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Genesis 36 Bible study: Esau is Edom
Genesis gives Esau, who is Edom, a full record: his wives, sons and chiefs, the Horites who lived in Seir, and eight kings who reigned in Edom "before any king reigned over the children of Israel." The Bible's first use of the verb reign is here, and Amalek, the name of Israel's later enemy, is first the name of Esau's grandson.
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“These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the children of Israel.”
Try it · Did you catch it?
“Edom had kings before any king reigned over Israel.”
Is that in Genesis 36, or not? Make your call.
What's really going on
"Esau is Edom"
The chapter opens, "this is the history of the generations of Esau (that is, Edom)" (36:1), and keeps repeating it: "Esau is Edom" (36:8), "Esau (that is, Edom)" (36:19), and it ends, "This is Esau, the father of the Edomites" (36:43). His wives and sons are listed (36:2-5), then his sons and grandsons again with the chiefs who came from them (36:9-19).
Honest questions
Questions people ask about Genesis 36
That was a taste
The rest of Genesis 36 is waiting in Favor
- Too much to live together
- The Horites of Seir
- Kings before Israel had a king
- "He is your brother"
- Amalek
- What this shows of God, and of Jesus
- 13 questions as you read
- 4 more Hebrew words
- A short check at the end
- Your notes, saved as you go
Favor reads the Bible in order, so you'll reach Genesis 36 with everything before it in view. First week free, then $10 a month per person.
The Hebrew word behind it
מָלַךְmalakhsay ma-LAKH
"Be, or become king, or queen, reign" (Brown-Driver-Briggs). Its first appearance in the Bible is 36:31: "the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the children of Israel". It comes ten times in this list (36:31-39). The promise to Jacob, "kings will come out of your body" (35:11), uses the related noun for king, not this verb. Its next use is Joseph's brothers mocking his dreams: "Will you indeed reign over us?" (37:8).
For your group
Genesis 36 Bible study questions
- 1Genesis gives Esau's family a whole chapter. What does it tell you that the Bible keeps a record of the brother who wasn't chosen?
- 2Edom had kings before Israel did. How do you wait when others seem to receive first what God promised you?
- 3Deuteronomy says of Edom, "he is your brother." How should old family history shape the way we treat people now?
Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Genesis 36 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.
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Questions
What is Favor?
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.
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Can I read Genesis 36 straight away?
Favor takes the Bible as one story, in order, so you'll reach Genesis 36 with everything that leads up to it in view. Start from Genesis, or meet Jesus first in the Gospels. You can read the text of any chapter in Favor's Look up whenever you like.
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No. Many people read on their own. If you'd like to read with others, start a Bible study and share one link. Everyone's answers stay private until you meet.
I've never really read the Bible. Is this for me?
Yes. Favor starts where you are and explains as it goes. The questions along the way aren't marked right or wrong: you answer, then see what the text shows.
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The World English Bible, a modern, readable translation in the public domain. God's name appears as "the LORD", as in most English Bibles.
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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home