Gen 36:9-19 | Clarke

‏ Genesis 36:9-19

Verse 12. Timna was concubine to Eliphaz] As Timna was sister to Lotan the Horite, Ge 36:22, we see how the family of Esau and the Horites got intermixed. This might give the sons of Esau a pretext to seize the land, and expel the ancient inhabitants, as we find they did, De 2:12.

Amalek] The father of the Amalekites, afterwards bitter enemies to the Jews, and whom God commanded to be entirely exterminated, De 25:17,19.

Verse 15. Dukes of the sons of Esau] The word duke comes from the Latin dux, a captain or leader. The Hebrew alluph has the same signification; and as it is also the term for a thousand, which is a grand capital or leading number, probably the alluphey or dukes had this name from being leaders of or captains over a company of one thousand men; just as those among the Greeks called chiliarchs, which signifies the same; and as the Romans called those centurions who were captains over one hundred men, from the Latin word centum, which signifies a hundred The ducal government was that which prevailed first among the Idumeans, or descendants of Esau. Here fourteen dukes are reckoned to Esau, seven that came of his wife, Adah, four of Bashemath, and three of Aholibamah.

Verse 16. Duke Korah] This Dr. Kennicott pronounces to be an interpolation. "It is certain, from Ge 36:4, that Eliphaz was Esau's son by Adah; and from Ge 36:11, 12, that Eliphaz had but six sons, Teman, Omar, Zepho, Gatam, Kenaz, and Amalek. It is also certain, from Ge 36:5, 14, that Korah was the son of Esau (not of Eliphaz) by Aholibamah; and as such he is properly mentioned in Ge 36:18: These are the sons of Aholibamah, Esau's wife: duke Jeush, duke Jaalam, DUKE KORAH. It is clear, therefore, that some transcriber has improperly inserted duke Korah in Ge 36:16; from which interpolation both the Samaritan text and the Samaritan version are free."-KENNICOTT'S Remarks. Everything considered, I incline to the opinion that these words were not originally in the text.