The Sons of Esau (Genesis 36:2-9)
‘Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite, and Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebaioth.'
In Genesis 26:34 Esau's Cananite wives are named Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. Ishmael's daughter is called Mahalath, sister of Nebaioth (Genesis 28:9). Thus Basemath has become Adah, Judith has become Oholibamah (Beeri the Hittite may well have been married to Anah), and Mahalath becomes Basemath.
One possibility we must consider is that on marriage Canaanite wives often took on another name indicating their change of status. Thus Judith may have become Oholibamah (‘tent of the high place'), a suitable marriage name due to its connection with the holy tent, and a name connected with her mother's family, and Mahalath may have become Basemath (possibly ‘the fragrant one'). Basemath may have thus changed her name to Adah (meaning unknown).
As Basemath probably means ‘fragrant' it is also very possible that this was a nickname regularly used by Esau. He may have called Adah this as a love name, and later applied it to Mahalath when his affections varied (compare our use of ‘honey' or ‘sugar') causing confusion to the record keepers. Or he may have liked the name and when Basemath relinquished it on marriage have suggested it to Mahalath as a married name.
As mentioned Oholibamah means ‘tent of the high place' suggesting a tabernacle similar to some extent to that later in use in by the Israelites. It is also the name of one of the ‘dukes of Edom' (Genesis 36:41) and of one of the daughters of Anah the Horite (Genesis 36:25). The dual name theory would account for why a Canaanite woman bears an Edomite name due to Esau's early connections with Edom prior to his marriages. Consider also how Beeri the Hittite appears to have been married to an ‘Edomite' woman, Anah daughter of Zibeon the Hivite (compare Zibeon the Horite in Genesis 36:24 who also had a son called Anah. There seems to be some parallel between Hivites and Horites).
That Anah was an important person due to her connections comes out in the constant reference to her (Genesis 36:2; Genesis 36:14; Genesis 36:18). She was the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite (Genesis 36:2) who is probably the same as Zibeon, the son of Seir the Horite (Genesis 36:20). We do not know who the Hivites were but they are regularly mentioned as one of the tribes in Canaan, and their connection with the Horites is suggested here. Indeed the name may be an alternative rendering, ‘v' instead of ‘r', either as an error in copying or otherwise. The LXX of Genesis 34:2 and Joshua 9:7 renders Hivite as Horite which may suggest an original different reading.
‘And Adah bore to Esau Eliphaz, and Basemath bore Reuel. And Oholibamah bore Jeush, and Jalam, and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan.
The sons born to Esau by his wives in Canaan are now listed. ‘Reuel' appears to mean ‘friend of God'.
‘And Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters, and all the folk in his house, and his cattle and all his beasts and all his possessions which he had gathered in the land of Canaan and went into a land away from his brother Jacob, for their substance was too great for them to dwell together and the land of their sojournings could not bear them because of their cattle, and Esau dwelt in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom.'
This combination of genealogy and snippets of historical events is a feature of early genealogies, compare the Sumerian king lists where the same occurs.
As we have seen Esau had divided his time between his band of warriors in Mount Seir and helping his father in Canaan. But now that his father is dead, and we cannot doubt that he left a generous legacy to Esau, he removes to Mount Seir permanently. This was necessary anyway because their joint possessions were so great that there was not room for both Jacob and Esau. Once again we have brought home to us the wealth of the patriarchs and their sizeable ‘households'.
“Esau is Edom.” A constant refrain in this chapter. See Genesis 36:1; Genesis 36:19. Compare Genesis 36:9 and Genesis 36:43 where ‘Esau is the father of Edom' that is of the Edomites. Esau was nicknamed Edom because of his red colouring, and this name passes on to those who are connected with him.
‘This is the family history of Esau the father of Edom in mount Seir.'
Again we have a colophon showing to whom the tablet belongs. (Alternately it may head the following tablet).