Genesis 36

Genesis 36

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Esau’s Descendants

36 These are the descendants of Esau (that is, Edom). ² Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah daughter of Anah son^[a] of Zibeon the Hivite, ³ and Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebaioth. ⁴ Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau; Basemath bore Reuel; ⁵ and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

⁶ Then Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, and all the members of his household, his cattle, all his livestock, and all the property he had acquired in the land of Canaan; and he moved to a land some distance from his brother Jacob. ⁷ For their possessions were too great for them to live together; the land where they were staying could not support them because of their livestock. ⁸ So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir; Esau is Edom.
⁹ These are the descendants of Esau, ancestor of the Edomites, in the hill country of Seir. ¹⁰ These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz son of Adah the wife of Esau; Reuel, the son of Esau’s wife Basemath. ¹¹ The sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz. ¹² (Timna was a concubine of Eliphaz, Esau’s son; she bore Amalek to Eliphaz.) These were the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife. ¹³ These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Esau’s wife, Basemath. ¹⁴ These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah, daughter of Anah son^[b] of Zibeon: she bore to Esau Jeush, Jalam, and Korah.

Clans and Kings of Edom

¹⁵ These are the clans^[c] of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn of Esau: the clans^[d] Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz, ¹⁶ Korah, Gatam, and Amalek; these are the clans^[e] of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; they are the sons of Adah. ¹⁷ These are the sons of Esau’s son Reuel: the clans^[f] Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah; these are the clans^[g] of Reuel in the land of Edom; they are the sons of Esau’s wife Basemath. ¹⁸ These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: the clans^[h] Jeush, Jalam, and Korah; these are the clans^[i] born of Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah. ¹⁹ These are the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these are their clans.^[j]
20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, ²¹ Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the clans^[k] of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom. ²² The sons of Lotan were Hori and Heman; and Lotan’s sister was Timna. ²³ These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, and Onam. ²⁴ These are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah; he is the Anah who found the springs^[l] in the wilderness, as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon. ²⁵ These are the children of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah daughter of Anah. ²⁶ These are the sons of Dishon: Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. ²⁷ These are the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan. ²⁸ These are the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran. ²⁹ These are the clans^[m] of the Horites: the clans^[n] Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, ³⁰ Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan; these are the clans^[o] of the Horites, clan by clan^[p] in the land of Seir.
³¹ These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the Israelites. ³² Bela son of Beor reigned in Edom, the name of his city being Dinhabah. ³³ Bela died, and Jobab son of Zerah of Bozrah succeeded him as king. ³⁴ Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites succeeded him as king. ³⁵ Husham died, and Hadad son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, succeeded him as king, the name of his city being Avith. ³⁶ Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah succeeded him as king. ³⁷ Samlah died, and Shaul of Rehoboth on the Euphrates succeeded him as king. ³⁸ Shaul died, and Baal-hanan son of Achbor succeeded him as king. ³⁹ Baal-hanan son of Achbor died, and Hadar succeeded him as king, the name of his city being Pau; his wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, daughter of Me-zahab.
⁴⁰ These are the names of the clans^[q] of Esau, according to their families and their localities by their names: the clans^[r] Timna, Alvah, Jetheth, ⁴¹ Oholibamah, Elah, Pinon, ⁴² Kenaz, Teman, Mibzar, ⁴³ Magdiel, and Iram; these are the clans^[s] of Edom (that is, Esau, the father of Edom), according to their settlements in the land that they held.

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So Esau did not do too poorly for himself.  The nation of the Edomites came from his line.  He was so prosperous that he and Jacob had to move away from each other because they caused too much impact on the land.  Isaac, just like his father, has two nations rise from his sons.  And Isaac, just like his father, only has one that stays true to his God.  Esau marries Canaanite women who bring their own traditions and idols.  He marries into Ishmael's line, which brings its own baggage.  We do not hear about Esau's relationship with God.  What we know is that the Edomites become a fierce and violent people, burning with rage against the Israelites  and becoming major slavers in the region.  Esau forfeited his birthright and had his blessing stolen, but his legacy could have, should have, been better than that.  He was an heir to God's promise and blessing.  He was not going to possess Canaan and become the chosen people, but he had access to God and could have left a legacy of faithfulness and obedience.  His descendents  could have blessed other nations instead of raiding and selling them into slavery.  Is all of this on Esau?  Of course not.  But you can see him setting the foundational tone that his heirs built upon.