DBG - January 14 - Genesis 36-37

This chapter contains the genealogy of Esau’s descendants.  This would be an easy chapter to overlook as it seems to be a diversion from the primary narrative concerning the founding of the nation of Israel.  However, it is further proof of God’s blessing on Abraham and the various branches of his descendants.  He was truly “a father of many nations” (17:4).  This adds a type of nobility to Israel being close kin to other powerful nations.

vs. 1 – Esau means “hairy” and Edom means “red”.

vs. 2-3 – The names do not match what we have already seen in 26:34 and 28:9.  It is very common in the Bible for people to change their names or have multiples names.  We just witnessed this in Abram becoming Abraham and Jacob becoming Israel.  This is the simplest solution here.  It could also be the case of having names from two different languages, such as when Daniel is renamed Belteshazzar by the Babylonians.

vs. 4-5 – Esau has five sons total.

vs. 6-8 – Esau acknowledged that Jacob had received the birthright and with it the claim to the Promised Land.  He moves southeast to the area beyond the Dead Sea to the region around Mt. Seir. 

vs. 12 – The descendants of Amalek, meaning “dweller in a valley”, would become a nomadic tribe that roamed the regions south of the Promised Land.  They would become a hated enemy of Israel and employed terroristic tactics.

vs. 15-19 – Highlighted in Esau’s descendants are these 14 chiefs (KJV dukes).  Though not fully crowned kings they are still powerful regional leaders.

vs. 20-30 – These are not descendants of Esau but of Seir, who are first mentioned in 14:6.  Their inclusion in Esau’s genealogy appears to indicate that when Esau moved into their area the two families intermarried and became as one.  Again, the purpose for including this is to add nobility to the origins of Israel as a people who came from a broader family of mighty nations and kings.

vs. 24 – There has been some debate over what Anah found.  The Hebrew yem (Strong’s H3222) is only found here. The traditional reading used in the KJV, by Martin Luther, and based on Jewish tradition is this refers to mules.  Jerome, the Catholic translator of the Bible into Latin in the 4^th century A.D., seems the first to suggest it means “hot springs” but that is by assuming the word had the same meaning as a Punic word.  I much prefer the traditional translation of mules.  I think he may not have just stumbled upon mules, but he was the first to bred horses and donkeys to create a hybrid mule.

vs. 31-39 – This is a list of kings over Edom.  It is interesting to note that the title is not hereditary but seems to go to the strongest contender after the previous king falls.

vs. 31 – Moses was writing prophetically concerning kings.  He knew it was part of God’s plan for Israel sometime in the future, as we see in Deuteronomy 17:14-20.

vs. 35 – This verse is interesting in that it is the only mention of warfare in this chapter and for the place the battle was fought.  Going from north to south on the east side of Jordan, you would have Moab, Edom, then Midian.  That this Edomite ruler defeats a Midianite army in Moab seems to indicate that the Midianites had swept north around Edom to attack Midian, possibly to divide and conquer Edom and Moab.

vs. 40-43 – This final list of chiefs in Edom is a geographical listing of the location of the main leaders and tribes.

In this chapter we see the jealousy of Joseph’s brothers against him that leads to him being sold into slavery.

vs. 2 – Joseph’s problems with his brothers start with him reporting back to his father the unspecified misdeeds of Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

vs. 3 – Jacob had been hurt as a young man by his father’s favoritism towards Esau.  He repeats this error in his own family by doting on Joseph, the eldest son of this deceased favorite wife.  The gift of a special, ornate coat made him further stand out, maybe signaling Jacob’s choice of Jospeh for the birthright (I Chronicles 5:1).

vs. 6-11 – Joseph further incites his brothers’ hatred by telling them of his prophetic dreams.  The sheaves of grain in the first, and the sun, moon, and stars, in the second, all represent his family bowing to his  These will be fulfilled about 20 years later in Genesis 42:6, but that is no consolation for his brothers at this time.

vs. 11 – Once again (see 34:5 and 35:22) we find Jacob not acting when his sons misbehave.

