Commentary on Genesis, Chapter 36
CHAP. XXXVI.
Ver. 1. THeſe are the Generations of Eſau.] Which are here ſet down, to ſhow how effectual his Father's Bleſſing was, XXVII. 29: And, as Maimonides thinks (P. III. cap. 50. More Nevoch.) to prevent the deſtruction of any of the Family of Eſau, but only thoſe of Amalek. Who deſcended from the Firſt-born of Eſau by a Concubine, the Siſter of Lotan, an Horite, one of the ancient Inhabitants of Seir, verſe 12, & 22. His Deſcendants were to be deſtroyed, by an expreſs Precept, for a particular Offence (Exod. XVII.) but the Divine Juſtice took Care of the reſt, by diſtinguiſhing them thus exactly from him: That they might not periſh under the Name of Amalekites.
Ver. 2. Eſau took his Wives, &c.] The Names of theſe Wives are not the ſame with thoſe, he is ſaid to have married, XXVI. 34. Therefore it is probable his former Wives died without Iſſue: And ſo he took another Daughter of Elon (when Judith was dead) called Adah: And the Daughter of a Man called Anah; by whom he had ſuch Children as here follow.
The Daughter of Zibeon.] The word Daughter here ſignifies Neice; or, ſhe is called Zibeon's Daughter, becauſe he bred her: As the Children of Michal are mentioned, 2 Sam. XXI. 8: Though ſhe had none at all; but only educated the Children of her Siſter: As Zibeon, perhaps, did his Brother Anah's Daughter, verſe 20.
Ver. 3. Baſhemath, Iſhmael's Daughter.] She is called by another Name, XXVIII. 9. But it is likely Eſau changed her Name from Mahalah, which ſignifies ſickly and infirm, into this of Baſhmath, which ſignifies Aromatick and Fragrant. Either becauſe the Name better pleaſed him, or he thought would better pleaſe his Father: Or, ſhe grew more healthy after Marriage; or, perhaps, ſhe had two Names given her at the firſt.
Ver. 6. Went into the Country from the face of his Brother Jacob.] Into another Country out of the Land of Canaan: Into which he lately came to bury his Father, as we read in the latter end of the laſt Chapter. Which being done, he and Jacob, no doubt, agreed about the diviſion of Iſaac's Eſtate: Out of which a large ſhare came to Eſau: Who had ſomething alſo of his own there before, (all his Sons before-mentioned being born to him in Canaan, verſe 5.) beſides what he had in Seir.
His Brother Jacob.] He knew of no other Name his Brother had; that of Iſrael, it's likely, being not yet publiſhed and commonly uſed.
Ver. 7. For their Riches were more than that they might dwell together.] There was not room enough in the Land of Canaan (where they were but ſojourners, and could have no more than the preſent Poſſeſſors would let to them) for ſuch a vaſt Stock as they had between them: And therefore were conſtrained to ſeparate, as Abraham, for the ſame reaſon, had done from Lot, XIII. 6, &c. And Eſau having begun before to ſettle in Seir, did not think fit to bring what he had there hither: But carried what his Father left him thither. Where he had enlarged his Dominion, ſince Jacob's return to Canaan.
Ver. 8. Thus dwelt Eſau in Mount Seir.] It is a Queſtion how he could be ſaid to have gone to dwell in Seir, upon this occaſion: Seeing we find him there before, when Jacob came out of Meſopotamia, XXXII. 3. But the Anſwer is eaſie, That then he had only ſome part of the Country, and not the beſt of it neither: And therefore, perhaps, had ſome of his Eſtate ſtill in Canaan, while the reſt of it was in Seir. And it ſeems remarkable to me, that he is not ſaid till now, to dwell in Mount Seir, but only in the Land of Seir, or barely in Seir, to which he invited Jacob at his return (XXXII. 3. XXXIII. 14, 16.) This Mountainous Country, which was richer than the other, he got into his poſſeſſion after that time.
Eſau is Edom.] The Father of the Edomites, as it follows, verſe 9.
Ver. 12. She bare to Eliphaz, Amalek.] This was neceſſary to be ſet down (as I obſerved on verſe 1.) that there might be a diſtinction between the Amalekites, who were to be deſtroyed, and the reſt of the Poſterity of Eſau: Concerning whom it is ſaid, Thou ſhalt not abhor an Edomite, becauſe he is thy Brother, Deut. XXIII. 7. Thus Joſeph Albo. For, though they made a diſtinct People from the Edomites, and lived in a neighbouring Country; yet they poſſeſſed that part of Mount Seir which was near Kadeſh Barnea, as may be gathered from Numb. XIII. 29. and XIV. 43.
