36:1-43 Esau and his descendants. - The registers in this chapter show the faithfulness of God to his promise to Abraham. Esau is here called Edom, that name which kept up the remembrance of his selling his birth-right for a mess of pottage. Esau continued the same profane despiser of heavenly things. In outward prosperity and honour, the children of the covenant are often behind, and those that are out of the covenant get the start. We may suppose it a trial to the faith of God's Israel, to hear of the pomp and power of the kings of Edom, while they were bond-slaves in Egypt; but those that look for great things from God, must be content to wait for them; God's time is the best time. Mount Seir is called the land of their possession. Canaan was at this time only the land of promise. Seir was in the possession of the Edomites. The children of this world have their all in hand, and nothing in hope, Lu 16:25; while the children of God have their all in hope, and next to nothing in hand. But, all things considered, it is beyond compare better to have Canaan in promise, than mount Seir in possession.This notice of the Horites is in matter more distinct from what precedes, than the second is from the first paragraph in the chapter. "Seir the Horite." The Horite Genesis 14:6, was the cave-dweller, and probably got his name from the cave hewn out of the solid rock in which he was accustomed to dwell. Sela was a city of such excavated dwellings. If Seir here mentioned be the original Seir, then he is the remote father of the seven Horite dukes who belonged to the time of Esau. If he be their immediate parent, then he is named after that earlier Seir who gave name to the mountain range. "Who dwelt in the land." The sons of Seir dwelt in this land before the coming of the Edomites. Here follow the descendants of the then living dukes of the Horim. Hori, Lotan's son, bears the name of the nation. "Hemam," in Chronicles Homam, by a change of letter. "Timna," the concubine of Eliphaz Genesis 36:12. "Alvan" and "Shepho", in Chronicles Aljan and Shephi, by a reverse change of the same letters (see Genesis 36:11).

"Zibon." This we suppose to be different from Zibon the Hivite Genesis 36:2, Genesis 36:14. "Anah" is of course different from his uncle Anah the brother of Zibon the Horite. "The hot springs in the wilderness." There were various hot springs in the vicinity, as Kallirrhoe in Wady Zurka Main, those in Wady Hemad between Kerak and the Salt Sea, and those in Wady el-Ahsy. "Sons of Anah." The plural, sons, here is used according to the general formula, though only one son is mentioned. Oholibamah, being the daughter of Anah, and wife of Esau, while Eliphaz is married to her aunt Timna, is not likely to be the granddaughter by the mother's side of her uncle Zibon. This is in favor of Zibon the Hivite and Zibon the Horite being different individuals Genesis 36:2. "Anah" is here the brother of Zibon. The nephew Anah Genesis 36:24, bears the name of his uncle Genesis 36:20. "Dishon" is an example of the same community of name Genesis 36:21. All Dishon's and Ezer's sons have names ending in "-an." "Acan" יעקן ya‛ăqân (Jaacan) in 1 Chronicles 1:41 is a graphic error for ועקן va‛ăqân (and Acan). Uz; see Genesis 10:23; Genesis 22:21. In Genesis 36:29-30, the dukes are formally enumerated. "According to their dukes;" the seven officials of pre-eminent authority among the Horites. The official is here distinguished from the personal. This is a distinction familiar to Scripture.

24. This was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness—The word "mules" is, in several ancient versions, rendered "water springs"; and this discovery of some remarkable fountain was sufficient, among a wandering or pastoral people, to entitle him to such a distinguishing notice. Among other dukes which were in that country. Or, according to their dukedoms or principalities; the word duke being here put for dukedom as the word king is put for kingdom, Isaiah 23:15 Daniel 7:17.

These are the dukes that came of Hori,.... The ancestor of Seir, whence he is called the Horite, unless the singular is put for the plural, used in Genesis 36:29,

among their dukes in the land of Seir; not that there were other dukes besides them in the land of Seir until Esau got among them, but these were they whose habitations were before in the land of Gabla (or Seir); as the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it; or "in", or "according to their dukedoms", as the Septuagint version; in their respective families where they had the government, and which became very numerous.

Duke Dishon, duke Ezer, duke Dishan: these are the dukes that came of Hori, among their dukes in the land of Seir.