For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that Esau and Jacob’s wealth wasn't just about possessions, but specifically their livestock outgrew the capacity of the land. This emphasizes how nomadic wealth was directly tied to grazing land, making their shared future in Canaan impossible.
For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following the dramatic reconciliation between Jacob and Esau, this verse explains why they ultimately separated. Their immense wealth and massive herds outgrew the capacity of Canaan, the land where they were merely sojourners, forcing Esau to seek new territory. This separation echoes the earlier parting of Abraham and Lot, highlighting a recurring theme of nomadic life and divine providence guiding the patriarchs' families.
Have you ever felt so blessed with resources or opportunities that you couldn't possibly fit them all in one place? Genesis 36:7 speaks to a similar situation, not just for Jacob, but for his brother Esau.
Too Much of a Good Thing?
The verse states, "For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together." This isn't about conflict or animosity; it's about sheer, overwhelming abundance.
The verse calls Canaan 'the land of their sojournings.' What does this temporary status mean when faced with overwhelming blessings?
The Challenge of Being a Sojourner
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The description of Canaan as "the land of their sojournings" is crucial. It highlights that neither Jacob nor Esau were the full owners of the land; they were temporary residents.
Understand the original words
megurim · Hebrew Noun
A state of temporary residence or pilgrimage in a land that is not one's permanent home; it emphasizes the believer's status as a stranger or sojourner while on earth, awaiting the fulfillment of God’s promises.
This verse highlights the practical, economic pressures that led to the separation of Jacob and Esau, mirroring earlier separations like Abraham and Lot's. It shows how a growing population and wealth, especially in livestock, can necessitate a move, and contextualizes Esau's establishment in Seir as a thriving, albeit separate, lineage.
c. 1800 BC
Abraham and Lot Separate
Abraham and his nephew Lot separated their large households and livestock due to conflict between their herdsmen, with Lot choosing the well-watered Jordan plain.
c. 1700 BC
Isaac and Rebekah's Sojourn
Isaac and Rebekah lived as sojourners in Gerar, experiencing famine and relying on God's provision in a foreign land, similar to the patriarchs' nomadic lifestyle.
c. 1650 BC
Esau Marries Canaanite Women
Esau, at age 40, married Judith and Basemath, daughters of Elon the Hittite, causing grief to Isaac and Rebekah. This highlights his disregard for the covenant lineage.
c. 1650 BC
Jacob Wrestles with God
Jacob wrestled with a divine being at Peniel before reuniting with Esau, signifying his struggle and God's renaming him Israel, 'struggles with God.'
c. 1650 BC— this verse
Esau's Household Moves to Seir
Due to their vast livestock and inability to dwell together in Canaan, Esau's growing family and possessions forced them to relocate to Mount Seir.
c. 1650 BC
Edomite Kings Reign
Before any king reigned over Israel, eight kings successively ruled in the land of Edom, demonstrating the prosperity and established status of Esau's descendants.
This passage mirrors the situation in Genesis 36:7, showing how Abraham and Lot separated because their possessions became too great for the land to support them both.
Genesis 32:3This verse highlights the growing wealth and livestock of both Jacob and Esau, setting the stage for the conflict and eventual separation described in Genesis 36:7.
Deuteronomy 2:4-5God explicitly instructs the Israelites not to provoke the descendants of Esau (Edomites), indicating a historical tension and separation between the two peoples, stemming from their distinct territories and origins.
Psalm 102:28This verse speaks of God's enduring faithfulness to His people, contrasting their lasting inheritance with the fleeting prosperity of those outside His covenant, a theme echoed in the prosperity of Esau's line versus the promise to Jacob.
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…
cambridgeGenesis 36:7: "For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle."
7 . For their substance was too great ] The departure of Esau into Seir is here explained as necessitated by the growing wealth of Esau and Jacob in Canaan: cf. the separation of Abraham and Lot in ch. 13. Obviously the explanation given here does not agree with the representation in Genesis 32:3 and Genesis 33:14-16 . “Substance,”…
The verse highlights that Esau and Jacob’s wealth wasn't just about possessions, but specifically their livestock outgrew the capacity of the land. This emphasizes how nomadic wealth was directly tied to grazing land, making their shared future in Canaan impossible.
Following the dramatic reconciliation between Jacob and Esau, this verse explains why they ultimately separated. Their immense wealth and massive herds outgrew the capacity of Canaan, the land where they were merely sojourners, forcing Esau to seek new territory. This separation echoes the earlier parting of Abraham and Lot, highlighting a recurring theme of nomadic life and divine providence guiding the patriarchs' families.
Following the dramatic reconciliation between Jacob and Esau, this verse explains why they ultimately separated. Their immense wealth and massive herds outgrew the capacity of Canaan, the land where they were merely sojourners, forcing Esau to seek new territory. This separation echoes the earlier parting of Abraham and Lot, highlighting a recurring theme of nomadic life and divine providence guiding the patriarchs' families.
"For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock." — The verse highlights that Esau and Jacob’s wealth wasn't just about possessions, but specifically their livestock outgrew the capacity of the land. This emphasizes how nomadic wealth was directly t…
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Last reviewed October 2026