And Adah bore to Esau, Eliphaz; Basemath bore Reuel;
Genesis 36 turns from Jacob to the line of Esau, and verse 4 names his first two sons: Eliphaz by Adah, Reuel by Basemath. Two questions come up here: why do these wives have other names earlier in Genesis, and why does Scripture record a family it has already set aside?
The Names of the Wives
Genesis names Esau's wives earlier too, and the names do not match. Commentators explain the gap in more than one way:
Morrish Bible DictionaryOne of the wives of Esau, the daughter of Ishmael and the mother of Reuel. Gen. 36:3-4. In the earlier account, Gen. 26:34; Gen. 28:9, the names of Esau's wives differ from those given in Gen. 36:2-3. The women may have had two names, or they may have received another name at their marriage. It seems likely that Bashemath, daughter of Elon, is the same as ADAH, daughter of Elon. And Bashemath, daughter of Ishmael, is likely the same as MAHALATH, daughter of Ishmael.
Mothers from the Nations
Who the mothers were matters. Their peoples were enemies of God's people, and the land Esau settled in lay under a curse:
A. J. PollockAfter the record of Esau's generations, we notice that he married wives who were Canaanites, Hittites and Hivites. They were bitter enemies of God's people. We see, too, that he lived in Mount Seir. That land was cursed later, and the curse would remain even in the millennial days to come, when the wilderness will blossom like the rose. It is an illustration of the flesh, which, under the very best influence, cannot be improved.
Eliphaz the Firstborn and the Rise of Chiefs
Eliphaz stands at the head of a line that rose fast. Jacob's family went the other way:
William KellyStill, it teaches us something. What is natural comes into power first, and what is spiritual comes after. The family of promise remain shepherds and herdsmen. They wander here and there, outside the land and within it, and are even severely oppressed. Meanwhile the generations of Edom rise fast into importance, away from Canaan, in Mount Seir. The descendants of Edom soon claim the rank of chiefs: "These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau."
What Came Out of Eliphaz
One son of Eliphaz became a lasting enemy of Israel:
Arno C. GaebeleinEdom became the treacherous enemy of the people of Israel. Read Obadiah, verses 8-16. From the concubine of Eliphaz was born Amalek, one of the terrible enemies of Israel, with whom there was to be continual warfare (Exodus 17:8-14).
The same line reached much further. Haman came from it:
H. L. RossierAgag was the title of the kings of Amalek, probably a general title, as Pharaoh was for the king of Egypt. (1 Sam. 15:9, 32; Num. 24:7) So Haman came from this royal line. Amalek, the people of Haman, descended from Esau through Eliphaz: he was first a chief, and then became the people of Edom. (Gen. 36:12, 16)
Why the Record Stands Here
Esau did well in earthly things. One writer ties that to Isaac's blessing, and to a wider pattern:
F. B. HoleThe 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 "chiefs" 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 come first, ahead of the children of God.
Summary
- Names. Esau's wives appear under other names in Genesis 26 and 28. They may have had two names each, or new names at marriage. Commentators call the match likely, not certain.
- Mothers. Esau's wives came from the peoples of the land, and Mount Seir lay under a curse. His line began in ties with God's enemies.
- Firstborn. Eliphaz, Adah's son, heads a line that rises fast into chiefs. Jacob's family stays a wandering household of shepherds.
- Reach. Out of Eliphaz came Amalek, Israel's continual enemy from Exodus 17 on. Haman came from the same line.
- Result. Esau prospered, just as Isaac had said he would. Worldly greatness still comes first; God's people wait.