These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau; duke Teman, duke Omar, duke Zepho, duke Kenaz,
Dukes, х 'luwpiym (H441)] - phylarchs, leaders, chieftains of tribes. The term, though used in the general sense of ruler by the later Hebrew writers (Jeremiah 13:21; Zechariah 9:7; Zechariah 12:5-6), is exclusively employed in the Pentateuch as a designation of the Edomite princes (see the note at Exodus 15:15), corresponding to the title of shiekhs among the modern Bedouins. Fourteen alluphim are mentioned here (see the note at Genesis 36:40-43), and each Edomite tribe took the name of its founder, or, as some conjecture from Genesis 36:40, the duke was called after the name of the tribe. From Eliphaz, the oldest son of Esau, sprang seven dukes, three of whom have obtained prominent notice in Scripture history.
Duke Teman. He was chief of a tribe which gave its name to a province of Idumea, frequently mentioned by the sacred writers (Jeremiah 49:7; Jeremiah 49:20; Ezekiel 25:13; Amos 1:12; Obadiah 1:9; Habakkuk 3:3). It must not be confounded with that of Tema, son of Ishmael (Genesis 25:15); and although its exact locality is not clearly defined, it appears, as the name, indeed, imports, to have lain in the southern part of Edom, stretching eastward to Arabia, between Edom and Dedan (Ezekiel 25:13); others, who place it in Northern Idumea, consider the name Teman as indicating a country south of Judea. But this tribe rose into greater importance, and extended over a large portion of the territory of Edom; so that duke Teman was entitled to be mentioned first, not, only as the oldest son of Eliphaz, but as the premier duke of Edom. In Amos 1:12, and perhaps Habakkuk 3:3, Teman is used as son of Eliphaz, but as the premier duke of Edom. In Amos 1:12, and perhaps Habakkuk 3:3, Teman is used as synonymous with Edom.
Duke Kenaz. He was founder of the Kenezite tribe, some of whose distinguished members, as Caleb and Othniel (Joshua 14:14), were adopted into Israel. Foster ('Historical Geography of Arabia') considers the Kenezites to be represented by the powerful Bedouin tribe, AEnezeh, which numbers fully three hundred thousand men, of whom more than ten thousand are mounted on horses, one hundred thousand on camels, and who claim superiority over a district of at least forty thousand square miles.