Genesis 36:1-43

The Descendants of Esau

36:1 What follows is the account of Esau (also known as Edom). ¹ 

36:2 Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: ²  Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter ³  of Zibeon the Hivite, 36:3 in addition to Basemath the daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.

36:4 Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, Basemath bore Reuel, 36:5 and Oholibamah bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. These were the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.

36:6 Esau took his wives, his sons, his daughters, all the people in his household, his livestock, his animals, and all his possessions which he had acquired in the land of Canaan and went to a land some distance away from ⁴  Jacob his brother 36:7 because they had too many possessions to be able to stay together and the land where they had settled ⁵  was not able to support them because of their livestock. 36:8 So Esau (also known as Edom) lived in the hill country of Seir. ⁶ 

36:9 This is the account of Esau, the father ⁷  of the Edomites, in the hill country of Seir.

36:10 These were the names of Esau’s sons:

Eliphaz, the son of Esau’s wife Adah, and Reuel, the son of Esau’s wife Basemath.

36:11 The sons of Eliphaz were:

Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.

36:12 Timna, a concubine of Esau’s son Eliphaz, bore Amalek to Eliphaz. These were the sons ⁸  of Esau’s wife Adah.

36:13 These were the sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons ⁹  of Esau’s wife Basemath.

36:14 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter ¹⁰  of Zibeon: She bore Jeush, Jalam, and Korah to Esau.

36:15 These were the chiefs ¹¹  among the descendants ¹²  of Esau, the sons of Eliphaz, Esau’s firstborn: chief Teman, chief Omar, chief Zepho, chief Kenaz, 36:16 chief Korah, ¹³  chief Gatam, chief Amalek. These were the chiefs descended from Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons ¹⁴  of Adah.

36:17 These were the sons of Esau’s son Reuel: chief Nahath, chief Zerah, chief Shammah, chief Mizzah. These were the chiefs descended from Reuel in the land of Edom; these were the sons ¹⁵  of Esau’s wife Basemath.

36:18 These were the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: chief Jeush, chief Jalam, chief Korah. These were the chiefs descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.

36:19 These were the sons of Esau (also known as Edom), and these were their chiefs.

36:20 These were the sons of Seir the Horite, ¹⁶  who were living in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, 36:21 Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, the descendants ¹⁷  of Seir in the land of Edom.

36:22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam; ¹⁸  Lotan’s sister was Timna.

36:23 These were the sons of Shobal: Alvan, Manahath, Ebal, Shepho, ¹⁹  and Onam.

36:24 These were the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah (who discovered the hot springs ²⁰  in the wilderness as he pastured the donkeys of his father Zibeon).

36:25 These were the children ²¹  of Anah: Dishon and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.

36:26 These were the sons of Dishon: ²²  Hemdan, Eshban, Ithran, and Keran.

36:27 These were the sons of Ezer: Bilhan, Zaavan, and Akan.

36:28 These were the sons of Dishan: Uz and Aran.

36:29 These were the chiefs of the Horites: chief Lotan, chief Shobal, chief Zibeon, chief Anah, 36:30 chief Dishon, chief Ezer, chief Dishan. These were the chiefs of the Horites, according to their chief lists in the land of Seir.

36:31 These were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites: ²³ 

36:32 Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom; the name of his city was Dinhabah.

36:33 When Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah from Bozrah reigned in his place.

36:34 When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites reigned in his place.

36:35 When Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated the Midianites in the land of Moab, reigned in his place; the name of his city was Avith.

36:36 When Hadad died, Samlah from Masrekah reigned in his place.

36:37 When Samlah died, Shaul from Rehoboth by the River ²⁴  reigned in his place.

36:38 When Shaul died, Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place.

36:39 When Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor died, Hadad ²⁵  reigned in his place; the name of his city was Pau. ²⁶  His wife’s name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab.

36:40 These were the names of the chiefs of Esau, according to their families, according to their places, by their names: chief Timna, chief Alvah, chief Jetheth, 36:41 chief Oholibamah, chief Elah, chief Pinon, 36:42 chief Kenaz, chief Teman, chief Mibzar, 36:43 chief Magdiel, chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom, according to their settlements ²⁷  in the land they possessed. This was Esau, the father of the Edomites.

