Genesis 36:1 Commentary and Bible Study

Just as Moses briefly traces the family of Ishmael and his descendants (Genesis 25:12 – 18), so also he does for Esau, thought in slightly greater detail. When Israel’s borders were defined, they did not intrude into the land which God had given to Edom (Genesis 34:3). At the time of the exodus when Israel journeyed to Canaan to possess the promised land, they came to the borders of Edom and explicitly asked the king of Edom for permission to pass through his territory (Numbers 20:14-17), promising to refrain from taking anything that belonged to the Edomites, and to stick rigidly to the king’s high way, the main road through Edomite territory. Edom however refused to give Israel passage, and came out with force to prevent them entering their land (Number 20:18-20). This greatly angered God, and many centuries later their sin at this time was remembered against them (Amos 1:11); there should have been brotherly love between them because they were closely related peoples. Nevertheless Israel was instructed not to meddle with Edom’s land, and to avoid confrontation with them and to skirt round their land (Deuteronomy 2:4-5). Israel received the same instruction concerning Moab, the descendants of Lot. This contrasted strongly with the way Israel was told to respond to the very similar opposition from the Amorites and the people of Bashan, when they came out against them. These were not peoples related to Israel, and their opposition was met with force so that they were defeated and their lands taken from them (Deuteronomy 29:7-8). The history of Edom is recorded here by Moses just because that nation was a near relative of Israel and they were to feature strongly in the history of God’s people in the centuries that followed. God allowed Israel’s enemies to exist and even protected them, so that he could use them in the coming centuries to chasten his people. Edom is another name for Esau, a name which came from the time when Jacob persuaded him to sell his birthright for a pot of red stew (Genesis 25:30), the word Edom meaning red.Moses’ purpose in separating out Esau’s history here, seems to be to cover it all together, so that he can focus on the history of Jacob’s family in the following chapters without interruption.