Bible Strands
Genesis 36:20
These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who were living in the land: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator compiles a genealogical record of the indigenous population residing in Edom alongside Esau's descendants. This entry functions as a catalog within a broader lineage list, identifying the pre-existing inhabitants before naming specific family heads.
The words — The Hebrew אֵלֶּה ('elleh) means "these," serving as a formal marker to introduce a list. יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ (yosheve ha'aretz) translates literally as "inhabitants of the land," denoting the settled residents rather than transient groups.
The thread — The text references the Horites of Seir in Genesis 14:6 and Deuteronomy 2:12, 22, where it records their original settlement and their later displacement by Esau's descendants. These passages track the same population across different historical moments in the biblical narrative.
Why it lands — The verse states the factual presence of Seir's lineage in Edom before listing Esau's own chiefs. It requires the reader to acknowledge the distinct territorial history of the region prior to the consolidation of Edomite leadership.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah,
Cross-references
- Genesis 14:6 and the Horites in the area of Mount Seir, as far as El-paran, which is near the desert.
- Deuteronomy 2:12 The Horites used to live in Seir, but the descendants of Esau drove them out. They destroyed the Horites from before them and settled in their place, just as Israel did in the land that the LORD gave them as their possession.)
- Deuteronomy 2:22 just as He had done for the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them. They drove them out and have lived in their place to this day.
- 1 Chronicles 1:38 The sons of Seir: Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.
- Genesis 36:2 Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite,
- Genesis 36:22 The sons of Lotan were Hori and Hemam. Timna was Lotan’s sister.