Genesis 20:1

Abraham and Abimelech

20:1 Abraham journeyed from there to the Negev ²⁸  region and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he lived as a temporary resident ²⁹  in Gerar,

Mark 6:16-28

6:16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised!” 6:17 For Herod himself had sent men, arrested John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod ³⁰  had married her. 6:18 For John had repeatedly told ³¹  Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” ³²  6:19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But ³³  she could not 6:20 because Herod stood in awe of ³⁴  John and protected him, since he knew that John ³⁵  was a righteous and holy man. When Herod ³⁶  heard him, he was thoroughly baffled, ³⁷  and yet ³⁸  he liked to listen to John. ³⁹ 

6:21 But ⁴⁰  a suitable day ⁴¹  came, when Herod gave a banquet on his birthday for his court officials, military commanders, and leaders of Galilee. 6:22 When his daughter Herodias ⁴²  came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” 6:23 He swore to her, ⁴³  “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” ⁴⁴  6:24 So ⁴⁵  she went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother ⁴⁶  said, “The head of John the baptizer.” ⁴⁷  6:25 Immediately she hurried back to the king and made her request: ⁴⁸  “I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” 6:26 Although it grieved the king deeply, ⁴⁹  he did not want to reject her request because of his oath and his guests. 6:27 So ⁵⁰  the king sent an executioner at once to bring John’s ⁵¹  head, and he went and beheaded John in prison. 6:28 He brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.

John 4:34

4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me ⁵²  and to complete ⁵³  his work. ⁵⁴ 

John 19:28-30

Jesus’ Death

19:28 After this Jesus, realizing that by this time ⁵⁵  everything was completed, ⁵⁶  said (in order to fulfill the scripture), ⁵⁷  “I am thirsty!” ⁵⁸  19:29 A jar full of sour wine ⁵⁹  was there, so they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a branch of hyssop ⁶⁰  and lifted it ⁶¹  to his mouth. 19:30 When ⁶²  he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed!” ⁶³  Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. ⁶⁴ 

John 19:2

19:2 The soldiers ⁶⁵  braided ⁶⁶  a crown of thorns ⁶⁷  and put it on his head, and they clothed him in a purple robe. ⁶⁸ 

John 4:7

4:7 A Samaritan woman ⁶⁹  came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me some water ⁷⁰  to drink.”

Revelation 11:7

11:7 When ⁷¹  they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war on them and conquer ⁷²  them and kill them.

[36:1]  ¹ sn Chapter 36 records what became of Esau. It will list both his actual descendants as well as the people he subsumed under his tribal leadership, people who were aboriginal Edomites. The chapter is long and complicated (see further J. R. Bartlett, “The Edomite King-List of Genesis 36:31-39 and 1 Chronicles 1:43-50,” JTS 16 [1965]: 301-14; and W. J. Horowitz, “Were There Twelve Horite Tribes?” CBQ 35 [1973]: 69-71). In the format of the Book of Genesis, the line of Esau is “tidied up” before the account of Jacob is traced (37:2). As such the arrangement makes a strong contrast with Jacob. As F. Delitzsch says, “secular greatness in general grows up far more rapidly than spiritual greatness” (New Commentary on Genesis, 2:238). In other words, the progress of the world far out distances the progress of the righteous who are waiting for the promise.

[36:2]  ² tn Heb “from the daughters of Canaan.”

[36:2]  ³ tn Heb “daughter,” but see Gen 36:24-25.

[36:6]  ⁴ tn Heb “from before.”

[36:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “land of their settlements.”

[36:8]  ⁶ tn Traditionally “Mount Seir,” but in this case the expression בְּהַר שֵׂעִיר (bÿhar se’ir) refers to the hill country or highlands of Seir.

[36:9]  ⁷ sn The term father in genealogical records needs to be carefully defined. It can refer to a literal father, a grandfather, a political overlord, or a founder.

[36:12]  ⁸ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:13]  ⁹ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “daughter,” but see Gen 36:24-25.

[36:15]  ¹¹ tn Or “clan leaders” (so also throughout this chapter).

[36:15]  ¹² tn Or “sons.”

[36:16]  ¹³ tc The Samaritan Pentateuch omits the name “Korah” (see v. 11 and 1 Chr 1:36).

[36:16]  ¹⁴ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:17]  ¹⁵ tn Or “grandsons” (NIV); “descendants” (NEB).

[36:20]  ¹⁶ sn The same pattern of sons, grandsons, and chiefs is now listed for Seir the Horite. “Seir” is both the name of the place and the name of the ancestor of these tribes. The name “Horite” is probably not to be identified with “Hurrian.” The clan of Esau settled in this area, intermarried with these Horites and eventually dispossessed them, so that they all became known as Edomites (Deut 2:12 telescopes the whole development).

[36:21]  ¹⁷ tn Or “sons.”

[36:22]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “Hemam”; this is probably a variant spelling of “Homam” (1 Chr 1:39); cf. NRSV, NLT “Heman.”

[36:23]  ¹⁹ tn This name is given as “Shephi” in 1 Chr 1:40.

