A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Genesis · Chapter 36
CHAP. XXXVI.
Verſ. 1. NOw theſe are th… generations of Eſau, &c.]
This is related to ſhevv the accompliſhment of that temporall bleſſing, vvherevvith his father bleſſed him, Gen. 27. 39. And Iſaac his father anſwered and ſaid unto him, Behold, thy dwelling ſhall be the fatneſſe of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above, and by thy ſword ſhalt thou live, and ſhalt ſerve thy brother; and it ſhall come to paſſe when thou ſhalt have the dominion, that thou ſhalt break his yoke from off thy neck; as likevviſe of the promiſe to Abraham, Gen. 22. 17. In multiplying I will multiply thy ſeed as the starres of the heaven, and as the ſand upon the ſea ſhore; and the oracle given to Rebekah, Gen. 25. 23. And the Lord ſaid unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people ſhall be ſeparated from thy bowels.
Verſ. 2. Adah the daughter of Elon, &c.]
The vvives of Eſau are here ſet dovvn by other names then formerly. The firſt is Adah, vvho Gen. 26. 34. is called Baſhemath, and the daughter of Elon the Hittite, as here alſo ſhe is ſaid to be. And indeed it vvas uſuall in thoſe times to have tvvo names: for thus Eſau vvas called Edom, and Jacob Iſrael; Maachah daughter of Abiſhalom 1. King. 15. 2. is called Michaiah daughter of Uriel, 2. Chron. 13. 2. His ſecond vvife here named is Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, the Hivite: novv this doubtleſſe is the ſame who is called Judith, Gen. 26. 34. onelyonly becauſe her father was called both Anah and Beeri, here ſhe is ſaid to be the daughter of Anah, and there, the daughter of Beeri; and becauſe this Anah, who was alſo called Beeri, was the ſonne of Zibeon, therefore Aholibamah is ſaid to be not onelyonly the daughter of Anah, but alſo the daughter of Zibeon (becauſe ſhe was his grandchild, namely Zibeons) and that to diſtinguiſh this Anah the father of Aholibamah, Eſaus wife, from another Anah, mentioned ver. 20. who was the brother of Zibeon, and ſo the uncle of this Anah. Indeed Anah or Beeri the father of Aholibamah or Judith, though here termed the Hivite, yet is ſaid to be a Hittite, chap. 26. 34. but this is becauſe the Hivites comprehended alſo the Hittites, as the Brittains the Engliſh and Welch.
Verſ. 3. And Baſhemath.]
This was Eſaus third wife, called Machalath Gen. 28. 9.
Verſ. 6. And Eſau took his wives and his ſonnes, &c.]
Eſau dwelt in Seir whileſt Jacob was in Meſopotamia, chap. 32. being removed thither, as may well be thought, either upon ſome diſpleaſure, or for that he was allyed by marriage to the Hivites, verſ. 2. Eſau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan, Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite: but this cannot be meant of that removall; for now he goes from the face of his brother Jacob, and that verſ. 7. becauſe their riches were more then that they might dwell together: Queſtionleſſe therefore after Jacobs return from Meſopotamia, Eſau, not yet having removed his goods, &c. from Canaan, nor fully accompliſhed his deſignes in Seir, returned alſo to his father; but after Iſaac was dead and buried, partly becauſe (as it fared once with Abraham and Lot) the place where they dwelt was too ſtrait for him and his brother, both being now grown exceeding rich; and partly becauſe, no doubt, he had already hope to get the poſſeſſion of the land of Seir, he removes thither again with all that he had, God in his providence thus diſpoſing it, that he ſhould thus leave Jacob as it were in the poſſeſſion of Canaan, which was appointed for his poſterity.
Verſ. 12. And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Eſaus ſonne.]
She was ſiſter to Lotan, the ſonne of Seir, verſ. 22. And Lotans ſister was Timma. Thus not onelyonly Eſau, but Eliphaz his ſonne, matching into the ſtock of the Chorites, by this occaſion they thruſt in themſelves into the government of Mount Seir (Deut 2. 12. As he did to the children of Eſau which dwelt in Seir, when he deſtroyed the Horims from before them, and they ſucceeded them, and dwelt in their ſtead, &c.) and ſo he got his living by his ſword, Gen. 27. 40. By thy ſword ſhalt thou live, &c.
Verſ. 18. Duke Korah.]
This is not the ſame Korah mentioned before, verſ. 16.
Verſ. 20. Seir the Horite.]
The Horite and Hivite ſeem to have been all one: for Anah elſewhere called a Hivite cometh of this race.
Verſ. 24. This was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderneſſe, as he fed the aſſes of Zibeon his father.]
Interpreters are of very different judgements concerning the word in the originall here tranſlated the Mules; but taking it as it is in our tranſlation, that which is noted here concerning this Anah muſt needs be this, That as he kept the aſſes of his father Zibeon in the wilderneſſe, by putting he-aſſes amongſt certain mares that they might cover them, theſe mares brought forth thoſe creatures which we call Mules, a kind of beaſts that never breed themſelves, but are onelyonly begotten of mares and he-aſſes, and ſo he is ſaid here to have been the firſt, at leaſt in thoſe parts, that found out Mules. And this I conceive is noted concerning Anah, becauſe he was Eſaus father in law, verſ. 2. the father of Aholibamah, and perhaps alſo did advance his eſtate by finding out theſe mules, which became by degrees to be much eſteemed by the inhabitants of thoſe countreys.
Verſ. 31. And theſe are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom &c.]
This is added to ſhew the accompliſhment of Gods promiſe to Abraham. Gen. 17. 16. Yea I will bleſſe her, and ſhe ſhall be a mother of nations: Kings of people ſhall be of her.