1:50. Called PAU in Genesis 36:39. Not identified.

The kings of Edom are listed next (verses 43-54; compare Genesis 36:31-42). Violence marks this whole race, for not one of these kings has his son as his successor.

Violence seems to have marked them, for no king was followed by his son. As one faction won out over another, different kings arose from different cities. In the end, it seems, kingly power was cut back, and chiefs took the place of kings. We still see that kind of change in the form of authority today. It points to a mark — we might call it a flaw — in human power: it never holds steady. Man is unable to keep supreme and sole power in himself.

Edom had kings before Israel had any; that is all that is said. That Edom had them when Israel had had none is the point meant to be recorded. It was a settled nation, regularly ruled, before God's people Israel were. In the chapter before, kings had been promised to come from the loins of Jacob. Yet the natural went first in apparent strength: God's people must wait His time.

We see at once what remarkable maturity there was here. It is always so — first what is natural, afterwards what is spiritual. Even then we find a rapid development of power in Esau's family. They were all great people, to be sure — this chief and that chief, right to the end of the chapter — even kings, we are told, reigned before there were any in Israel. I have no doubt this is given to us as an important mark of how rapidly what is not of God shoots up. Growth according to God is slower, but it is more lasting.

The long list of names is therefore meant to impress on us that God has taken full account of the flesh and all its activities, and finds it to be only vanity.

What we do see in Esau's descendants, and what has marked the world, is rival factions contending for power, where of course the strongest arm wins. God lets the world show itself and its power — or rather its lack of power — first. Then come His purpose and its firm foundation. For there were kings in Edom before any were found in Israel. The Edomite kings are gone, but God's King remains forever.

This title appears often in the early genealogies. It means the head of a family or of a tribe, and that family or tribe took his name.

Genesis 36 gives us the rise and progress of their national greatness. First comes the line of their dukes, as they are called. In modern language these would probably answer to the sheiks of their tribes. Then later come the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the sons of Israel... They had dukes and even kings flourishing among them while the children of Israel as a whole were obscure and unsettled.

Nor was this the peak of their development. The chapter records the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel. Scripture traces no fewer than eight of them in succession, from Bela to Hadar. Yet it then says with care that we have Esau's dukes again (verses 40-43). The song of Moses speaks of dukes too (Exodus 15:15), but the later history speaks of "the king."

The chapter shows us that Esau prospered in earthly things, so that his father's blessing came true for him (27:39-40). He occupied his own territory and became quite independent of Jacob. His descendants multiplied, became chiefs, and were notorious. They not only became "dukes" but even "kings," and that before any king appeared in Israel's line. In earthly greatness and power the children of this world have always taken precedence over the children of God.

Even then we find a rapid development of power in the family of Esau. They were all great people, to be sure — duke this and duke that, right to the end of the chapter. Kings too, we are told, reigned before there were any such in Israel. I have no doubt this is given to us to mark an important point: what is not of God shoots up fast. Growth according to God is slower, but then it is more permanent.

The children of Esau had "dukes" in plenty, giving us an early example of what we find so often in Scripture and in our own experience, that the man who loves the world and ignores God goes ahead in the world beyond the man who fears God.

Esau's family illustrates the common history of the flesh always exalting itself. So the long list of names is meant to impress one thing on us. God has taken full account of the flesh and all its activities, and finds it only vanity.

It all passes in review: the pride and pomp of dukes and kings, the alliances with God's enemies, the whole of it without one mark of God on it. We cannot but recognise the line of the flesh.

But they sought great things and hated the dignity of Israel... Being despised is above all the doom of those who reach beyond their measure. A man or a people content with the place given them does not meet that end... We see pride in Esau from the first, and we see it in the Edomites to the last... "The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock." Their position looked impossible to attack, yet it would prove no protection when God called in the instruments to pull them down from their proud heights.