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Genealogy of the descendants of Esau and the Horites, the most ancient inhabitants of Seir Gen.36:1. This is the genealogy of Esau, aka Edom. As after the end of the story of Abraham, in Gen. 25:12–18 gives the genealogy of Ishmael, who was then not mentioned in the course of the sacred narrative, and now, before separating Esau from the history of salvation, the genealogy of him and his descendants is given. The Hebrew toldoth, which also has a broader meaning: history, narrative (Gen. 2:4, 6:9, etc.), here has a closer meaning: genealogy, and, naturally, historical, geographical, etc. remarks are also reported. Gen.36:2–3. Esau took wives from the daughters of Canaan: Ada the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Olivemah the daughter of Anah the son of Zibeon the Hivite, and Bashemath, daughter of Ishmael, sister of Nebaioth. The wives of Esau are spoken of here for the 3rd time (cf. Gen. 26:34, 28:9), but their names are conveyed differently than the previous 2 times. Recognizing that these variations could be due to the ancient Eastern custom of renaming or even a copying error, we note points of similarity in all three editions: Esau had three wives; one of them was called Basematha; two were Canaanite women; the third is the daughter of Ishmael. Gen.36:4–5. Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and Bashemath bore Reuel, Olivema gave birth to Jeus, Jeglom and Korah. These are the sons of Esau, born to him in the land of Canaan. Of the five sons of Esau, one each gave birth to Ad and Bashemath, and three to Olivem; all of them were born before the migration from Canaan, which is mentioned in v. 6–8. Gen.36:6–7. And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the people of his house, and [all] his flocks, and all his cattle, and all his goods that he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and he went into another land from the presence of Jacob his brother, for their wealth was so great that they could not live together, and the land of their wandering could not contain them, for the multitude of their flocks. If earlier (chap. 32-33) Esau was only temporarily absent from Canaan, now he undertakes a complete eviction from his father’s house and takes with him everything that belongs to him, and heads to another land, that is, without a doubt, to Seir (v. 9), Gen. 33:14. The Midrash, not without reason, says that this removal of Esau "from the presence of Jacob" meant that Esau would have no share in the promises of Abraham. The motive for his separation from his brother is the same as that which was indicated in the story of Abraham’s separation from Lot (Gen. 13:5–12), the insufficiency of pastures and the possible quarrels over them between the shepherds. We must remember that the nomadic patriarchs had only unoccupied, empty spaces at their disposal. The remaining lands occupied by the settled population were inaccessible to them, and they could only buy plots for their needs with money (Gen. 23:3–4, 33:19). Under such circumstances, misunderstandings and disputes are always possible in the “land of wanderings” (v. 7), for example, over wells (cf. chapters 21 and 26). Gen.36:8. And Esau settled on Mount Seir, Esau, who is also Edom. The land occupied by Esau and his tribe is called here (cf. Gen. 14:6) Mount Seir. Before the Esau-Edom tribe settled here, it was inhabited by troglodytes (cave dwellers) Horites (Gen. 14:6; Deut. 2:12) and Seir received its name either from one of the representatives of the Horite tribe - Seir (Gen. 36:20), or from Esau himself, who, according to Gen. 25:25 , sair, hairy 6 . Mount Seir consists of a chain of mountain spurs, now called Djebal, Schera, Hosma, which stretch from the southern shore of the Dead Sea to the Elanite Gulf. The northern part of the country was in ancient times called Gebalena (Greek Γεβαληνή), from which the current Arabic name Jebal (hilly country) probably came. Parallel to the mountain range runs the Khor valley, into which the mountains drop steeply. The eastern part of the country is almost barren and strewn with stones (Stony Arabia). The mountainous part (the mountains consist of limestone with an admixture of basalt) is quite fertile. Having occupied it, the descendants of Esau took possession of the cities of Bozorah (Botzrah), (v. 33), Teman (v. 34), Masrekah (v. 36), and others. Gen.36:9. And this is the genealogy of Esau, the father of the Edomites, on Mount Seir. What is said here is repeated in v. 1, but then as said in Art. 1–8 refers specifically to the sons of Esau, further (vv. 9–19) extends to the grandchildren of Esau and his further descendants. Gen.36:11. Eliphaz had sons: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatham and Kenaz. Teman, the 1st son of Eliphaz, gave the name to the city, which was mentioned more than once by the prophets (Jer. 49:7, 20; Am. 1:12; Obd. 1:9; Ezek. 25:13); its inhabitants, apparently, were known for their wisdom (Jer. 49:7); one of the descendants of Teman, the son of Eliphaz, was the eldest of Job’s friends - a Temanite (Job 2:11). Omar may be the ancestor of the Arab tribe of Amirs. Zepho (in 1 Chronicles 1:36 - Zephi) resembles the area south of the Dead Sea. Gen.36:12. Timna was the concubine of Eliphaz the son of Esau, and she gave birth to Eliphaz Amalek. Tamna, the concubine of Eliphaz, was mentioned, according to Jewish commentators, in order to show the greatness and glory of the descendants of Abraham (even through Esau), as a result of which even the neighboring princes of the Horites (Tamna was from the Horites, v. 20, cf. 29) sought kinship with him, according to some - to show the Jews the origin of Amalek and the Amalekites who were under Moses the strongest tribe in Arabia (Ex. 17:8). In 1 Chron. 