Today, I am reading and commenting on Genesis 36-38.

I have noticed this before and generally avoid addressing it, but I decided today that I should do so.  Most people don’t even notice it.  Back in chapter 32 after Jacob resolved things with Laban he sent messengers to Esau in Seir. In today’s passage, we are told that Esau moved away from Jacob and settled in Seir because the land of Canaan could not support the flocks of both Jacob and Esau.  I am mentioning this apparent contradiction because I think we need to pay attention to such things, even though I don’t have an explanation I like.  This passage tells us that one of Esau’s wives was Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon.  A little later it lists the sons of Seir the Horite, and tells us that they were chiefs among the Horites.  Two of those sons of Seir were Anah and Zibeon.  So, it is possible that Esau was living with his in-laws when Jacob returned but was expected to return to Canaan at some future time and only made his residence permanent in Seir after Jacob’s return.  I want to note that there are references to things which the writer was familiar with but of which we no longer have any knowledge.  I sometimes wonder if God had chapter 36 placed here so that at some point in time archeological evidence of some of these people would provide corroboration  of Genesis.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.