Genesis 36:42

Study note

Setting — The narrator continues a genealogical catalog of Edomite tribal leaders immediately after listing Oholibamah, Elah, and Pinon. This occurs within a structured record tracing Esau’s descendants and their territorial settlements.

The words — The text repeats אַלּוּף ('a.Luf) three times to designate Kenaz, Teman, and Mibzar as chiefs. The term 'a.Luf carries the literal sense of tribal head or commander, anchoring each proper name to a leadership role.

The thread — This verse functions as a middle entry in the Edomite chief register that opens in Genesis 36:15 and closes with the summary in Genesis 36:43. The list systematically maps ancestral names to governing clans before the narrative moves to Judah.

Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to track how Esau’s lineage organizes into distinct territorial authorities. It asks for precise attention to the recorded hierarchy without supplying theological commentary or moral application.

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.