1:36 Tamna or Teman occurs as the name of the son of Eliphaz (cf. Gen. 36:40; 1 Chron. 1:51). Gen.36:13–14. And these are the sons of Reuel: Nahath and Zerah, Shammah and Miza. These are the sons of Bashemath, Esau's wife. And these were the sons of Olivemah, the daughter of Anah, the son of Zibeon, the wife of Esau: she bare Jehus, Jeglom, and Korah to Esau. The closest descendants of Esau from two other wives are listed: 4 clans from Basematha and 3 from Olivema. In total, 13 generations of Esau’s offspring came from 3 wives (including Amalek from Timnah). Gen. 36:15–18. These are the elders of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz, the firstborn of Esau: Elder Teman, Elder Omar, Elder Zepho, Elder Kenaz, Elder Korah, Elder Gatham, Elder Amalek. These were the elders of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Adah. These are the sons of Raguel the son of Esau: the elder Nahath, the elder Zerah, the elder Shammah, the elder Mizah. These were the elders of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife. These are the sons of Olivemah, the wife of Esau: the elder Jehus, the elder Jeglom, the elder Korah. These are the elders of Olivemah, the daughter of Anah, the wife of Esau. There is a listing of elders alluphim (from Hebrew eleph - thousand, Judges 6:15; Micah 5:2), chiefs of thousands (chiliarchs) or ancestors (phylarchs); the term alluphim in the Old Testament is applied to the princes of the tribe of Esau-Edom (Ex. 15:15; 1 Chronicles 1:51) and only, as an exception, to the princes of Judah (Zech. 12:5–6). Gen. 36:20–24. These were the sons of Seir the Horite, who dwelt in that land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer and Dishan. These were the elders of the Horites, the sons of Seir, in the land of Edom. The sons of Lotan were: Hori and Geman; and Lotan has a sister: Tamna. These are the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho and Onam. These are the sons of Zibeon: Aia and Ana. This is the Ana who found warm waters in the desert while tending the donkeys of his father Zibeon. The clans of the Horites, the natives of Seir - Idumea, are listed (Gen. 14:6; Deut. 2:12), namely: 7 sons and 19 grandsons of their ancestor Seir. From the tribe of the Horites, conquered by the tribe of Esau (Deut. 2:12, 22), came, among other things, Olivema, the daughter of Ana, the wife of Esau (v. 24), and Tamna, the concubine of Eliphaz (v. 22). It is reported of Olivema's father (v. 24) that while he was tending his father's donkeys, he "found hajemim in the wilderness." Exactly what these jemim were, interpreters are extremely divergent about this. LXX, for whom the meaning of this passage was apparently unclear, leave this word without translation: “yamen” (glorified). Many rabbis and Jewish commentators in general, bringing the word hajemim closer to the Greek. ἡμίονος, translated the first Hebrew word: mule, and claimed that Ana was the first to breed donkey and horse bastards - mules. But with all the prevalence of such an interpretation (it was also shared by Luther, who translated the controversial word: Malp-ferde), it must be rejected: neither in the Hebrew language (in Hebrew mule - pered), nor in related Semitic languages ​​there is a root similar to the word jemim with the meaning: mule. Moreover, at that time there were no horses in Seir, and Art. 24 speaks of herding only donkeys. Other interpreters, following the Targum of Onkelos (“gigantes”), identify the word jemim with emim (Deut. 2:10) – emims, giants, whom Ana allegedly met in the desert and defeated. But philologically, and in its very meaning, such an assumption does not seem appropriate. It remains to accept the third opinion, which is held by Blessed Jerome, Blessed Theodoret, some translations of the Bible and the majority of new interpreters - that Ana found warm waters (aquas calidas - Vulg.; Russian synod.: “warm waters”, according to Mandelstam’s translation: “wild pigeons”) in the desert. Blessed Theodoret writes: “The Syriac translator says that he found a source; because the source in Syriac is called “ayna” (answer to question 94). The same is confirmed by Blessed Jerome - on the basis of the Phoenician (Punic) language and Michaelis - on the basis of the Arabic language. This latter opinion is also supported by the fact that in Stony Arabia, Idumea and the area southeast of the Dead Sea there are many warm springs, of which the healing spring of Callirohe was especially famous in ancient times. Gen.36:30–31. Elder Dishon, Elder Ezer, Elder Dishan. These are the elders of the Horites, according to their seniority in the land of Seir. These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before the reign of kings among the children of Israel: The kings who reigned in the land of Edom are listed, “before the reign of kings among the children of Israel” (from Hebrew “before the reign of the king...”). From the initially dual composition of the population of Seir, the Edomites and the Horites, in a more or less short time, the list of kings gives the