Ver. 15. Theſe were Dukes.] The word Allouphe, if we may believe R. Solomon Jarchi, ſignifies Heads, Chiefs, or Rulers of Families. Who may be called Princes; though their Government was not yet Regal, but a kind of Ariſtocracy in the beginning.
Ver. 16. Duke Korah.] He is not reckon'd among the Sons of Eliphaz, verſe 11. but called the Son of Aholibamah, verſe 14. and accordingly ſaid to Rule over a Family deſcended from hers, verſe 18. We muſt ſuppoſe therefore, there were two Korah's; one the Son of Aholibamah; the other a Nephew of Eliphaz, by ſome of his Sons or Grand-Sons: Who came to be a great Ruler, and to get the Government of ſome of theſe Families: And, according to the Style of Scripture, is reckoned for Eliphaz his Son.
Ver. 20. Theſe are the Sons of Seir the Horite.] From this Seir the Country had its Name: But from whom he deſcended is not recorded.
Who inhabited the Land.] Who were the ancient Inhabitants of this Country, before Eſau conquered it: And, perhaps, were the firſt that poſſeſſed it after the Flood. Whoſe Genealogy, I ſuppoſe, is here mentioned, becauſe Eſau's Poſterity married with ſome of them: Particularly his eldeſt Son Eliphaz took Timna, Siſter of Lotan (one of Seir's Sons) for his Concubine, verſe 22. Yea, Eſau himſelf ſeems to have married one of this Family, viz. Aholibamah: Whoſe Father and Uncle are ſaid to be Hivites, verſe 2. but here plainly called Horites: Being deſcended from Seir the Horite, though dwelling then among the Hivites.
Ver. 21. Theſe are the Dukes of the Horites.] The Heads of their Families; who governed the Country, before Eſau and his Poſterity diſpoſſeſſed them: And ſetled themſelves in the ſame form of Government, which they found among theſe Horites.
In the Land of Edom.] So it was called in the days of Moſes.
Ver. 24. This is that Anah, who found the Mules in the wilderneſs.] Not by Accident, but by his Art and Induſtry he invented (as we ſpeak) this mixture, and produced this new kind of Creature. So it is commonly interpreted. But the word found, though uſed four hundred times in Scripture, never ſignifies (as Bochart hath obſerved, P. I. Hierozoic. Lib. II. cap. 21.) the Invention of that which was not before; but the finding that which already is in being. Nor doth Jemim ſignifie Aſſes in Scripture: And therefore others have read the Hebrew word as if it had been written Jamim (as St. Hierom obſerves) imagining that as Anah fed his Father's Aſſes, he found a great collection of Waters, (See Voſſius, L. III. de Idolol. cap. 75.) which ſome fanſie to have been hot Waters, or Baths, as the Vulgar Latin interprets it. But then we muſt read the Hebrew quite otherwiſe than we do now: And Bochart gives other Reaſons againſt this Interpretation; and endeavours to eſtabliſh another Opinion. That by Jemim we are to underſtand Emim, a Gigantick ſort of People, mentioned in Scripture, and next Neighbours to the Horites. Theſe Anah is ſaid to find, i. e. to meet withall and incounter; or, rather, to have fall'n upon, on a ſudden and unexpectedly; as this Phraſe he ſhows ſignifies in Scripture. This Opinion he hath confirmed with a great many Reaſons; to which another late learned Writer (Wagenſeil) thinks an Anſwer may be given: Though he inclines to it, if one thing were not in the way; which makes him think, here is rather meant ſome Herb or Plant, called foreign, which word the LXX retains, not knowing how to tranſlate it. And thus Aben-Ezra affirms many Interpreters of the Scripture have underſtood it: Which ſeems to be the moſt probable Conjecture of all others. See Wagenſeil in his Annot. upon that Title of the Talmud, called Sota, p. 217, 218, &c.
As he fed the Aſſes of Zibeon his Father.] The Sons of Princes were wont to follow this Imployment, in ancient Times, as Bochart ſhows out of many Authors: Particularly the Scholiaſt upon Homer's Odyſſes. foreign. Hierozoic. P. I. L. II. cap. 44.
Ver. 28. The Children of Diſhan are theſe: Ʋz, &c.] From this Man the whole Country, or a great part of it, is called by the Name of Ʋz. Lament. IV. 21. which was in Arabia Petraea, in the Borders of the Land of Canaan.
