Genesi 36:24 Commento

In this chapter we have an account of the posterity of Esau, who, from him, were called Edomites, that Esau who sold his birthright, and lost his blessing, and was not loved of God as Jacob was. Here is a brief register kept of his family for some generations. 1. Because he was the son of Isaac, for whose sake this honour is put upon him. 2. Because the Edomites were neighbours to Israel, and their genealogy would be of use to give light to the following stories of what passed between them. 3. It is to show the performance of the promise to Abraham, that he should be "the father of many nations," and of that answer which Rebekah had from the oracle she consulted, "Two nations are in thy womb," and of the blessing of Isaac, "Thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth." We have here, I. Esau's wives (Gen 36:1-5). II. His remove to mount Seir (Gen 36:6-8). III. The names of his sons (Gen 36:9-14). IV. The dukes who descended of his sons (Gen 36:15-19). V. The dukes of the Horites (Gen 36:20-30). VI. The kings and dukes of Edom (Gen 36:31-43). Little more is recorded than their names, because the history of those that were out of the church (though perhaps it might have been serviceable in politics) would have been of little use in divinity. It is in the church that the memorable instances are found of special grace, and special providence; for that is the enclosure, the rest is common. This chapter is abridged, Ch1 1:35, etc.

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 36 This chapter gives us a genealogical account of Esau's family, of his wives and sons, with whom he removed from Seir, Gen 36:1; of his sons' sons, or grandsons, who were dukes in the land of Edom, Gen 36:11; after which is inserted a genealogy of Seir the Horite, into whose family Esau married, and of his children, and the dukes among them, Gen 36:20; then follows a list of the kings of Edom, before there were any in Israel, Gen 36:31; and the chapter is closed with a brief narration of the dukes of Esau, according to their families, Gen 36:40.

The children of Dishon are these,.... The last of the seven sons of Seir, and who had two sons: Uz and Aran; from the former of these the land of Uz, inhabited by the Edomites, had its name, Lam 4:21; some have taken this to be the country of Job, Job 1:1.

(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.

The genealogy of Esau, i.e., his sons, by his Canaanitish wives Adah, Aholibamah, and Bashemath, Gen 36:1-3. The children of Adah and Bashemath, Gen 36:4. Of Aholibamah, Gen 36:5. Esau departs from Canaan and goes to Mount Seir, Gen 36:6-8. The generations of Esau, i.e., his grandchildren, while in Seir, Gen 36:7-19. Anah finds mules (Yemim) in the wilderness, Gen 36:24. The generations of Seir, the Horite, Gen 36:29-30. The kings which reigned in Edom, Gen 36:31-39. The dukes that succeeded them, Gen 36:40-43.

This was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness - The words את הימם eth kaiyemim, here translated mules, has given rise to a great variety of conjectures and discordant opinions. St. Jerome, who renders it aquas calidas, warm springs, or hot baths, says there are as many opinions concerning it as there are commentators. The Septuagint has τον Ιαμειν, which seems to be the name of a man; but this is expressed in a great variety of ways in different MSS. of that version. The Syriac renders it mayé, waters; the author of this version having read in the Hebrew copy from which he translated. מים mayim, waters, for ימם yemim, the two first letters being transposed. Onkelos translates the word גבריא gibbaraiya, giants, or strong or powerful men. The Samaritan text has haaimim, and the Samaritan version am aimai, the Emim, a warlike people, bordering upon the Horites. The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel paraphrases the place thus: "This is the Anah who united the onager with the tame ass, and in process of time he found mules produced by them." R. D. Kimchi says, that "Zibeon was both the father and brother of Anah; and this Anah, intent on heterogeneous mixtures, caused asses and horses to copulate, and so produced mules." R. S. Jarchi is of the same opinion. See his comment on this place. Bochart believes the Emim are meant; and argues forcibly, 1. That מצא matsa, he found, never signifies to invent, but rather the meeting with or happening on a thing which already exists. 2. That mules are never called ימם yemim in the Scriptures, but פרדים peradim. 3. That Anah fed Asses only, not horses. And, 4. That there is no mention of mules in Palestine till the days of David. From the whole he concludes that the Emim are meant, with whom Anah fought; and he brings many places of Scripture where the same form of expression, he or they found, signifies the onset to battle, Jdg 1:5; Sa1 31:3; Kg1 13:24; Ch2 22:8; Num 35:27; Gen 4:14; with many others. See the Hierozoicon, vol. i., cap. 21, p. 23S., edit. 1692. Gusset, in Comment. Heb. Ling., examines what Bochart has asserted, and supposes that mules, not the Emim, were found by Anah. Wagenseil would credit what Bochart has asserted, did not stronger reasons lead him to believe that the word means a sort of plant! From the above opinions and versions the reader may choose which he likes best, or invent one for himself. My own opinion is, that mules were not known before the time of Anah; and that he was probably the first who coupled the mare and ass together to produce this mongrel, or the first who met with creatures of this race in some very secluded part of the wilderness. Is it not probable that from this Anah, or ענה enah, the Enetae derived at least their fabulous origin, whom Homer mentions as famous for their race of wild mules? Παφλαγονων δ' ἡγειτο Πυλαιμενεος λασιον κηρ, Εξ Ενετων, ὁθεν ἡμιονων γενος αγροτεραων. IL., lib. ii., v. 852. The Paphlagonians Pylaemenes rules, Where rich Henetia breeds her Savage Mules. Pope. The Enetae or Henetae, who were a people contiguous to Paphlagonia, Cappadocia, and Galatia, might have derived their origin from this Anah, or Henah, out of which the Ενετοι of the ancient Greek writers might have been formed; and according to Theophrastus, Strabo, and Plutarch, the first mules were seen among these people. See Ludov, De Dieu and Scheuchzer.

POSTERITY OF ESAU. (Gen. 36:1-43) these are the generations--history of the leading men and events (compare Gen 2:4). Esau who is Edom--A name applied to him in reference to the peculiar color of his skin at birth [Gen 25:25], rendered more significant by his inordinate craving for the red pottage [Gen 25:30], and also by the fierce sanguinary character of his descendants (compare Eze 25:12; Oba 1:10).

This was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness--The word "mules" is, in several ancient versions, rendered "water springs"; and this discovery of some remarkable fountain was sufficient, among a wandering or pastoral people, to entitle him to such a distinguishing notice.