impression of deep antiquity: a kingdom was formed in the country of Edom, the 8 kings of which are listed. The Midrash (Beresch. r. Par. 83, s. 406) compares these kings of Edom with the judges of Israel. Indeed, the royal power of Edom at that distant time, apparently, was not hereditary (as it became among the Edomites by the time of David and Solomon, 1 Kings 11:14): not one of the 8 kings accepts royal power by succession from his father - popular election or even usurpation determined their succession one after another, and there were kings and foreigners, like Saul from the city Rehoboth on the Euphrates (v. 37). From this we can already conclude about the short duration of their reigns and assume that they all reigned with the elders (vv. 15–19) during the 200-year period that Moses defines from the death of Esau. Probably, in particular, the assumption of some interpreters (by the way, M. Philaret) that the last king of the Edomites mentioned here, Gadar (v. 39), whose death is not deliberately mentioned, was alive during the time of Moses, and to him the latter sends envoys from Kadesh (Num. 20:14-17) with a request for permission to pass through his domain. The elders of Edom, mentioned in v. 15–19 and then in vv. 40–43, no doubt, could have ruled individual cities or communities and in conjunction with kings, without forming a special era in the history of Edom. These considerations weaken, if not completely resolve, the difficulty (which prompted some Jewish and Christian interpreters to attribute the composition of the section, vv. 31-39, to the time of Jehoshaphat) that during the indicated, relatively short period of time, the country of Edom was ruled by both elders (vv. 15-19), and kings (31-39), and again by elders (vv. 40-43). Another difficulty is presented by the remark of v. 31 that the Edomite kings listed below reigned before the appearance of the king in Israel: from this remark they concluded that the book of Genesis (and together the entire Pentateuch) in its present form occurred only under the kings of Israel, about whom Moses could not speak. But it is possible that Moses spoke here about the emergence of royal power in the future, and that the idea of ​​royal power in the chosen tribe was close to the consciousness of Moses and even every believing member of the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, it is clear from the fact that each of these patriarchs was promised the origin of kings along with the nations (Gen. 17:6, 26:3, 35:11); influenced by this idea, Moses the lawgiver in Deut. 17:14–20 gives a lengthy decree about royal power, and also presupposes the future existence of royal power in the prediction of the captivity of the people and the king (Deut. 28:36). It is possible, however, that the entire section of Gen. 36:31–39 was inserted into the text of the chapter by a later hand from 1 Chron. 1:43–53, a place completely identical with the first; but the antiquity and significance of this table does not decrease because of the genealogy of the book. Chronicles in its origin goes back to ancient times. Gen.36:32. Bela, the son of Beor, reigned in Edom, and the name of his city was Dingaba. The name Bela (slav. “Balak”) in Hebrew. language is related to the name of Balaam, and both the 1st king of Edomite and the famous soothsayer Balaam (Num. 22:5, 24:3, 15) had a father Beor: on this basis, some Jewish interpreters identified the former with the latter. But the similarity is, without a doubt, accidental. Gen.36:33–34. And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in his succession. Jobab died, and Husham, from the land of the Temanites, reigned in his succession. A similar association of similarities is due to the opinion that the 2nd king of Edom, Jobab, was none other than the long-suffering Job. This opinion was included in the Greek (and Slavic) translation. book Job as a postscript (Job 42:17), and the name of the city where Jobab came from, Bozrah (or Bozrah), is presented as the name of Job’s mother (Bozrah-Botzrah is a famous Edomite city, Isa. 34:6, 63:1; Am. 1:12). Blessed Theodoret shared this opinion with other teachers of the Church (answer to question 95), finding in Gen. 36:33 similarities with the story of Job. Some plausibility for this assumption is given by the fact that the successor of King Job (v. 34) was a Themakite, and Eliphaz, a friend of Job, was from Teman. But neither historically nor grammatically the identity of both persons can be established. Gen.36:40–43. These are the names of the elders of Esau, by their tribes, by their places, by their names, [by their nations]: elder Timna, elder Alva, elder Jeteth, Elder Olivema, Elder Ela, Elder Pinon, Elder Kenaz, Elder Teman, Elder Mivtsar, Elder Magdiel, Elder Iram. These are the elders of Edom, according to their villages, in the land of their possession. Here is Esau, the father of the Edomites. A list is given not so much of individuals, members of the descendants of Edom - the “elders”, but rather of the regions and territories occupied by the Edomites and governed by their elders. It is curious that in the name of the elder Magdiel (v. 43), the Jewish tradition saw the designation of Rome (Beresch r. Par. 88, s. 405), which, thus, was seen as an Edomite colony. The name Edom in rabbinical and Talmudic writing generally became a synonym, an allegorical name for Rome. 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