Ver. 30. Theſe are the Dukes that came of Hori.] This Hori was the Anceſtor of Seir; by whom this Country was firſt planted.
Among their Dukes.] Or, according to their Families; or, Principalities.
Ver. 31. And theſe are the Kings that reigned in the Land of Edom.] It appears by this, that after ſeveral Dukes (as we tranſlate it) had ruled the Country; the Edomites changed their Government into a Monarchy. And here follows a Catalogue of their Kings. For I can find no ground for the Opinion of the Hebrew Doctors, that Alluph, a Duke, differed in nothing from Melech, a King; but that the latter was crowned, the former not crowned.
Before there reigned any King over the Children of Iſrael.] Moſes having a little before this (XXXV. 11.) mentioned the Promiſe of God to Jacob, That Kings ſhould come out of his Loins; obſerves it as a thing remarkable, being a great exerciſe of their Faith, that Eſau's Poſterity ſhould have ſo many Kings: And there was as yet no King in Iſrael when he wrote this Book, nor (as it is commonly interpreted) a long time after. This Moſes might well write without a Spirit of Prophecy; nor is there any reaſon to ſay, this Paſſage was inſerted by ſome Body elſe, after the death of Moſes. We might rather affirm, if it were needful, that Moſes his meaning is, All theſe were Kings in Edom, before his own time: Who was the firſt King in Iſrael, Deut. XXXIII. 5. For he truly exerciſed Royal Authority over them, as Mr. Selden obſerves, L. II. de Synedr. cap. 1, 2.
Ver. 32. The name of his City was Dinhabah.] Of which he was Governor, perhaps, before he was made King; and wherein he reigned.
Ver. 33. Of Bozrah.] Which was afterward the principal City of the whole Country; as we read in the Prophet Iſaiah, XXXIV. 6. and Jeremiah XLIX. 3. and Amos I. 12.
It ſeems, by this Liſt of their Kings, that the Kingdom at this time was Elective; for the Father did not ſucceed the Son. Which may have been the reaſon, perhaps, why it laſted but a while, before their Government was altered again, verſe 40. Maimonides hath an Opinion different from all others, that none of theſe Kings were of the Race of Eſau; but ſtrangers, who oppreſſed the Edomites: And are here ſet down by Moſes to admoniſh the Iſraelites, to obſerve that Precept, Deut. XVII. 15. Not to ſet a ſtranger to be King over them, who is not their Brother, i. e. One of their own Nation.
Ver. 35. Who ſmote Midian in the Field of Moab.] The Midianites, perhaps, came to invade them; and Hadad march'd out and met them in the Frontiers of their Country, which joyned to that of Moab: Where he got a great Victory over them.
Ver. 37. And Saul of Rehoboth by the River reigned, &c.] If by the River we ſhould underſtand Euphrates, (as it uſually ſignifies) near to which ſtood the City of Rehoboth, (Gen. X. 11.) it may ſeem ſtrange that one ſhould be choſen from ſo remote a Country, to be King of Edom: Unleſs we ſuppoſe him to have been born there, but to have lived in Edom: And by his great Atchievements, to have got into the Throne. Otherwiſe, we muſt take this for ſome other City; which ſtood by the moſt known River of this Country.
Ver. 38. Baal-hanan.] This Name is the reverſe (as I may call it) of Hani-ball.
Ver. 39. His Wife's name was Mehetabel, &c.] None of their Wives, much leſs their Pedigree, are named beſides this alone: Which ſhows ſhe was an eminent Woman in thoſe Times and that Country; either for Wiſdom, or Parentage, or Eſtate, or ſome other Excellence.
Ver. 40. And theſe are the names of the Dukes that came of Eſau.] They ſeem now to have returned to their firſt Conſtitution; and Kings were laid aſide for ſome time. But in future Ages, we find they changed again, and then Kings reigned ſucceſſively, the Son after the Father, as they did in Iſrael. Some think, theſe were the great Men, who ruled in Edom, in Moſes his time.
According to their Families, &c.] They were the Heads of different Families; and lived in different Places; and, perhaps, reigned at the ſame time, in ſeveral Parts of the Country: So the words ſeem to import.
Ver. 43. In the Land of their poſſeſſion.] In their own Country; whilſt the Seed of Jacob ſojourned in a ſtrange Country, and poſſeſſed no Land of their own.
He is Eſau, &c.] He ends as he began. This is the Account of Eſau; the Father of the People who are now called Edomites.