An Exposition of Genesis, Genesis · Chapter 36
CHAP. XXXVI.
THis Chapter seemeth to be inserted as a parenthesis, wherein is delivered …he genealogie of Esau, and that being dispatched out of the way, the Spirit goeth on Chap 37. in the history of the Church.
The reason of this description of Esaus line here, is not curiously to be demanded by us, seing it is the will of God thus to insert it; onelyonly from the event we may judge God so ordered it.
1. For distinctions sake as to his Church.
2. To let us understand how God made good his word concerning Esau, which Isaac pronounced on him.
3. To help us to understand other passages of Moses and the Prophets writings of the children of Esau under divers titles, whereof we have here some account.
4. To shew Gods providence in allowing the wicked fairer portions as to the World than unto his own Church.
Three general Heads take up this Chapter.
1. The line of Esaus posterity natural, V. 1. to 19.
2. The line of his affinity, Ver. 20.30.
3. The record of their state of government, Ver 31.43.
1. In the line of Esaus posterity natural we have these particulars included.
1. A register of his immediat seed born of his three wives in the Land of Canaan, Ver. 1.5.
2. A note of his removal from Canaan, Ver. 6.7.8.
3. A record of his grand-children in mount Seir reckoned under their several grandmothers of whom we have to consider,
1. Their Titles.
2. Teir Names, Ver. 9.14.
3. Their Dignities which they assumed, Ver. 15.19.
1. In the register of this immediat seed born of his three wives in the land of Canaan, we have to observe.
Ver. 1.1. The title of this work, And these are the generations of Esau, he is Edom. No difficulty lieth in this, it is the genealogy of Esau in those that descended from him, here the Spirit also brands him, this is Edom. The name of reproach given him for his profane appetite, Gen. 25. So afterwards ver. 8.43. So that this line is not drawn for his honor.
2. The register of his wives which were three as recorded, ver. 2, 3.Ver. 2.3. about whom, one question would be answeared.
Quest. How come they to have other names then those before mentioned? Gen. 26.34. and 27.46.
Answ. In short they had two names, as also had their fathers, mentioned there and here; therefore Esau had not six wives as some say, but onelyonly three who had their double names. So Hittites and Hivites noted the same people, the one included in the other
Ver. 4.5.3. The record of his children by. them.
1. Of Adah he had one son, Eliphaz.
2. Of Bathsemath one son, Revel.
3. Of Aholibamah three, Ieush, Iahalam and Korah, these were born to him in the Land of Canaan before he went to mount Seir.
2. A note of his removal from Canaan. In which we have the particulars considerable.
1. Esaus removal in the freenes and in the fulnes of it from Iacob, ver. 6.Ver. 6. And Esau took his wives, &c.
Ver. 7.2. The reason of this removal, Because their substance was more, &c. It is branched into these two particulars.
1. Their possessions and families were great.
Ver. 8.2. The land of their sojourning was streight.
3. The pitching place of Esau, And Esau dwelt in the mount of Seir, Esau, he is Edom. The Sept. adde, and Iacob dwelt in the land where his fathers sojourned in the land of Canaan. Thus we see providence ordering the heart of Esau to leave the inheritance to Iacob.
Quest. It is queried hereon, whether this was the first time that Esau went to Seir?
Answ. Surely no, for he was there when Jacob came out of Padan-Aram, and he invited his brother thither, therefore he had left Canaan before, upon what occasion it is not expressed, but probably upon the discontents which his wives gave to Isaac and Rebekah; and now being come to Hebron with his family for the burial of his father, God moveth him freely to depart again to Seir, and leave Iacob in the promised land, but here the Spirit brands him again. He is Edom, ver. 28.
3. We have a register of his grand children born to him from his sons in Seir, wherein note.
1. The title again repeated, And these are the generations of Esau, the father of Edom, in mount Seir. Sept. same. Of Edomites or Idumeans. Cald. Here he is branded as the father of Edom, a seed that should be Edom, profane men as he was, Ver. 9.Ver. 9.
2. The names of his sons by his wives Adah and Bathshemath, Ver. 10.Ver. 10.
1. The names of the sons of Eliphaz.
1. Legitimat, Teman, &c. Ver. 11.Ver. 11.
2. Illegitimat by a concubine given likely to Eliphaz by Adah, she bare Amalek; he is therefore reckoned to Adah, Ver. 12.Ver. 12. This bastard seed God commanded to be rooted out, Exod. 17.
2. The names of the sons of Revel, Nahath, &c. these are reckoned of Bathsemah their grandmother, Ver. 13.Ver. 13.
3. The names of the immediat sons of Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon Esaus wife, Jeush, &c. as they were named before, Ver- 5. Thus far are the names of his grand children directly descendent from him, Ver. 14.Ver. 14. It is queried here.
Quest. How Amalek comes to be reckoned here to Esau and Adah?
Answ. 1. It is usual in Scripture account for grand fathers to be set out by fathers.
