Genesis 36 - Introduction
_ESAU DEPARTS FROM THE LAND OF CANAAN, WHERE JACOB WAS, BECAUSE OF THE MULTITUDE OF THEIR FLOCKS. ESAU'S POSTERITY IS ENUMERATED._ _Before Christ about 1729._... [ Continue Reading ]
_ESAU DEPARTS FROM THE LAND OF CANAAN, WHERE JACOB WAS, BECAUSE OF THE MULTITUDE OF THEIR FLOCKS. ESAU'S POSTERITY IS ENUMERATED._ _Before Christ about 1729._... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THESE ARE, &C.— This account of Esau's family seems to be given by the sacred historian, to shew how exactly the prophecies were fulfilled relating to him in ch. Genesis 25:23.Genesis 27:39. as well as to inform the Israelites of the tribes of Edom whom they were not to attack, as being their br... [ Continue Reading ]
ESAU TOOK HIS WIVES— It appears by comparing ch. Genesis 26:34. that these wives of Esau went under several names, as seems to have been a common custom in those days. It is of little importance to settle these names, and perhaps impossible at present. The word _daughter,_ in Scripture, is frequentl... [ Continue Reading ]
ESAU TOOK HIS WIVES— Esau, in all probability, had returned from Seir, after his conquest of the country and establishment there, and settled near his father Isaac; but finding the country of Canaan, in which the whole family were strangers, not sufficient for the increasing stock of Jacob and himse... [ Continue Reading ]
ESAU IS EDOM— Some manuscripts omit Esau here, which seems redundant, and read, _in mount Seir, that is, Edom._ See Kennicott's Dissert.... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE WERE DUKES— _Leaders, or praefects;_ heads of their respective clans or families. As ףּאל signifies a _thousand,_ as well as a _leader,_ it is probable, that when mankind at the beginning were divided under distinct leaders, this (_a thousand_) was the number of men of which each government or... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SONS OF SEIR— The country was most probably denominated from this person, whose genealogy is here set down, because Esau's posterity married with some of his descendants. Le Clerc thinks the country was called after Esau, from a word signifying _rough,_ or _hairy._... [ Continue Reading ]
FOUND THE MULES, &C.— It is difficult to come at the true meaning of this piece of ancient history. The rabbins, whom our version follows, render the word in the original ימים _iemim, mules:_ the Vulgate renders it, _aquas calidas, hot waters:_ but the interpretation of Bochart seems far the best, n... [ Continue Reading ]
BEFORE THERE REIGNED, &C.— Some remark, that this could not have been said till after there had been a king in Israel, and therefore (say they) these cannot be the words of Moses, but must have been afterwards interpolated. Others understand Moses to speak prophetically, since it appears from chap.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO SMOTE MIDIAN— i.e.. The Midianites, _in the field of Moab, i.e._. on the frontiers of his country, which joined to that of the Moabites. Bishop Cumberland (Orig. Gent.) imagines, that Moses recorded this exploit, as it proved a calamity to Jethro his father-in-law; and that it was Midian himself... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE ARE—THE DUKES— Idumea, of which Bozrah, mentioned Genesis 36:33, was the capital, appears at first to have been divided into several districts or jurisdictions, each governed by an independent chief under the name of duke, until, in process of time, all these dukedoms came to be united, and br... [ Continue Reading ]
HE IS ESAU, &C.— This would read better, if rendered, as it ought to be, _THIS is Esau, the father of Edom, i.e._. This is his family, and the account of his posterity. After this we meet with no farther mention of Esau in the Mosaic history. REFLECTIONS.—We have here an account of Esau and his post... [ Continue Reading ]