Genesis 36:40–43

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.

The section called "The generations of Esau" begins at the first verse of Genesis 36 and runs to the first verse of Genesis 37. As with Ishmael and Isaac, Scripture again puts the rejected line first, keeps it short, and does not follow its dates. The chosen line comes second, and there we get enough dates to follow the passing of the years. This foreshadows a principle of God's ways, stated so clearly: "He does away with the first in order to establish the second" (Hebrews 10:9).

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.

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 there before Israel had any. I have no doubt this stands as an important sign of how fast what is not of God shoots up. Growth according to God is slower, but then it is more permanent.

They might have wanted the plains of Moab, or Mount Seir, or the lands of Ammon. The Lord forbade them to do so. Disobedience would have been disastrous. Edom had harassed Israel badly and shown an arrogant pride. Even so, the Lord would not give Edom's possession to Israel. He remembered His word, "I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession" (Gen. 32:3; 36:6-8; Josh. 24:4). They were therefore not to seek what the Lord had not given them. And this is obedience, and a lesson of faith.

Esau (Edom) prospers and grows great in material things. His sons become "dukes" (vv. 15-43) before Jacob's family reach such honour, except for Joseph in Egypt. Remember that Joseph did not exalt himself; Pharaoh exalted him. Esau's family shows the ordinary history of the flesh, which always exalts 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 it does, and finds it only vanity.

The pride and pomp of dukes and kings passes in review, along with the alliances with God's enemies. Nothing in it all carries any mark of God. We cannot help recognising the line of the flesh.

In Genesis 36 we read of the generations of Esau, who is Edom. The record gives a prominent place to the dukes, the national chiefs. Long before Israel had kings, Edom had such rulers: "These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the Israelites" (Gen. 36:31)… The Israelites promised not to drink the water in Edom's territory or take their fruit without paying for it. Even so, Edom refused them passage, and Israel turned away without a fight. So Edom branded itself the enemy of the people of God.