2. Concubines children were accounted to the chief wife, as Sarah claimed it.
3. Some were made children of them by adoption, so was Ephraim and Manasse by Iacob as followeth, Genes. 48.
3. The dignities unto which they arrived, These were the Dukes of the sons of Esau. They were now assuming to themselves. A Duke was conceived to be the Commander of a 1000 men.
1. The sons of Eliphaz, Dukes ascribed to him and his grand mother, Ver. 15.16.V. 15.16.
Quest. How comes Korah to be registred here who was not spoken of before?
Answ. Surely it is redundant here, or els defective, in the former mention made of his sonnes, and must be different from Korah, the son of Aholibamah.
2. The sons of Revel, Dukes, Duke Nahath, &c. These are named by father and grandmother, Ver. 17.Ver. 17.
Ver. 18.3. The sons of Aholibamah, Duke Jeush, &c. as they were named before; of these Esau was the immediat father. v. 17.
Ver. 12.4. The close of all after this numeration of them, These the sons of Esau, and these their Dukes, He is Edom. Here is the finger of the Spirit pointing him out what he was, in the midst of this dignified seed. He was Edom still, for all these honours; four times is this name fastned on him thus farre.
The whole teacheth us.
D. 1. The genealogie of the wicked God records for his own ends in his Church.
D. 2. Gods record of the wickeds line is but to brand them to those who read it, Ver. 1.
D. 3. Godless hearts take strange wives, Hittites, Hivites, Ishmaelites, what ever God say against it, Ver. 2, 3.
D. 4. Providence doth vouchsafe progeny to wicked and multiplied matches. though he like them not. Ver. 4.5.
D. 5. In Gods own time he moveth the hearts of wicked enemies, to turn aside from streitning his Church, Ver. 6.
D. 6. Outward portions to the wicked satisfie them in and for their departing from Gods Church. Ver. 7.
D. 7. Mount Seir pleaseth Esau better than the land of promise, because he is Edom, Ver. 8.
D. 8. The reproach of a profane Esau God maketh to rest upon his posterity, Ver. 9.
D. 9. Multitudes of wives and children and offspring God may grant unto the wicked.
D. 10. God hath recorded the wicked and their progeny to distinguish them from his Church, V. 10, 14.
D. 11. Dukedomes and dignities in the World is the only ambition of the wicked. The Saints is of another Kind, 2 Cor. 5.9.
D. 12. Dignities can never blot out the stain of sin from Gods presence. The Dukes are Edomites still. Ver. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.
2. General, Esaus line by affinity is here drawn out, ver. 20. to 30. Wherein we have to note both the names and dignities of his seed.
1. By name they are described, and that in this order.
1.Ver. 20. Their grand-father is recorded as the first inhabitant of the Land. These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land.
1. His name was Seir, which was also Esaus, given him for his hairines.
2. His nation a Chorite, which was the same with the Hittite and Hivite, Gen. 14.6.
3. His place of possession mount Seir, that land which Esau afterwards possessed.
2. The immediate sons are named, which are seven, Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer and Dishan; together with their first dignities, parentage & possession of that land, which afterwards was called Edom, V. 20.21.Ver. 21▪ These Esaus seed drove out, Deut. 2.12.
3.Ver. 2…, The immediat seed or grand children of this Seir are reckoned up, who possessed after their fathers.
1. Lothans children, Hori and Heman together with his sister Timnah, daughter to Seir who was concubine to Eliphaz Esaus son, Ver. 12. Heman, in 1. Chron. 1. v. 39. is called Homam. This sheweth the kindred made between the house of Esau and these Horites, by which they had opportunity to thrust them out of mount Seir not long after, Ver. 22.
2. Shobals children, five sons, Alvan called Alian, 1. Chron. 1.40. Shepho called Shephi, 1. Chron. 1.40. &c. Ver. 23.Ver. 23.
3. Sibeons children were two sons,Ver. 24▪ Ajah and Anah, which Anah, to distinghish him, is described by an unnatural invention of his, that he found out mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father; that is, he first invented the coupling of divers kinds, asses and horses, which was against the Law of nature and the positive Law of God, Levit. 19. v. 19. the word is never used but in this place. foreign the common word for mules is foreign this hath made some difference about the translation; but the current of best interpreters read it mules, a creature of divers kinds which never brings forth its own. Therefore not created at first nor blessed by God. In this character we may see the Genius of this people given to such sin & unnatural inventions, Ver. 24.
Ver. 25.4. Anahs children, who was uncle to the foregoing Anah, were two, one son named Dishon, as the fifth son of Seir, which followeth, & one daughter, called Aholibamah, not that which was Esaus wife but his neece by marriage.
Ver. 26.5. Dishons children four sons, Hemdam called Amram, 1. Chro. 1.41. &c.
