Genesis 36:2 Commentary and Bible Study

There is difficult in reconciling the names of Esau’s wives with those given in Genesis 26:34-35 and 28:9. The difficulties are great – the names of the Canaanite wives are different; the name of Ishmael’s daughter is different (though in both cases the woman is said to the sister of Nebajoth, Ishmael’s firstborn son); a wife with the name Bashemath is said to be the daughter of both a Canaanite and of Ishmael; Anah is said to be a Hittite in one passage and a Hivite in another; Anah is listed in verse 20 with Dishon as if they were brothers, but in verse 25 as father and son (Aalders).It is clear from verse 20 that Moses is doing more in this chapter than simply tracing Esau’s descendants. He is documenting the history of Edom, and the kingdom of Edom came to exist by the merging of two powerful tribes: that of Esau and that of Seir who predated Esau and already lived in the region which Esau moved to when he left Canaan. Perhaps the problems with the names have come about because of these two tribes coming together, and having their own naming systems. Certainly verse 20 should not be read as if Anah and Dishon were brothers, for that verse also lists Zibeon and Anah as if they were the same generation, when the text has already told us that they were father and son. As verse 21 says, the purpose of verse 20 is to give a list of the dukes in the land who were descended from Seir. Moses is in that verse simply listing the great men that came from Seir, regardless of generation. In verse 25 he gives more precise information about Anah and Dishon. Leupold comments on the fact that both the Canaanite wives of Esau are said to be Hittite in 26:34, while in this passage one is Hittite and the other Hivite. He reminds us that Hittite is a more general designation of Canaanites. He adds that when Seir and his descendants are said to be Horites, this need not be a contradiction because Horite meant cave dweller and both names could apply.