[36:24]  ²⁰ tn The meaning of this Hebrew term is uncertain; Syriac reads “water” and Vulgate reads “hot water.”

[36:25]  ²¹ tn Heb “sons,” but since a daughter is included in the list, the word must be translated “children.”

[36:26]  ²² tn Heb “Dishan,” but this must be either a scribal error or variant spelling, since “Dishan” is mentioned in v. 28 (see also v. 21).

[36:31]  ²³ tn Or perhaps “before any Israelite king ruled over [them].”

[36:37]  ²⁴ tn Typically the Hebrew expression “the River” refers to the Euphrates River, but it is not certain whether that is the case here. Among the modern English versions which take this as a reference to the Euphrates are NASB, NCV, NRSV, CEV, NLT. Cf. NAB, TEV “Rehoboth-on-the-River.”

[36:39]  ²⁵ tc Most mss of the MT read “Hadar” here; “Hadad” is the reading found in some Hebrew mss, the Samaritan Pentateuch, and Syriac (cf. also 1 Chr 1:50).

[36:39]  ²⁶ tn The name of the city is given as “Pai” in 1 Chr 1:50.

[36:43]  ²⁷ tn Or perhaps “territories”; Heb “dwelling places.”

[20:1]  ²⁸ tn Or “the South [country]”; Heb “the land of the Negev.”

[20:1]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and he sojourned.”

[6:17]  ³⁰ tn Grk “he”; here it is necessary to specify the referent as “Herod,” since the nearest previous antecedent in the translation is Philip.

[6:18]  ³¹ tn The imperfect tense verb is here rendered with an iterative force.

[6:18]  ³² sn It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife. This was a violation of OT law (Lev 18:16; 20:21). In addition, both Herod Antipas and Herodias had each left marriages to enter into this union.

[6:19]  ³³ tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[6:20]  ³⁴ tn Grk “was fearing,” “was respecting”; the imperfect tense connotes an ongoing fear or respect for John.

[6:20]  ³⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:20]  ³⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:20]  ³⁷ tc In place of ἠπόρει (hporei, “he was baffled”) the majority of mss (A C D ˹ 33 Ï lat sy) have ἐποίει (epoiei, “he did”; cf. KJV’s “he did many things.”) The best mss (א B L [W] Θ 2427 co) support the reading followed in the translation. The variation may be no more than a simple case of confusion of letters, since the two readings look very much alike. The verb ποιέω (poiew, “I do”) certainly occurs more frequently than ἀπορέω (aporew, “I am at a loss”), so a scribe would be more likely to write a more familiar word. Further, even though the reading ἐποίει is the harder reading in terms of the sense, it is virtually nonsensical here, rendering it most likely an unintentional corruption.

[6:20]  ³⁸ tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “and yet” to indicate the concessive nature of the final clause.

[6:20]  ³⁹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:21]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[6:21]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “a day of opportunity”; cf. BDAG 407 s.v. εὔκαιρος, “in our lit. only pert. to time than is considered a favorable occasion for some event or circumstance, well-timed, suitable.”

[6:22]  ⁴² tc Behind “his daughter Herodias” is a most difficult textual problem. The reading adopted in the translation, τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτοῦ ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (th" qugatro" aujtou Jerwdiado"), is supported by א B D L Δ 565 pc; it is also the most difficult reading internally since it describes Herodias as Herod’s daughter. Other readings are less awkward, but they do not have adequate external support. The reading τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτῆς τῆς ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (th" qugatro" auth" th" &erwdiado", “the daughter of Herodias herself”) is supported by A C (W) Θ Ë¹³ 33 Ï, but this is also grammatically awkward. The easiest reading, τῆς θυγατρὸς τῆς ῾Ηρῳδιάδος (“the daughter of Herodias”) is supported by ˹ pc, but this reading probably arose from an accidental omission of αὐτῆς in the previous reading. The reading τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτοῦ ῾Ηρῳδιάδος, despite its historical difficulties, is most likely original due to external attestation and the fact that it most likely gave rise to the other readings as scribes sought to correct it.

