Bible Strands
Genesis 36:30
Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. They are the chiefs of the Horites, according to their divisions in the land of Seir.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator continues Esau’s genealogy by listing the Horite tribal leaders who inhabited Seir. This entry concludes the Horite section and immediately precedes the account of Edomite monarchy in Genesis 36:31.
The words — The Hebrew noun אַלּוּף ('a.Luf) translates literally as "chief" or "tribal commander." It is applied three times to Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan to mark their authority over distinct Horite family groups.
The thread — The administrative structure of tribal chiefs recurs in later biblical records of leadership and warfare, such as the military commanders in 2 Kings 11:19 and the rulers depicted in Daniel 7:17. The title also appears in other ancient Near Eastern texts to denote provincial or clan heads.
Why it lands — The verse records the established political divisions of Seir prior to Israelite statehood. It asks the reader to acknowledge that neighboring nations operated under formal leadership long before the establishment of Israel’s monarchy.
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
Duke Dishon, duke Ezer, duke Dishan: these are the dukes that came of Hori, among their dukes in the land of Seir.
Cross-references
- 2 Kings 11:19 He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the LORD and entered the royal palace by way of the Gate of the Guards. Then Joash took his seat on the royal throne,
- Isaiah 23:15 At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years—the span of a king’s life. But at the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot:
- Daniel 7:17 ‘These four great beasts are four kings who will arise from the earth.
- Daniel 7:23 This is what he said: ‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on the earth, different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth, trample it down, and crush it.