3/18/2020 - Reference Document Genesis 37
See Ref: These are the sons of Seir the Horite,
"Before", as the Targum of Jonathan adds, that is, before it was inhabited by Esau and his posterity, and called Edom, and had from him the name of Seir
But the Horites dwelt here before him, even in Abraham's time, Genesis 14:6; and who were so called from their dwelling underground in holes and caves, with which the further part of the land of Edom abounded and are the same the Greeks call Troglodyte.
Jarchi says, from their Rabbins, these were very expert in the nature of the land and knew what was fit for olives and what for vines.
Now the genealogy of this man is here given, partly to show who were the ancient inhabitants of this land before they were drove out, and succeeded by Esau and his sons as we see in Deuteronomy 1:12. And partly because of the intermarriages of Esau and his posterity with them, whereby they more easily came into the possession of the country.
For Esau married the daughter of Anah, the son of Zibeon, a son of Seir, Genesis 36:11; and Eliphaz took Timna, a sister of Lotan the son of Seir, to be his concubine, Genesis 36:12; the names of the sons of Seir follow.
Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah: the first of these is said (b) to be the same with Latinus, a king that reigned in Italy, which seems to be taken from the fancied resemblance of names. Zibeon and Anah are here spoken of as brethren, the sons of Seir.
Whereas in Genesis 36:24; they are made mention of as father and son; see the commentary of Gill on Genesis 36:2;
Zibeon, according to the Jewish writers (c), committed incest with his mother, whence came Anah, and is called his brother, because of the same mother, and his son, as being begotten by him. They seem to seek for such kind of copulations to reproach the Edomites.
At a very early period the Amalekites separated from the other tribes of Edom and formed an independent people, having their headquarters in the southern part of the mountains of Judah, as far as Kadesh (Genesis 14:7; Numbers 13:29; Numbers 14:43, Numbers 14:45).
Yet like the Bedouins, spreading themselves as a nomad tribe over the whole of the northern portion of Arabia Petraea, from Havilah to Shur on the border of Egypt (1 Samuel 15:3, 1 Samuel 15:7; 1 Samuel 27:8).
Whilst one branch penetrated into the heart of Canaan, so that a range of hills in what was afterwards the inheritance of Ephraim, bore the name of mountains of the Amalekites (Judges 12:15, cf. Genesis 5:14).
Those who settled in Arabia seem also to have separated in the course of time into several branches.
It appears that Amalekite hordes invaded the land of Israel in connection sometimes with the Midianites and the sons of the East (the Arabs, Judges 6:3; Judges 7:12), and at other times with the Ammonites (Judges 3:13).
After they had been defeated by Saul (1 Samuel 14:48; 1 Samuel 15:2.), and frequently chastised by David (1 Samuel 27:8; 1 Samuel 30:1.; 2 Samuel 8:12).
The remnant of them was exterminated under Hezekiah by the Simeonites on the mountains of Seir. (1 Chronicles 4:42-43).
See Note: Genesis 36:24
It is a question of Mules/Hot Springs/Giants or a Plant what do you think?
this was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father; who observed, while he was feeding his father's asses in the wilderness, that the he asses coupled with mares, or horses with the she asses, and produced another sort of creatures called mules; and by this means found out the way how such creatures might be produced, and practised it:
So Aelianus says that mules are not the produce of nature, but you may call it an adulterous invention of human contrivance and boldness, and a theft. This is the common interpretation, and to which our version leads: but against it it may be observed, that the word for "mules" is different from this here used, nor is this word ever used of mules, nor does it appear that there were any creatures of this sort before the days of David; nor is the word translated "found" ever used of that which before was not in being, but of what already existed; nor is there any mention of horses or mares in this account also; had it referred to a mixture of these creatures with asses, it would not have been omitted.
Some think therefore the words are to be rendered, "he found waters in the wilderness"; sources and collections of waters which were not usual in a wilderness, and of great worth and use in desert lands, as Edom was, and in those hot countries, "The hot springs in the wilderness." There were various hot springs in the vicinity, as Kallirrhoe in Wadi Zurka Main, those in Wadi Hemad between Kerak and the Salt Sea, and those in Wadi el-Ahsy and the Vulgate Latin version renders it, "hot waters"; but then to the fixing of either of these versions, the word must be altered either in its points or letters, for which there is no authority.
The Targum of Onkelos renders it mighty ones or giants, and may signify the "Emim", the "aleph" being changed for "yod", as Aben Ezra observes; and then the sense is, that these gigantic people, who were so called from the terror they taught upon their neighbors, and, who dwelt near the Horim in Seir, Deuteronomy 2:10, as they used to steal from their flocks, Anah lighted on them in the wilderness, and fell upon them, and took them; and with this agrees the Samaritan version, "he found giants, in the wilderness"; and so Abendana interprets the words.
Aben Ezra observes that many interpret the word of plants or herbs; and a very learned man is of opinion that the word used is the name of an useful herb or plant, first discovered by Anah. This Anah, though a keeper of his father's asses, is afterwards called Duke Anah; it being the custom of the sons of great personages to be the keepers of flocks and herds.
Reason for Genealogies
Analysis of genealogies, both inside and outside the Bible, has disclosed that they serve a variety of functions (with different principles governing the lists), that they vary in form (some being segmented, others linear) and depth (number of generations listed), and that they are often fluid (subject to change).
There are three general areas in which genealogies function: The familial or domestic, the legal-political, and the religious.
In the domestic area an individual's social status, privileges and obligations may be reflected in his placement in the lineage. The rights of the firstborn son and the secondary status of the children of concubines are examples from the Bible.
In the political sphere genealogies substantiate claims to hereditary office or settle competing claims when the office is contested. Land organization and territorial groupings of social units may also be determined by genealogical reckoning -- e.g., the division of the land among the 12 tribes.
In Israel military levies also proceeded along genealogical lines; several of the genealogies in Chronicles reflect military conscription. Genealogies function in the religious sphere primarily by establishing membership among the priests and Levites).
As to form, some genealogical lists or trace several lines of descent (segmented genealogies) while others are devoted to a single line (linear genealogies).
Comparison of genealogical lists of the same tribal or family line often brings to light surprising differences. This fluidity of the lists may reflect variation in function. But sometimes changes in the status or relations of social structures are reflected in genealogies by changes in the relationships of names in the genealogy or by the addition of names or segments to a lineage.
The most common type of fluidity in Biblical materials is telescoping, the omission of names from the list. Unimportant names are left out in order to relate an individual to a prominent ancestor, or possibly to achieve the desired number of names in the genealogy. Some Biblical genealogies, for example, omit names to achieve multiples of 7.
For the period from David to the exile Matthew gives 14 generations (2 times 7), while Luke gives 21 (3 times 7), and the same authors give similar multiples of 7 for the period from the exile to Jesus (Mt 1:1-17; Lk 3:23-38).
