Genesis 36 · Verse 2

Genesis 36:2

Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;
Genesis 36:2, King James Version

Genesis 36:2 in other translations

BSBEsau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite,
WEBEsau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon, the Hittite; and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, the Hivite;
ASVEsau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite,
YLTEsau hath taken his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah daughter of Anah, daughter of Zibeon the Hivite,
DARBYEsau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, daughter of Zibeon the Hivite,
BBEEsau's wives were women of Canaan: Adah, the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah, the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite,
WebsterEsau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;

What does Genesis 36:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 36:2-3
2-3. Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan--There were three, mentioned under different names; for it is evident that Bashemath is the same as Mahalath (Ge 28:9), since they both stand in the relation of daughter to Ishmael and sister to Nebajoth; and hence it may be inferred that Adah is the same as Judith, Aholibamah as Bathsemath (Ge 26:34). It was not unusual for women, in that early age, to have two names, as Sarai was also Iscah [Ge 11:29]; and this is the more probable in the case of Esau's wives, who of course would have to take new names when they went from Canaan to settle in mount Seir.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 His wives - It appears that Esau's wives went by very different names. Aholibamah is named Judith, Gen 26:34; Adah is called Bashemath in the same place; and she who is here called Bashemath is called Mahalath, Gen 28:9. These are variations which cannot be easily accounted for; and they are not of sufficient importance to engross much time. It is well known that the same persons in Scripture are often called by different names. Anah the daughter of Zibeon - But this same Anah is said to be the son of Zibeon, Gen 36:24, though in this and Gen 36:14 he is said to be the daughter of Zibeon. But the Samaritan, the Septuagint, (and the Syriac, in Gen 36:2), read son instead of daughter, which Houbigant and Kennicott contend to be the true reading. Others say that daughter should be referred to Aholibamah, who was the daughter of Anah, and granddaughter of Zibeon. I should rather prefer the reading of the Samaritan, Septuagint, and Syriac, and read, both here and in Gen 36:14, "Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah the son of Zibeon," and then the whole will agree with Gen 36:24.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Genesis 36:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

עֵשָׂ֛ו'e.SavEsauH6215
לָקַ֥חla.Kachhe tookH3947
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
נָשָׁ֖יוna.Shavwives hisH802
מִבְּנ֣וֹתmi.be.Notfrom [the] daughters ofH1323
כְּנָ֑עַןke.Na.'anCanaanH3667
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
עָדָ֗ה'a.DahAdahH5711
בַּת\־bat-[the] daughter ofH1323
אֵילוֹן֙'ei.lOnElonH356
הַֽחִתִּ֔יha.chi.Tithe HittiteH2850
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
אָהֳלִֽיבָמָה֙'o.ho.li.va.MahOholibamahH173
בַּת\־bat-[the] daughter ofH1323
עֲנָ֔ה'a.NahAnahH6034
בַּת\־bat-[the] daughter ofH1323
צִבְע֖וֹןtziv.'onZibeonH6649
הַֽחִוִּֽי\׃Ha.chi.Vithe HiviteH2340

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 36:2

  • Genesis 36:25

    And the children of Anah were these; Dishon, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah.

  • Genesis 9:25

    And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

  • Genesis 28:9

    Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

  • Genesis 27:46

    And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

  • Genesis 26:34-35

    And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Esau.
9:25; 26:34,35; 27:46
Adah. or, Bashemath.
26:34
Aholibamah.
25
26:34
Judith. the daughter.We ought, most probably, to read here and in ver. 14, as in ver. 20, "the son of Zibeon;" which is the reading of the Samaritan, Septuagint, (and Syriac, in ver. 2,) and which Houbigant and Kennicott contend to be genuine.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 36:1

    Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.

  • Genesis 36:2

    Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;

  • Genesis 36:3

    And Bashemath Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebajoth.

Read all of Genesis 36

Genesis 36:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Esaú tomó sus mujeres de las hijas de Canaán: á Ada, hija de Elón Hetheo, y á Aholibama, hija de Ana, hija de Zibeón el Heveo;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Ésaü prit ses femmes d’entre les filles de Canaan: Ada, fille d’Élon, le Héthien; et Oholibama, fille d’Ana, fille de Tsibhon, le Hévien;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Esau nahm seine Weiber von den Töchtern Kanaans: Ada, die Tochter Elons, des Hethiters, und Oholibama, die Tochter Anas, der Tochter Zibeons, des Hewiters,
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Esau accepit uxores de filiabus Chanaan: Ada filiam Elon Hethæi, et Oolibama filiam Anæ filiæ Sebeon Hevæi: