Interesting Facts

• Seir found a valley opposite to Mount Paran and built a city there.
• He named the city he built Seir, after his own name.
• He dwelt in the city he built along with his seven sons and his household.
• The land where he built his city continued to be known as the land of Seir.

Genealogy

• Seir was the son of Hur.
• Hur was the son of Hivi.
• Hivi was the son of Canaan.
• Seir had seven sons, though their specific names are not provided in the context of Seir the son of Hur. (Other sources mention the sons of Seir the Horite as Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan.)

Historical Context

Seir the son of Hur lived in a period after the dispersion of Noah’s descendants, as evidenced by the establishment of cities by various family groups in different locations. The text notes that the children of Ham, to whom Canaan belonged, also built cities and called them after their own names. Seir’s action of finding a location and building a city aligns with this pattern of settlement and territorial claim in the lands allotted to the sons of Noah. His city was located in a valley opposite Mount Paran, placing him geographically in a region that would later be associated with the descendants of Esau, who also inhabited Mount Seir.

Narrative

The narrative concerning Seir the son of Hur is primarily focused on his act of establishing a settlement. According to the source, “Seir the son of Hur, son of Hivi, son of Canaan, went and found a valley opposite to Mount Paran, and he built a city there, and he and his seven sons and his household dwelt there, and he called the city which he built Seir, according to his name; that is the land of Seir unto this day”. This straightforward account highlights Seir as a founder and patriarch of a community in a specific geographical area. His decision to build a city and name it after himself suggests an intention to establish a lasting presence and legacy in that land. The continued designation of the region as “the land of Seir” until the time of the writing underscores the significance of his initial act of settlement. While the text does not delve into further interactions or events involving Seir himself, his story provides a glimpse into the early movements and establishments of communities after the major dispersals recorded in the ancient narratives.