6. Etsers sons are three, Bilhan, Zaavan, and Achan, called Jakan, 1. Chr. 1. v. 42. Ver 27.Ver. 27.
7. Dishans children are two sons, Uz and Aran, Ver. 28.Ver. 28. So we have of Seir seven sons and one daughter.
Ver. 29.2. By their dignities they are described, These are the Dukes of the Chorites, Duke Lotan, Duke Shobell, &c. These were the Dukes of the Chorites, for their Dukes in the Land of Seir. So many Dukedoms there were standing together in that land at the first; and were not successive one to the other; and these are here recorded for Esaus sake, that we may understand how his posterity drove them out, and possessed their Land, Ver. 30.Ver. 30.
All which informeth us, that,
D. 1. The name and line of the wicked are mentioned by Gods Spirit for distinction, not for honor to them.
D. 2. Horites, Hittites, and Hivites are the national titles of the same sort of sinful people.
D. 3. Vncleannes and unnaturalnes are recorded in the wickeds line to make them stinck.
D. 4. A numerous progeny with dignity may be the portion of the wicked here below.
D. 5. Affinity with persons that are wicked, usually bring's souls to affinity with their sins.
D. 6. God suffer's and order's the wicked to join so in affinity, in order to the destroying of each other. So it was with Seir and Edom, Ver. 20.30.
3. The last general is the history of the state and government of the sons of Esau after they had expelled the Chotites, and called the name Edom; and that was twofold.
1. Kingly,Ver. 31, for from Dukedomes to a Kingdome it seemeth the sons of Esau changed that state, when they had gotten the land, in the description whereof we may observe.
1. The title of the history, And these are the Kings who reigned in the Land of Edom, before there reigned any King over the Children of Israel, Sept. and Cald. same. In this title we may note.
1. A demonstration of that which followeth, These, &c. That is, such as follow named afterwards, which were sons of Esau after they had gotten the land, and named it Edom.
2. An animadversion of the time, these reigned before any King was in Israel, and Saul was the first constituted King in Israel, 1. Sam. 11.15. In this worldly title Esau out strips Iacob.
2. The line of these Kings in their succession:V. 32, 38. concerning whom we may observe.
1. Their names, Bela, Gobab, &c.
2. Their cities, Dinhabah, Bozrah.
3. Their successions, Bela died, and Jobab reigned.
4. Their exploits, nothing of action is recorded of any but of one Hadad, the son of Bedad, he smote Midian in the field of Moab, Ver. 35.
5. The last King hath his wives added, Ver. 39.Ver. 39.
6. The succession of them was by election, for we find them all of distinct families.
2. The state of Edom when reduced unto Dukedomes again, and in this history we may note.
1. A general notation of the state,V. 40, 41. And these the names of the Dukes of Esau, according to their families, after their places, by their names. The Kingdom then was again divided.
2. A special nomination of the Dukes, Duke Timnah, Duke Alva, &c.
3. An emphatical conclusion observing some thing notable.Ver. 43.
1. About the sons, These the Dukes of Edom, &c. These were the brave Gallants of those times, when they could not be Kings they would be Dukes.
2. About their father, This Esau is the Father of Edom. That is a profane father of a profane ofspring. Thus the Spirit of God brands him still. It is queried here.
Quest. Were these changes of government before the times of Moses, or not?
Answ. It is thought by some not, but that Moses writes prophetically of changes to come; because the Kings of Edom were existing in Jeremiahs time; and if so, the change could not be before Moses. Yet to speak freely, it is much more probable that this is a history rather then a Prophecy, declaring things already done; these considerations may perswade it.
1. Moses nameth persons and places with their circumstances known at that time, that cannot be prooved to be after.
2. There was space of time enough, wherein these changes might be made, before the time of Moses, as computed from Isaacs death, when Esau removed unto the call of Moses, amount unto 236. years, in which space how many changes might not be made? Seing we our selves have had various administra…ions of government in the …space of ten years.
3. In the times of Moses both Dukes and Kings of Edom are mentioned, Exod. 15.15. Num. 20.14. therefore the change might well be then. To confound Kings and Dukes into one general notion of Government is not so safe, because the Spirit doth distinguish them.
4. Other changes might, and God did make among them, after the time of Moses, which are not meant here; so we read of their subduing, and rising again several times, some think Hadad the last King was him to whom Moses sent for leave to passe by his country, and upon his unnatural refusing, God then divided the Kingdom; but this is onelyonly conjectural. It seem's the best way to conclude that these changes were before Moses did write this; and yet God made others among them afterwards.
The titles of Timnah and Aholibamah, Ver. 40.41. are not names of men or women, but places.
The whole learneth us.
D. 1. Worldly men are ambitious of the highest titles of honor. Kings and Dukes.
D. 2. Earthly Kingdoms God may order to the wicked (a setled government) before his Church, Ver. 31.
D. 3. Stinted are the numbers of Kings and dignities by God in the World.
D. 4. God maketh some notable for exploits above others. Hadad vanquisheth Midian.
D. 5. Kings and Queens are sometimes recorded for their shame by Gods Spirit.
D. 6. God overturneth and changeth states and government at his pleasure.
D. 7. Profane fathers and profane children are branded by Gods Spirit together, where mention is made of them.