Genesis 36:7-8
For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock. So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir. (Esau is Edom.)
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse highlights that their abundance, not just their presence, was the issue. Their vast herds required more land than their "land of wanderings" could provide, revealing how even prosperity can create separation when resources become strained. This points to a subtle but significant tension: the very blessings God gave them outstripped the capacity of their current, unowned territory to sustain them.
This verse explains Esau's departure from Canaan, alongside Jacob. Their immense wealth and livestock had become too much for the land they were sojourning in, forcing a separation similar to what Abraham and Lot experienced. This necessity for more space directly sets up the genealogical lists that follow, detailing Esau's descendants and their eventual establishment in the land of Seir.
Ever felt crowded by your own success? This verse points to a surprising reason why Esau and Jacob had to split up, and it has everything to do with abundance.
Too Much of a Good Thing
Genesis 36:7 says, "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."
This isn't just about Esau and Jacob being poor roommates. It highlights a crucial tension when abundance outstrips capacity. Their flocks and herds, symbols of their prosperity, became unmanageable in the land they were inhabiting.
This situation mirrors many modern scenarios: a growing business outgrowing its office space, a family needing a larger home, or even a community struggling with the demands of rapid population growth. The challenge isn't a lack of resources, but the inability to manage or contain the abundance within the existing framework.
Being a 'stranger' in a land has unique challenges. Genesis 36:7 hints at how this status impacted Esau and Jacob's ability to manage their growing wealth.
Navigating Limited Space
The verse specifically mentions "the land wherein they were strangers." This wasn't their inherited territory; they were temporary residents. This status brought specific limitations:
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.
Se'ir · Hebrew Proper Noun
A rugged, mountainous region southeast of the Dead Sea; it became the historical territory of the Edomites and is often associated with the descendants of Esau in prophetic literature.
Edom · Hebrew Proper Noun
A proper noun representing the descendants of Esau; it carries a deep-seated historical and theological rivalry with the nation of Israel (the descendants of Jacob), symbolizing the friction between chosen and rejected lines in the context of the patriarchal promises.
This passage highlights a familiar nomadic challenge: expanding herds outgrowing the available grazing land. The separation of Esau and Jacob echoes Abraham and Lot's earlier split, showing how economic pressures can drive familial divisions and migrations even in promising lands.
c. 1800 BC
Abraham and Lot Separate
Abraham and his nephew Lot separate due to the abundance of their livestock, as the land could not support both their large herds. Lot settles near Sodom, and Abraham remains in Canaan.
c. 1750 BC— this verse
Jacob and Esau's Families Grow in Canaan
The descendants of both Jacob and Esau have grown significantly in number and wealth while sojourning in the land of Canaan.
c. 1750 BC
Esau Moves to Mount Seir
Esau, unable to sustain his large livestock holdings alongside Jacob's in the limited land of Canaan, moves his family and possessions to the mountainous region of Seir.
c. 1700 BC - 1500 BC
Edomite Kings Reign
The text lists kings who ruled in the land of Edom before any king ruled over Israel, indicating the establishment of Esau's descendants as a distinct nation.
This passage describes the separation of Abraham and Lot due to their vast possessions, mirroring the situation between Esau and Jacob and highlighting how abundance can necessitate division.
Genesis 26:14This verse shows Isaac's growing wealth leading to envy from the Philistines, illustrating how prosperity itself can create conflict and displacement, even in a land of sojourning.
Luke 16:25Jesus' parable about the rich man and Lazarus contrasts the temporary 'good things' of this life with eternal rewards, providing a spiritual perspective on the material abundance Esau possessed compared to the promise of Canaan for Jacob.
Psalm 102:28This psalm speaks of God's enduring faithfulness to His people and their perpetual inheritance, offering a stark contrast to the fleeting prosperity of Esau and Edom, emphasizing the lasting nature of God's promises over temporal wealth.
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 their abundance, not just their presence, was the issue. Their vast herds required more land than their "land of wanderings" could provide, revealing how even prosperity can create separation when resources become strained. This points to a subtle but significant tension: the very blessings God gave them outstripped the capacity of their current, unowned territory to sustain them.
This verse explains Esau's departure from Canaan, alongside Jacob. Their immense wealth and livestock had become too much for the land they were sojourning in, forcing a separation similar to what Abraham and Lot experienced. This necessity for more space directly sets up the genealogical lists that follow, detailing Esau's descendants and their eventual establishment in the land of Seir.
This verse explains Esau's departure from Canaan, alongside Jacob. Their immense wealth and livestock had become too much for the land they were sojourning in, forcing a separation similar to what Abraham and Lot experienced. This necessity for more space directly sets up the genealogical lists that follow, detailing Esau's descendants and their eventual establishment in the land of Seir.
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Their prosperity, while a blessing from God, highlighted their precarious position. It forced a decision: either find a way to manage their abundance within their limited sojourning rights, or separate to find more sustainable living conditions.
"For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together. The land of their sojournings could not support them because of their livestock. So Esau settled in the hill country of Seir. (Esau is Edom.)" — The verse highlights that their abundance, not just their presence, was the issue. Their vast herds required more land than their "land of wanderings" could provide, revealing how even prosperity can…
