Genesis 36:2
in Genesis 36Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite,
KJV
Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;
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This verse in Genesis 36
Commentary
3 notes on this verseHis wives - It appears that Esau’s wives went by very different names. Aholibamah is named Judith, Gen 26:34; Adah is called Bashemath in the same place; and she who is here called Bashemath is called Mahalath, Gen 28:9. These are variations which cannot be easily accounted for; and they are not of sufficient importance to engross much time. It is well known that the same persons in Scripture are often called by different names.
This site's exposition
Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan
on Genesis 36:2-3
Esau's wives are Adah the Hittite, Oholibamah the Hivite, and Basemath, who is Ishmael's daughter and Nebaioth's sister. Two come from the daughters of Canaan, the peoples Abraham sent a servant far off to avoid at Genesis 24:3. The names differ from those at Genesis 26:34 and 28:9. Clarke reports the difficulty and observes that one person in Scripture often carries more than one name.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan,....
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עֵשָׂ֛ו | ʾesav | Esau | H6215 → | 97 times |
| לָקַ֥ח | lakach | he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| נָשָׁ֖יו | nashav | wives his | H802 → | 781 times |
| מִבְּנ֣וֹת | mibenot | from [the] daughters of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| כְּנָ֑עַן | kenaan | Canaan | H3667 → | 94 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עָדָ֗ה | ʾadah | Adah | H5711 → | 8 times |
| בַּת־ | bat- | [the] daughter of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| אֵילוֹן֙ | ʾeilon | Elon | H356 → | 7 times |
| הַֽחִתִּ֔י | hachiti | the Hittite | H2850 → | 48 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אָהֳלִֽיבָמָה֙ | ʾoholivamah | Oholibamah | H173 → | 8 times |
| בַּת־ | bat- | [the] daughter of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| עֲנָ֔ה | ʾanah | Anah | H6034 → | 12 times |
| בַּת־ | bat- | [the] daughter of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| צִבְע֖וֹן | tzivon | Zibeon | H6649 → | 8 times |
| הַֽחִוִּֽי׃ | hachivi | the Hivite | H2340 → | 25 times |
עֵשָׂ֛וEsau
ʾesavH6215 →97 times
לָקַ֥חhe took
lakachH3947 →966 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
נָשָׁ֖יוwives his
nashavH802 →781 times
מִבְּנ֣וֹתfrom [the] daughters of
mibenotH1323 →588 times
כְּנָ֑עַןCanaan
kenaanH3667 →94 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עָדָ֗הAdah
ʾadahH5711 →8 times
בַּת־[the] daughter of
bat-H1323 →588 times
אֵילוֹן֙Elon
ʾeilonH356 →7 times
הַֽחִתִּ֔יthe Hittite
hachitiH2850 →48 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
אָהֳלִֽיבָמָה֙Oholibamah
ʾoholivamahH173 →8 times
בַּת־[the] daughter of
bat-H1323 →588 times
עֲנָ֔הAnah
ʾanahH6034 →12 times
בַּת־[the] daughter of
bat-H1323 →588 times
צִבְע֖וֹןZibeon
tzivonH6649 →8 times
הַֽחִוִּֽי׃the Hivite
hachiviH2340 →25 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 9:25he said, “Cursed be Canaan! A servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 27:16
‘Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
- Joshua 9:23
Now therefore you are under a curse and will perpetually serve as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”
- Judges 1:28–30
When Israel became stronger, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor, but they never drove them out completely.
- Joshua 9:27
On that day he made them woodcutters and water carriers, as they are to this day for the congregation of the LORD and for the altar at the place He would choose.
- John 8:34
Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
- Deuteronomy 27:16
Through
Genesis 28:9Esau went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, in addition to the wives he already had.
it leads to
- Genesis 36:3
and Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.
- Genesis 36:18
These are the sons of Esau’s wife Oholibamah: Chiefs Jeush, Jalam, and Korah. They are the chiefs descended from Esau’s wife Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 36:3
Through
Genesis 27:46Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a Hittite wife from among them, what good is my life?”
it leads to
- Genesis 24:3
and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites…
- Genesis 24:3
About Genesis
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).