Movatterモバイル変換

Genesis 22:17
That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand whichis upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

Genesis 25:24-34
And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold,there were twins in her womb…

Genesis 27:35-41
And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing…

(that is, Edom)
The parenthetical note "(that is, Edom)" highlights Esau's other name, Edom, which means "red" in Hebrew. This name is linked to the red stew for which Esau traded his birthright (Genesis 25:30). Edom also refers to the nation descended from Esau, located southeast of Israel, in present-day Jordan. The Edomites played a significant role in Israel's history, often as adversaries, as seen inNumbers 20:14-21 and Obadiah. The mention of Edom here foreshadows the ongoing conflict between the descendants of Esau and Jacob, fulfilling the prophecy given to Rebekah inGenesis 25:23 about the struggle between the two nations. This enmity is a recurring theme throughout the Old Testament, symbolizing the broader spiritual conflict between the flesh (Esau) and the spirit (Jacob).

• The phrase signals a new, self-contained section of Genesis, just as earlier “accounts” marked major shifts in the storyline (Genesis 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 25:12, 19; 37:2), telling us that God is intentionally guiding history generation by generation.

• It reminds us that genealogies are not filler; they anchor real people in real time, affirming the trustworthiness of Scripture (1 Chronicles 1:34–35 echoes this list).

• By opening with this formal marker, Moses underscores that what follows is divinely inspired history, not mythology—reinforcing passages like2 Timothy 3:16 about all Scripture being God-breathed.

• The spotlight falls on Jacob’s twin brother, confirming God’s promise that “two nations are in your womb” (Genesis 25:23).

• Esau’s line is traced in full before Jacob’s, showing that God cares for all branches of Abraham’s family even while the covenant line continues through Israel (Deuteronomy 2:4-5 notes God’s provision for Esau’s descendants).

• Recording Esau’s descendants also sets the stage for later interactions—sometimes hostile, sometimes cooperative—between Edom and Israel (Numbers 20:14-21;Obadiah 1:10-14).

• “Edom” (“red”) recalls Esau’s choice to trade his birthright for red stew (Genesis 25:30), a vivid reminder of the spiritual consequences of despising God’s blessings (Hebrews 12:16-17).

• The parenthetical note links the man to the nation, preparing readers for references to Edom throughout the Old Testament (e.g.,Psalm 137:7;Ezekiel 35:1-15).

• It underlines God’s sovereign oversight: one impulsive act led to a national identity that would span centuries, illustratingGalatians 6:7—“whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”

Genesis 36:1 introduces a meticulously ordered record of Esau’s descendants. The verse signals a trustworthy historical account, highlights God’s concern for every branch of Abraham’s family, and ties Esau’s personal choices to the enduring nation of Edom.

THE T?LD?TH ESAU.

(1)The generations of Esau.--Thistoldoth,consisting ofGenesis 36:1 toGenesis 37:1, is very remarkable, if it were only for the difficulties with which it abounds, and which have too often been aggravated by the determination of commentators to make Holy Scripture bend to their pre-conceived ideas as to what it ought to be, instead of dutifully accepting it as it is. It begins with an enumeration of Esau's wives, in which the names are different from those given inGenesis 26:34;Genesis 28:9. Next we have the genealogy of Esau, upon the same principle as that whereby thetoldothIshmael was inserted immediately after the history of Abraham's death (Genesis 25:12-18); but this is followed, inGenesis 36:20-30, by a genealogy of the Horite inhabitants of Mount Seir. Among these Esau dwelt as the predominant power, but nevertheless on friendly terms, for a reason which we shall see hereafter. We next have a list of kings who are said to have reigned in Edom "before there reigned any king over the children of Israel." This is not a prophetical portion of the Bible, but a dry genealogical table, and the attempts made to evade the plain meaning of the words, namely, that at the time when this list of kings was written there were kings in Israel, are painful to read, and can have no other effect than to harden sceptics in unbelief. Of these Edomite kings, it is remarkable that they do not succeed one another by hereditary succession, nor have they the same capital, but seem to belong to a time of anarchy, like that which existed in Israel under the Judges. During this period the Edomites and Horites were fused together, chiefly by conquest (Deuteronomy 2:12;Deuteronomy 2:22), but partly also by the gradual dying out of the inferior race, just as the red man is fading away in North America, and the Maori in New Zealand. Finally, we have a list of the eleven dukes of Edom, "after their places." As these dukes represented tribes or clans, this catalogue is geographical, and as such it is described inGenesis 36:43, and was intended to give the political arrangement of the land at the later date when this addition was made, and when considerable changes had taken place since the time of the first settlement. . . .