[6:23]  ⁴³ tc ‡ The witnesses here support several different readings: αὐτῇ πολλά (auth polla, “to her insistently”) is found in D Θ 565 700 it; πολλά is the reading of Ì^45vid 28; both words are lacking in L pc; and א A B C^2vid ˹³ 33 2427 Ï lat have just αὐτῇ. The best candidates for authenticity, on external grounds, are αὐτῇ πολλά and αὐτῇ. So the issue revolves around whether πολλά is part of the text. On the one hand, πολλά used adverbially is a distinctive Markanism (10 of the 16 NT instances are found in Mark; of the other Gospels, Matthew alone adds a single example [Matt 9:14]). It could be argued that such an unremarkable term would go unnoticed by the scribes, and consequently would not have been inserted in imitation of Mark’s style observed elsewhere. On the other hand, the largest cluster of instances of an adverbial πολλά are in Mark 5-6, with the most recent example coming just three verses earlier (Mark 5:23, 38, 43; 6:20). Scribes may well have imitated the usage so recently and so frequently seen. Further, the best Alexandrian witnesses, as well as good representatives of the Western and Byzantines texts, lack πολλά. On the whole, though a decision is difficult, it is probably best to read the text without πολλά. NA²⁷ places the word in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

[6:23]  ⁴⁴ sn The expression up to half my kingdom is a proverbial comment meaning “great wealth.”

[6:24]  ⁴⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[6:24]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “She said”; the referent (the girl’s mother) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:24]  ⁴⁷ tn While Matthew and Luke consistently use the noun βαπτίστης (baptisths, “the Baptist”) to refer to John, as a kind of a title, Mark employs the substantival participle ὁ βαπτίζων (Jo baptizwn, “the one who baptizes, the baptizer”) to describe him (though twice he does use the noun [Mark 6:25; 8:28]).

[6:25]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “she asked, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant and has not been translated.

[6:26]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “and being deeply grieved, the king did not want.”

[6:27]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[6:27]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “his”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:34]  ⁵² sn The one who sent me refers to the Father.

[4:34]  ⁵³ tn Or “to accomplish.”

[4:34]  ⁵⁴ tn The substantival ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as an English infinitive clause.

[19:28]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “that already.”

[19:28]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “finished,” “accomplished”; Grk “fulfilled.”

[19:28]  ⁵⁷ sn A reference to Ps 69:21 or Ps 22:15.

[19:28]  ⁵⁸ sn In order to fulfill (τελειωθῇ [teleiwqh], a wordplay on the previous statement that everything was completed [τετέλεσται, tetelestai]) the scripture, he said, “I am thirsty.” The scripture referred to is probably Ps 69:21, “They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” Also suggested, however, is Ps 22:15, “My tongue cleaves to the roof of my mouth, and you [God] lay me in the dust of death.” Ps 22:1 reads “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?,” a statement Jesus makes from the cross in both Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34. In light of the connection in the Fourth Gospel between thirst and the living water which Jesus offers, it is highly ironic that here Jesus himself, the source of that living water, expresses his thirst. And since 7:39 associates the living water with the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ statement here in 19:28 amounts to an admission that at this point he has been forsaken by God (cf. Ps 22:1, Matt 27:46, and Mark 15:34).

[19:29]  ⁵⁹ sn The cheap sour wine was called in Latin posca, and referred to a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and was probably there for the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion.

[19:29]  ⁶⁰ sn Hyssop was a small aromatic bush; exact identification of the plant is uncertain. The hyssop used to lift the wet sponge may have been a form of reed (κάλαμος, kalamo", “reed,” is used in Matt 27:48 and Mark 15:36); the biblical name can refer to several different species of plant (at least eighteen different plants have been suggested).

[19:29]  ⁶¹ tn Or “and brought it.”

[19:30]  ⁶² tn Grk “Then when.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[19:30]  ⁶³ tn Or “It is accomplished,” “It is finished,” or “It is ended.” See tn on John 13:1.

[19:30]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “he bowed his head and died”; Grk “he bowed his head and gave over the spirit.”

[19:2]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “And the soldiers.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[19:2]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “wove.”

[19:2]  ⁶⁷ sn The crown of thorns was a crown plaited of some thorny material, intended as a mockery of Jesus’ “kingship.” Traditionally it has been regarded as an additional instrument of torture, but it seems more probable the purpose of the thorns was not necessarily to inflict more physical suffering but to imitate the spikes of the “radiant corona,” a type of crown portrayed on ruler’s heads on many coins of the period; the spikes on this type of crown represented rays of light pointing outward (the best contemporary illustration is the crown on the head of the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor).

[19:2]  ⁶⁸ sn The purple color of the robe indicated royal status. This was further mockery of Jesus, along with the crown of thorns.

[4:7]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “a woman from Samaria.” According to BDAG 912 s.v. Σαμάρεια, the prepositional phrase is to be translated as a simple attributive: “γυνὴ ἐκ τῆς Σαμαρείας a Samaritan woman J 4:7.”

[4:7]  ⁷⁰ tn The phrase “some water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν (pein).

[11:7]  ⁷¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[11:7]  ⁷² tn Or “be victorious over”; traditionally, “overcome.”