In a swirl of rising tensions and shifting fortunes, Esau’s lineage grows as his wife Bashemath gives birth to a son, Reuel, while his brother Jacob toils under Laban’s roof, bringing blessings of wealth and prosperity to his father-in-law. As Esau’s fortune in Canaan swells to an unbearable weight, conflict erupts between his herdsmen and the land’s inhabitants, forcing him to uproot his family and vast holdings to Seir, where he carves out a new dominion. Amidst personal loss and the death of his wife Jehudith, Esau takes another bride, Aholibamah, establishing a powerful dynasty through his sons, the dukes of Edom. Yet, despite the distance between him and his brother, Esau remains tethered to his roots, visiting his parents in Canaan, intertwining his lineage with the Horites, as his family flourishes and spreads through the mountainous lands.
Major Characters
Minor Characters
Insignificant Characters
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Exposition
Reuel born to Esau and Bashemath (Bosmath)
Genesis 36:4b, 36:10b
Jasher 30:17
Beor, Alib, and Chorash born to Laban and his wife
Jehudith died and her daughters were Marzith and Puith
Rising Action & Climax
A quarrel between Esau’s herdsman and the Canaanite herdsman
Falling Action
Esau and his household move to Seir
Genesis 36:6-9
Jasher 30:27
Esau marries Aholibamah, his 4th wife
Genesis 36:2b
Jasher 30:24
Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah born to Esau and Ahlibamah
Genesis 36:5, 14, 18-19
Jasher 30:25, 36:22b
These are the generations of Esau
Genesis 36:1
Jasher 36:21
Resolution
Esau gives away his daughters in marriage
Jubilee: 45
Year: 2189
Reuel born to Esau and Bashemath (Bosmath)
Genesis 36:4b, 10b
4b and Bashemath bare Reuel;
10b Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau.
Jasher 30:17, 36:22b
17 And in the third year of Jacob’s dwelling in Haran, Bosmath, the daughter of Ishmael, the wife of Esau, bare unto him a son, and Esau called his name Reuel.
22b and she also bare to him Reuel,
Year: 2190
Beor, Alib, and Chorash born to Laban and Adinah
Jasher 30:18-20
18 And in the fourth year of Jacob’s residence in the house of Laban, the Lord visited Laban and remembered him on account of Jacob, and sons were born unto him, and his first born was Beor, his second was Alib, and the third was Chorash.
19 And the Lord gave Laban riches and honor, sons and daughters, and the man increased greatly on account of Jacob.
20 And Jacob in those days served Laban in all manner of work, in the house and in the field, and the blessing of the Lord was in all that belonged to Laban in the house and in the field.
Year: 2191
Jehudith died and her daughters were Marzith and Puith
Jasher 30:21-22
21 And in the fifth year died Jehudith, the daughter of Beeri, the wife of Esau, in the land of Canaan, and she had no sons but daughters only.
22 And these are the names of her daughters which she bare to Esau, the name of the elder was Marzith, and the name of the younger was Puith.
A quarrel between Esau’s herdsman and the Canaanite herdsman
Jasher 30:26
26 And in those days, in the land of Canaan, there was a quarrel between the herdsmen of Esau and the herdsmen of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, for Esau’s cattle and goods were too abundant for him to remain in the land of Canaan, in his father’s house, and the land of Canaan could not bear him on account of his cattle.
Esau and his household move to Seir
Genesis 36:6-8
6 And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob.
7 For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle.
8 Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.
Jasher 30:27, 23
27 And when Esau saw that his quarreling increased with the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, he rose up and took his wives and his sons and his daughters, and all belonging to him, and the cattle which he possessed, and all his property that he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and he went away from the inhabitants of the land to the land of Seir, and Esau and all belonging to him dwelt in the land of Seir.
23 And when Jehudith died, Esau rose up and went to Seir to hunt in the field, as usual, and Esau dwelt in the land of Seir for a long time.
Year: 2192
Esau marries Aholibamah, his 4th wife
Genesis 36:2b
2b and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;
Jasher 30:24
24 And in the sixth year Esau took for a wife, in addition to his other wives, Ahlibamah, the daughter of Zebeon the Hivite, and Esau brought her to the land of Canaan.
Year: 2193-2198
Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah born to Esau and Aholibamah
Genesis 36:5, 14, 18-19
5 And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these are the sons of Esau, which were born unto him in the land of Canaan.
14 And these were the sons of Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife: and she bare to Esau Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.
18 And these are the sons of Aholibamah Esau’s wife; duke Jeush, duke Jaalam, duke Korah: these were the dukes that came of Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau’s wife.
19 These are the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these are their dukes.
Jasher 30:25, 36:22b
25 And Ahlibamah conceived and bare unto Esau three sons, Yeush, Yaalan, and Korah.
22b and Ahlibamah bare to him Jeush, Yaalam and Korah.
These are the generations of Esau
Genesis 36:1, 9
1 Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.
9 And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir:
Jasher 36:21
21 And these are the generations of Esau that were born to him in the land of Canaan, and the sons of Esau were five.
Esau gives away his daughters in marriage
Jasher 30:28-29
28 But from time to time Esau would go and see his father and mother in the land of Canaan, and Esau intermarried with the Horites, and he gave his daughters to the sons of Seir, the Horite.
29 And he gave his elder daughter Marzith to Anah, the son of Zebeon, his wife’s brother, and Puith he gave to Azar, the son of Bilhan the Horite; and Esau dwelt in the mountain, he and his children, and they were fruitful and multiplied.
