Genesis 36:35
Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his place, the name of his city being Avith.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse highlights a seemingly obscure military victory by Hadad, but the significance lies in its placement: it's the only detail about any of these Edomite kings' reigns that isn't just a name and a city. This solitary detail suggests that this particular conquest, while forgotten by history, was important enough to be preserved in the text.
This passage is part of a lengthy genealogy tracing the descendants of Esau, emphasizing the establishment of the Edomite kingdom before Israel ever had its own kings. It lists several rulers and their cities, highlighting their lineage and some notable achievements, such as Hadad's victory over the Midianites. This detailed account serves to mark the historical existence and political structure of Edom, a nation that would later have a complex and often adversarial relationship with Israel.
Genesis 36 presents a detailed genealogy of Esau and lists kings who ruled Edom. Why does Scripture pause to detail this 'other' nation's history right before the story of Israel truly begins?
The Edomite Kings: A Parallel Narrative
The chapter meticulously lists the descendants of Esau, culminating in a line of kings who ruled Edom. This might seem like a diversion from Jacob's story, but it serves crucial purposes:
Verse 35 mentions Hadad, a king of Edom, who 'smote Midian in the field of Moab.' What does this isolated military success tell us about the nature of earthly power and its significance?
The Echo of Conquest
The mention of Hadad's victory over Midian is the only significant historical note attached to any of the Edomite kings listed in this chapter. What can we glean from this brief highlight?
Understand the original words
Midyān · Hebrew Noun
A nomadic and tribal people group known for their historical interactions with the Israelites, often associated with the region east of the Jordan. They are frequently mentioned in contexts of trade, conflict, or as kin-allies.
Mô'āb · Hebrew Noun
A region east of the Dead Sea inhabited by the descendants of Lot. Moabites were historically distinct from the Israelites and often portrayed as antagonists in the narrative of Israel’s development as a nation.
This verse places us in a time when Edom, the descendants of Esau, had established its own kingdom with its own kings, prior to Israel's own monarchy. Hadad's victory over Midian in Moab demonstrates Edom's regional influence and military strength, even as the Israelites were still in Egypt or emerging from slavery.
c. 15th-13th century BC
Esau settles in Mount Seir
Esau, driven by his growing flocks and the scarcity of land in Canaan, moves his family to Mount Seir, establishing a separate lineage from his brother Jacob.
c. 13th-12th century BC
Horites inhabit Mount Seir
Before Esau's descendants, the Horites, descendants of Seir, inhabited the land of Mount Seir, organized into dukes and living in the region.
c. 1100 BC
Midianite incursions in Moab
The Midianites, a nomadic people, are recorded as having conflicts or encampments in the region of Moab, an area adjacent to Edom.
c. 11th century BC— this verse
Hadad the son of Bedad reigns in Edom
Hadad, son of Bedad, rules as king over Edom and achieves a significant military victory, defeating the Midianites in the field of Moab.
This passage details the Edomites' refusal to allow Israel passage through their land, highlighting the long-standing tension and animosity between these two related peoples, which is hinted at by Hadad's military actions.
Judges 6:1-6This passage describes the oppressive raids of the Midianites, whom Hadad defeated according to Genesis 36:35. It underscores the significant threat Midian posed to surrounding peoples and the military prowess required to overcome them.
1 Kings 11:14-22This passage recounts the story of Hadad the Edomite, who fled to Egypt and later returned to stir up opposition against Solomon. This later Hadad, though possibly a different individual, shares a name and a history of conflict with Israel's enemies, suggesting a recurring theme of Edomite opposition.
Genesis 27:39-40This prophecy given to Isaac about Esau foretold that he would serve Jacob but also that he would break free and rule. The existence of kings in Edom, such as Hadad, and their military exploits before Israel had kings, can be seen as a partial fulfillment of this prophecy.
calvinGenesis 36:1-43: "Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom."
And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob.
Et accepit Esau uxores suas, et filios suos, et filias suas, et omnes animas domus suae, et pecudes suas, et omnia jumenta sua, et omnem acquisitionem suam, quam acquis…
clarkeGenesis 36:35: "And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith."
Smote Midian in the field of Moab - Bishop Cumberland supposes that this was Midian, the son of Abraham by Keturah, and that he was killed by Hadad some time before he was one hundred and nine years of age; and that Moses recorded this, probably, because it was a calamity to the ancestor of Jethro, his father-in-law - Orig. of Nat., p. 14…
This verse highlights a seemingly obscure military victory by Hadad, but the significance lies in its placement: it's the only detail about any of these Edomite kings' reigns that isn't just a name and a city. This solitary detail suggests that this particular conquest, while forgotten by history, was important enough to be preserved in the text.
This passage is part of a lengthy genealogy tracing the descendants of Esau, emphasizing the establishment of the Edomite kingdom before Israel ever had its own kings. It lists several rulers and their cities, highlighting their lineage and some notable achievements, such as Hadad's victory over the Midianites. This detailed account serves to mark the historical existence and political structure of Edom, a nation that would later have a complex and often adversarial relationship with Israel.
This passage is part of a lengthy genealogy tracing the descendants of Esau, emphasizing the establishment of the Edomite kingdom Israel ever had its own kings. It lists several rulers and their cities, highlighting their lineage and some notable achievements, such as Hadad's victory over the Midianites. This detailed account serves to mark the historical existence and political structure of Edom, a nation that would later have a complex and often adversarial relationship with Israel.
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Pre-Monarchy Israel
Edomite kings reign before Israel's
A succession of kings rules Edom, a development that occurs chronologically before the establishment of the monarchy in Israel, highlighting Edom's early political organization.
"Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, reigned in his place, the name of his city being Avith." — This verse highlights a seemingly obscure military victory by Hadad, but the significance lies in its placement: it's the only detail about any of these Edomite kings' reigns that isn't just a name a…