vs. 12-13 – We see more favoritism here as Joseph is not working with his brothers.

vs. 14 – The distance between Hebron and Shechem is about 60 miles.

vs. 17 – Dothan is about 8 miles further.

vs. 18-20 – His brethren are presented with their opportunity to rid themselves of Joseph.

vs. 21-22 – Reuben’s intervention saves Joseph from sure death.  The last phrase indicates that he planned on using Joseph as a bargaining chip to get back into his father’s good graces after his sin in 35:22.

vs. 25 – Such trading caravans were common in the ancient world.

vs. 26-27 – Judah creates the new plan to sell Joseph as a slave, thus ridding themselves of their annoying brother and keeping his blood off their hands.  Reuben is not present as we will see.

vs. 28 – There is no contradiction here in regards to the Ishmaelites and the Midianites.  They lived in close and are often seen together, see Judges 8:24,26

vs. 29-30 – Rueben had left while Joseph was sold and not returns to find him gone.  This likely had been his plan to return and free Joseph to return to his father, but it is all for nought now.

vs. 31-35 – To finish the deception, Joseph’s special coat is ripped apart and dipped in goat blood to make it seem that he had been attacked by some wild beast.  This token was sent to Jacob who was convinces his son was dead.

vs. 36 – Joseph is taken into Egypt and becomes property of Potiphar, which is Egyptian for “belonging to the sun god Ra”.  He is described as an officer in Pharaoh’s court.  Interestingly the Hebrew word for officer may also be translated as “eunuch”.  This is very unlikely seeing he had a wife, but so many officials in Eastern courts were eunuchs that the terms became practically synonymous.  The word guards may be translated as ”executioners”, again two concepts that are tightly interwoven in this time and place.

I know everyone has focused far more on the chapter about Joseph than the one of Esau’s genealogy.  I want to reiterate here that genealogies are an important part of Bible history. They are testaments to God’s grace and providence in the affairs of men.  They tell us that everyone comes from somewhere and that blood and background make a difference.  So much of Esau’s original animosity against Jacob is multiplied through his descendants so that tribes like the Edomites and Amalekites become mortal enemies to Israel.  They also testify of the veracity of Scripture, as these careful records have been vindicated in their accuracy through the centuries.  Chapters such as these may make for dry reading, but there are wonderful treasures to be found in them if one only takes the time to dig deep enough.  In the case of Genesis 36, I believe the purpose is not to uplift the glory of Esau’s family, but to show the greatness of the stock from which the nation of Israel came. 

Our hymn for today is an English translation of an anonymously published German hymn from around the 16th century.  Jospeh must have been overwhelmed with despair as he went from his father’s favorite to a slave in Egypt.  He is far from the only person in the Bible to face such degradations.  This hymn uses Joseph, Elijah, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as examples that, although our heart may be overcome with darkness, God is still in control and all things work together for good by His mighty power.

So melancholy why, poor heart,
So heavy and so full of smart,
And still for earthly things?
Resign thee to the Lord thy God,
Who Heaven and the earth hath made.

Elijah, speak: Who gave thee bread,
When dearth and drought had overspread
Thy land for several years?
Did not the widow’s cruse supply
Her own and thy necessity?

When near the jun’per thou didst stay
God sent His messenger away
To furnish thee with food,
Which that uncommon vigor gave,
That thou couldst reach Mount Horeb’s cave.

Good Daniel: In the lion’s den
God ne’er forgot, tho’ left by men,
But sent His angel down
To seize the prophet’s harvest-mess
For His belovèd in distress.

Tho’ Joseph, into Egypt sold,
By Potiphar was laid in hold
For keeping God’s command:
God raised him up to great renown,
To save that nation and his own.

Did not the furnace lose its pow’r
When sev’n times heated, to devour
The three men in the flame?
God sent His angel to their aid,
And made the tyrant sore afraid.

Thy plenty, Lord, is still as great,
As ’twas in times of ancient date;
In Thee is all my trust,
Enrich my soul with faith and love,
Then have I everywhere enough.