Genesis 36

Genesis 36:1

Augustine of Hippo: HOW IS HE SPOKEN OF THE POSTERITY OF ESAU AFTER THE STORY OF ISAAC’S DEATH? — The fact that after the account of Isaac’s death is spoken of the women Esau had and the number of children he fathered, it is to be understood as a recapitulation. Indeed, that did not begin to happen after the death of Isaac, when Esau and Jacob were already a hundred and twenty years old, because Isaac had them at seventy years and lived a total one hundred and eighty years. [ — QUESTIONS ON GENESIS, Q. 117 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)

Genesis 36:4

Jerome: (Chapter 36, Verse 4) And Ada gave birth to Esau Eliphaz. This is Eliphaz, whose name is mentioned in the book of Job. — Hebrew Questions on Genesis

Genesis 36:6

Augustine of Hippo: HOW ESAU RETIRED TWICE ON MOUNT SEIR. — The question arises as to how the Scripture can say that Esau, at the death of his father Isaac, withdrew from the land of Canaan and went to live on Mount Seir, when another passage reads that when his brother Jacob came Mesopotamia, he already lived there. Therefore, we must find the reason why this is said, in order not to believe that Scripture is wrong or deceives us. Esau, after his brother went to Mesopotamia, did not want to live with his parents, either because of the anger that tormented him to be deprived and deceived of the blessing, either for the sake of his wives, who he saw that they were hateful to their relatives, or for any other reason, and so he went to live on Mount Seir. Later, after the return of his brother Jacob and once peace was established between them (Cf. Gen. 33:4), he returned even with his parents, and went back to Seir, giving rise there to the town of the Idumeans, after burying together his father, who had died. And the reason for leaving was that the land which, as the Scripture says, had enriched them so much, was no longer sufficient for both (Cf. Gen. 36:7). [ — QUESTIONS ON GENESIS, Q. 118 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)

Genesis 36:19

Jerome: (Verse 19.) These are the sons of Esau, and these are their chiefs; he is Edom. And these are the sons of Seir. Esau and Edom and Seir are the names of one man; and the reason why they are called by different names has been explained above. And what follows: — Hebrew Questions on Genesis

Genesis 36:20

Jerome: (Verse 20.) And the inhabitants of Chorraea, and the rest. After he enumerated the sons of Esau, he goes on further and explains who were the princes from the race of the Chorraeans who were before Esau in the land of Edom, which in our language is interpreted as free. Let us read diligently Deuteronomy (II, 21), where it is written more clearly how the sons of Esau came and killed the Chorraeans, and possessed their land as inheritance. — Hebrew Questions on Genesis

Genesis 36:21

Augustine of Hippo: ON THE LAND OF EDOM, OTHERWISE IDUMAEA. — The words of the Scripture: These are the rulers of the Horrhite, the son of Seir, in the land of Edom , they refer to the time in which the author lived. For when Seir, who begat them, dwelt there, before Esau came to that land, it was evidently not yet called the land of Edom. It is clear that it was none other than Esau who gave the name to that land, since the same person was named Esau and Edom. And from him the origin of the Idumeans, that is, the nation of Edom. [ — QUESTIONS ON GENESIS, Q. 119 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)

Genesis 36:22

Jerome: (Verse 22.) And the sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam, and Lotan’s sister was Timna. This is Timna, of whom it was said above. And Timna was the concubine of Eliphaz, the firstborn son of Esau, and from her was born Amalek. Now it is worth noting that the Horites, because the firstborn sons of Esau took their concubines as wives. And as for the names that are mentioned, Teman and Kenaz and Amalek, and so on: we will learn later the regions of the Edomites from which these names were derived. — Hebrew Questions on Genesis

Genesis 36:24

Jerome: (Verse 24) He is Ana, who found Jamin in the desert, while feeding the donkeys of his father Zebeon. Much and varied is debated among the Hebrews about this chapter: for indeed, both the Greeks and our own are silent on this. Some believe that Ajamim () is a name for the seas. For the same letters are used to write seas as are used in the present discourse. And they say that he, while feeding the donkeys of his father in the desert, found gatherings of water, which are called seas in the Hebrew language: namely, that he discovered a lake, the discovery of which is difficult in the wilderness. Some people believe that hot springs near the border of the Punic language, which is adjacent to Hebrew, are signified by this word. There are those who think that wild donkeys have bred with female donkeys through this act, and thus the fastest offspring known as Jamim are born. Many believe that he himself was the first to ascend the herds of female horses with donkeys in the desert, so that new animals contrary to nature, mules, would be born from there. Eagle translated this passage as follows: He is Ana, who discovered it with the mimics. And Symmachus likewise translated the mimics, which signifies a plural number. However, the Seventy and Theodotion translated it equally, saying: the mimi, which indicates a singular number. — Hebrew Questions on Genesis

Genesis 36:31

Augustine of Hippo: ON THE KINGS OF EDOM. — These are the kings who reigned in Edom before a king reigned in Israel. This passage must not be understood, as if it contained the number of all the kings, from Edom, until the time when the kingdom began in Israel even in the days of Saul. There were many kings in Edom before the coming of Saul in the days of the Judges, which preceded the kingdom; but among these kings Moses could only name those who lived before his death. And not surprised to find, from Abraham to the last king named by Moses, through Esau, the father of the people of Edom; by Raguel the son of Esau; by Zara, son of Raguel; by Jacob the son of Zara, and by Balak his successor, who is given as the first king of Edom, more generations than are counted by Jacob from Abraham to Moses. There indeed are nearly twelve generations, and here scarcely seven as far as Moses. It may have happened that where there are the most, there have been more kings to succeed each other, because death took them away more quickly. Thus, following a different order, St. Matthew has two generations, from Abraham to Joseph (Mt. 1:1-17); St. Luke, according to another order, and counting the generations, not by Solomon, but by Nathan, enumerates fifty-five from Abraham to Joseph (Lk. 3:23-28). In the line where we count the most generations, death has been more prompt than in that where it counts the least. And in fear lest we should be astonished that Balak the son of Beor should be numbered with the kings of Edom, and because of the likeness of the name, it is not imagined that it was this Balac who resisted Moses, the leader of the people of Israel, it must be known that this was Moabite and not Idumean, and that he was from Sephor and not from Beor; there was in the days of Moses a son of Beor, whose name was Balaam, and not Balak, and it was this same Balak who called Balaam to curse the people of Israel (Num. 22:2-6). [ — QUESTIONS ON GENESIS, Q. 120 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)

Genesis 36:33

Jerome: (Verse 33.) And Jobab, son of Zerah from Bozrah, reigned in his place. Some suspect that this is the same Job, as it is added at the end of his own book. However, the Hebrews assert that he was descended from Nahor, as has already been said. — Hebrew Questions on Genesis