Interesting Facts

• Eliphaz was commanded by his father Esau to take his sword, pursue Jacob, lie in wait for him, kill him, and seize all his possessions.
• Eliphaz was thirteen years old when his father Esau instructed him to assassinate Jacob.
• Eliphaz gathered ten of his mother’s brothers to accompany him in the pursuit of Jacob.
• Despite his father’s command, Eliphaz heeded Jacob’s supplication and did not kill him, instead taking all of Jacob’s belongings.
• Esau was greatly angered with Eliphaz and his men for not having killed Jacob as he had instructed.

Genealogy

• Eliphaz was the firstborn son of Esau and Adah, the daughter of Elon the Hittite.
• He had other brothers, though they are not specifically named in the context of Esau’s command to kill Jacob.
• Eliphaz had several sons: Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, and Kenaz.
• Eliphaz also had a son named Amalek through his concubine Timna. The text notes that Timna had initially sought to be with Jacob and his sons but was rejected, leading her to become Esau’s son’s concubine.
• One of Eliphaz’s sons, Zepho, was later taken captive by Joseph in Egypt.

Historical Context

Eliphaz’s story unfolds during a period of significant familial tension and divine intervention in the lives of Jacob and Esau. His birth occurred after Esau had already taken two wives who caused grief to Isaac and Rebekah due to their idolatrous practices. The command given to Eliphaz by Esau to kill Jacob stems directly from the deception where Jacob received Isaac’s blessing intended for Esau, igniting Esau’s hatred. This historical backdrop is marked by themes of birthright, blessing, sibling rivalry, and the consequences of deceit. The narrative also suggests the early formation of distinct lineages and their inherent conflicts, setting the stage for future interactions between the descendants of Jacob and Esau. The mention of Eliphaz’s sons and their later involvement in events, such as Zepho’s interactions in Egypt, further embeds Eliphaz within this developing historical narrative of the ancestral families.

Narrative

Eliphaz’s primary role in the narrative presented in the sources revolves around his father Esau’s vengeful reaction to Jacob’s acquisition of Isaac’s blessing. Enraged, Esau commands his thirteen-year-old son Eliphaz to assassinate Jacob as he flees towards Haran. This command immediately positions Eliphaz within the conflict between the two brothers, assigning him a critical and violent task. However, Eliphaz’s actions diverge from his father’s explicit instructions. Upon intercepting Jacob, Eliphaz and his ten companions are moved by Jacob’s supplication and his offer of all his possessions. Instead of bloodshed, an exchange occurs where Jacob is stripped of his wealth but spared his life. This decision by Eliphaz reveals a character trait that perhaps leans towards compassion or a reluctance to commit fratricide, even under his father’s orders. This act of disobedience angers Esau, highlighting the stark contrast between the father’s desire for revenge and the son’s chosen course of action. While Eliphaz himself does not reappear prominently in the subsequent narratives within these excerpts, his lineage continues to play a role. His son Zepho later becomes a significant figure, engaging in conflicts with the descendants of Jacob in Egypt, suggesting that the initial tensions between the families, in which Eliphaz was briefly a key player, persist through subsequent generations.