Genesis 36:1-19·~2 min

The Descendants of Esau

Esau is identified with Edom, and his wives and sons are named from his life in Canaan. The family line begins with the households from which Edom will grow.

T¹his is the account of Esau (that is, Edom). ²Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite, ³and Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth. ⁴And Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath gave birth to Reuel, ⁵and Oholibamah gave birth to Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau, who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

Verse 1The account begins by naming Esau and identifying him with Edom.

It opens the genealogy and links Esau to the nation that follows.

Verse 2Esau's wives are named from Canaanite families through Adah and Oholibamah.

It begins the household record from Esau's marriages.

Verse 3Basemath, Ishmael's daughter and Nebaioth's sister, is added among Esau's wives.

It completes the naming of Esau's wives.

Verse 4Adah bears Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bears Reuel.

It starts the list of Esau's sons through his wives.

Verse 5Oholibamah bears Jeush, Jalam, and Korah, all born to Esau in Canaan.

It completes the list of sons born before Esau's move.

Esau separates from Jacob and moves with his whole household and wealth to another land. Their possessions have grown too large to remain together, so Esau settles in Mount Seir.

⁶Later, Esau took his wives and sons and daughters and all the people of his household, along with his livestock, all his other animals, and all the property he had acquired in Canaan, and he moved to a land far away from his brother Jacob. ⁷For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together; the land where they stayed could not support them because of their livestock. ⁸So Esau (that is, Edom) settled in the area of Mount Seir.

Verse 6Esau gathers his wives, children, household, livestock, and property and moves away from Jacob.

It describes Esau's departure from shared life near his brother.

Verse 7Their possessions are too great to live together, and the land cannot support both households.

It gives the reason for Esau's separation from Jacob.

Verse 8Esau, identified again as Edom, settles in the hill country of Seir.

It states the new homeland of Esau's line.

Esau is named as the father of the Edomites in Seir, and his sons and grandsons are listed in order through Adah, Basemath, and Oholibamah. The family tree widens into the next generation.

⁹This is the account of Esau, the father of the Edomites, in the area of Mount Seir. ¹⁰These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel son of Esau’s wife Basemath. ¹¹The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. ¹²Additionally, Timna, a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, gave birth to Amalek. These are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Adah. ¹³These are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. They are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath. ¹⁴These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah (daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon) whom she bore to Esau: Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.

Verse 9The account resumes by naming Esau as the father of the Edomites in Mount Seir.

It marks a new heading and anchors Esau's descendants in place.

Verse 10Esau's sons are named again: Eliphaz through Adah and Reuel through Basemath.

It begins the formal genealogy of Esau's line in Seir.

Verse 11Eliphaz's sons are Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.

It extends the genealogy through Esau's firstborn line.

Verse 12Timna, Eliphaz's concubine, bears Amalek, another branch of Adah's descendants.

It adds a secondary branch within Eliphaz's line.

Verse 13Reuel's sons are Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah, descended from Basemath.

It traces the next branch through Reuel.

Verse 14Oholibamah's sons Jeush, Jalam, and Korah are named again with her family line.

It completes the third branch of Esau's sons.

The descendants of Esau are now listed as chiefs through the lines of Eliphaz, Reuel, and Oholibamah's sons. The family has become a network of recognized clan leaders in Edom.

¹⁵These are the chiefs among the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: Chiefs Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, ¹⁶Korah, Gatam, and Amalek. They are the chiefs of Eliphaz in the land of Edom, and they are the grandsons of Adah. ¹⁷These are the sons of Esau’s son Reuel: Chiefs Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. They are the chiefs descended from Reuel in the land of Edom, and they are the grandsons of Esau’s wife Basemath. ¹⁸These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: Chiefs Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. They are the chiefs descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. ¹⁹All these are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and they were their chiefs.

Verse 15The sons of Esau begin to be listed as chiefs, starting with Eliphaz's line.

It shifts from family descent to clan leadership.

Verse 16Korah, Gatam, and Amalek are included among Eliphaz's chiefs in Edom, descended from Adah.

It completes the chiefs from Eliphaz's branch.

Verse 17Reuel's sons are named as chiefs in Edom and linked back to Basemath.

It records the leadership line through Reuel.

Verse 18Jeush, Jalam, and Korah are the chiefs descended from Oholibamah.

It records the leadership line through Oholibamah's sons.

Verse 19These sons of Esau, identified as Edom, are summed up as the chiefs of his line.

It closes the section by gathering the genealogy into one people.

Passage shape

A quiet block diagram: each row is one authored paragraph movement, with verse numbers kept visible for scanning and deeper work.

vv. 1-5
Esau is identified with Edom, and his wives and sons are named from his life in Canaan. The family line begins with the households from which Edom will grow.
It introduces Esau's household and fixes the lineage at its source.
1 2 3 4 5
vv. 6-8
Esau separates from Jacob and moves with his whole household and wealth to another land. Their possessions have grown too large to remain together, so Esau settles in Mount Seir.
It explains the physical and familial separation between Esau and Jacob.
6 7 8
vv. 9-14
Esau is named as the father of the Edomites in Seir, and his sons and grandsons are listed in order through Adah, Basemath, and Oholibamah. The family tree widens into the next generation.
It restates Esau's identity in Seir and expands his genealogy.
9 10 11 12 13 14
vv. 15-19
The descendants of Esau are now listed as chiefs through the lines of Eliphaz, Reuel, and Oholibamah's sons. The family has become a network of recognized clan leaders in Edom.
It turns genealogy into social structure by naming Esau's ruling clans.
15 16 17 18 19

Section summaryThe chapter opens by naming Esau as Edom, listing his wives and sons, and explaining his move away from Jacob into Seir. It then traces his descendants into named clans and chiefs, showing Esau become the father of a settled people.

Role in the chapterThis first section establishes Esau's line as a distinct nation alongside Jacob's. It gathers household, land, and leadership into one frame so Edom stands before the reader as an organized people, not a passing branch.