Good evening, and welcome to EBible Fellowship’s Bible study in the book of Genesis.  Tonight is study #14 in Genesis 36, and we will read Genesis 36:10-16:

These are the names of Esau's sons; Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau. And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz. And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau's wife. And these are the sons of Reuel; Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah: these were the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife. 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. These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau; duke Teman, duke Omar, duke Zepho, duke Kenaz, Duke Korah, duke Gatam, and duke Amalek: these are the dukes that came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons of Adah.

I will stop reading there.  We have been spending time trying to straighten out our understanding of the various wives of Esau, and now we have additional problems concerning Timna, who is said to be Eliphaz’ (Esau’s son) concubine.  And there are at least three things that are apparent contradictions, and they are confusing; they do not seem to make any sense when we read it carefully.  We have been seeing that the more carefully we read, the more difficult this chapter shows itself to be.  So there are three things we hope to straighten out in our studies.

One problem is why Amalek is said to be a son of Adah.  We read that in Genesis 36:12:

And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau's wife.

The second thing we want to try to straighten out is the identity of duke Korah.  Who is duke Korah?  We read in Genesis 36:15-16:

These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau; duke Teman, duke Omar, duke Zepho, duke Kenaz, Duke Korah, duke Gatam, and duke Amalek…

These are the same sons listed in verses 11 and 12, but in verses 11 and 12 there is no mention of Korah.  But in verse 16, we also see a reference to a duke Korah.  Who is he?  We have to figure that out.

Thirdly, there are some questions we will raise concerning Timna, who is said to be a concubine, but there are other references to a male Timna.  And Timna is also called a duke in Genesis 36:40:

And these are the names of the dukes that came of Esau, according to their families, after their places, by their names; duke Timnah, duke Alvah, duke Jetheth,

We will try to straighten out this matter of Timnah, and that will be key to helping us understand duke Korah.

I know this may sound like it is too hard to see with eyes of understanding right now, but I think we will be able to get these things straight, by God’s grace, and we will see how it all fits together.

First, let us again read Genesis 36:10-12:

These are the names of Esau's sons; Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau. And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz. And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau's wife.

So we see that a concubine to Eliphaz bore a son named Amalek, but Amalek was included as being one of the sons of Adah, Esau’s wife.  We can understand the sons of Eliphaz also being called the sons of Adah because the Bible does that often in that later descendants are likened to sons of a fore father, and in this case, a woman from whom their descent comes.  But what about a concubine? 

We also see the same thing in Genesis 36:16:

Duke Korah, duke Gatam, and duke Amalek: these are the dukes that came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons of Adah.

So Amalek is included in the sons of Adah.  And this is going to be the easiest of the three things we hope to clarify.  In the Bible, concubines and their children are often counted as belonging to their mistress.  We see this when we go to Genesis 16:1-2:

Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, JEHOVAH hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

Ishmael was born to Hagar, the Egyptian handmaid of Sarai, and the child was counted to the mistress, and she claimed the son as her own.  This is exactly the same thing that happened in Genesis 30 when Rachel was barren for a time, and she told her husband Jacob to go in unto her handmaid.  We read in Genesis 30:3:

And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.

The child would be counted for the son of the mistress, although the mistress did not have the child.  We know that the children born to Bilhah – Dan and Naphtali – were counted as sons of Jacob and part of the tribes of Israel.  Likewise, after Leah had ceased bearing for a period of time, she gave her handmaid Zilpah to Jacob, and Gad and Asshur were born to Zilpah.  So Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asshur were born to handmaids, but they were integral parts of the twelve tribes of Israel.  So there was really no difference between those tribes and the other tribes that were born to wives like Rachel and Leah. 

So when we find that Eliphaz, Adah’s son, had a concubine, this could have been a handmaid of Eliphaz’s wife who is curiously not mentioned, but the concubine is named.  Or she could have been a handmaid of his mother, but more than likely it was a handmaid of Eliphaz’s wife, who is not named, which I think is significant, and we will talk about that when we look further at Timnah.  But it was a concubine, and the son born to Eliphaz through that concubine was counted equally as one of his sons, just as Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Assure were counted as Jacob’s sons.  So that solves the problem with Amalek being included among the sons of Adah.  He is a son of Eliphaz, and is counted legitimately as a son, and all the sons of Eliphaz would be considered sons of Adah.

The second thing we want to try to understand and to solve the mystery is, “Who is duke Korah?”  By the way, the word “duke” is Strong’s #441, and it is used many times in Genesis 36.  I think it is used forty-three times here, and it is also used thirteen times in 1Chronicles, which also records Esau’s genealogy.  And this Hebrew word, Strong’s #441, is also translated as “guide.”  You can look up these verses:  Proverbs 2:17; Jeremiah 3:4; and Micah 7:5.  It is translated guide in those places.  It is translated as “captain” in Jeremiah 13:21, and as “governor” in Zechariah 9:7, and in Zechariah 12:5-6.  So that is what the word “duke” means.  A duke is as a captain, or a governor.  He is a leader or guide to the people.

So, again, it says in Genesis 36:15:

These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau; duke Teman, duke Omar, duke Zepho, duke Kenaz…

There is no problem so far.  Turn back to Genesis 36:11:

And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz.

Gatam is not mentioned in verse 15 because he is mentioned in verse 16. So when we compare verses 15-16 with 11-12, we see that Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz and Amalek are all mentioned, but so is this mysterious figure “duke Korah.”  Who is duke Korah?  Where did he come from?  This is the Korah that was mentioned in Genesis 36:5:

And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah…

And Aholibamah was also a wife of Esau.  Then we read in Genesis 36:14:

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.

Is that the same Korah in Genesis 36:15?  No, it cannot be because these are sons of Eliphaz, and Eliphaz was the son of Adah, another wife, and not Aholibamah.  Also, notice when we read of this other “Korah” in verses 5 and 14, he is always listed with his two brothers, and he is listed last, and that is one way of identifying him.  When speaking of him, God refers to the other two brothers, and that Korah is always listed third (and last).

Additionally, we find in Genesis 36:18:

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.

Again, all three brothers are listed, and they are said to be sons of Aholibamah, not Adah.  And they are called “dukes” here, so it would make no sense to list duke Korah and take him out of the usual mention as part of the sons of Aholibamah and his two brothers, and then include him in a list of the sons of Eliphaz in verses 15-16.  That is not possible, so that is not the solution.  Korah, the son of Aholibamah, is a different Korah. 

We now know that much, but we are left with this riddle.  Who is this other Korah?  And why are there seven dukes – sons of Eliphaz – listed in verses 15-16, but only six sons, including Amalek, listed in verses 11-12?  Where did this “seventh son,” duke Korah, come from?  Lord willing, in our next study we will answer that question, and the answer will come right from the Bible.