1 Chronicles 1:38

(38-42) The sons of Seir (from Gen_36:20-30).—There is no apparent link between this series and the preceding. Comparison of Gen_36:20 shows that Seir represents the indigenous inhabitants of Edom (“the inhabitants of the land,” comp. Jos_7:9) before its conquest by the sons of Esau. In time a fusion of the two races would result, the tribes of each being governed by their own chieftains, as is indicated by Gen_36:20-21, where the seven sons of Seir (1Ch_1:38) are called “chiliarchs of the Horites, the sons of Seir in the land of Edom.” Deu_2:22 implies not the actual extermination of the Horites (Troglodytes or Cave-dwellers) by their Semitic invaders, the sons of Esau, but only their entire subjugation. The differences of spelling noticed in the margin are unimportant as regards the names Zephi (1Ch_1:36), Homam (1Ch_1:39), and Alian and Shephi (1Ch_1:40); the note on Ebal-Obal (1Ch_1:22) explains them. The written w and y in Hebrew are so similar as to be perpetually confounded with each other by careless copyists. The same fact accounts for the missing conjunction and in 1Ch_1:42, which is expressed in Hebrew by simply prefixing the letter w to a word. The w in this case having been misread, and transcribed as y, the name Jakan (Yaqan) resulted. The Aqan (not Achan) of Gen_36:2 is correct. (So some MSS., the LXX., and Arabic.) Amram, in 1Ch_1:41, is a mistake of the Authorised version. The Hebrew has Hamran, which differs only by one consonant from the Hemdan of Gen_36:26; a difference due to the common confusion of the Hebrew letters d and r, already exemplified in 1Ch_1:6-7 (Riphath—Diphath, Dodanim—Rodanim). Many MSS. and the Arabic read Hemdan here.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ch 1:38. The sons of Seir — This Seir was not Esau, nor of his posterity, but the ancient lord of this country, from whom it had its name, (see Gen 36:20,) whose genealogy is here set down, that it might be understood from whom Eliphaz’s concubine and the mother of Amalek sprung; and because of that affinity which was contracted between his and Esau’s posterity. Those who were not united and incorporated with them, were destroyed by them, Deu 2:12.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He is also called Seir the Horite, which inhabited mount Seir, Gen. 36:20.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

38–42. The Genealogy of the Horite Inhabitants of Seir (Cp. Gen_36:20-27)

38. The sons of Seir] Chron. omits the further description given in Gen. “the Horite, the inhabitants of the land,” words which shew clearly that these “sons of Seir” were not descendants of Esau, but aboriginal inhabitants of the land.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the sons of Seir,.... This man and his posterity were not of the race of Esau, but are mentioned because they were a family into which Esau, and a son of his, married, and whose possessions he and his obtained. The account from hence, to the end of Ch1 1:42 is the same with Gen 36:20, with some little variation of names.

1 Chronicles 1:43

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Seir, not Esau, but the Horrite, (Genesis xxxvi. 20.; Menochius) which is added in order to explain the origin of Thamna. (Du Hamel)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The sons of Seir; one of another nation, prince of the Horims; whose genealogy is here described, because of that affinity which was contracted between his and Esau’s posterity; and those who were not united and incorporated with them were destroyed by them. See Deu 2:12.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Vers. 38-42. F. LIST OF DESCENDANTS OF SEIR. These verses contain the names of seven sons of Seir and one daughter, and of grandsons through every one of the seven sons, viz. two through Lotan the first, five through Shobal the second, two through Zibeon the third, one through Anah the fourth, four through Dishon the fifth, three through Ezar the sixth, and two through Dishan the seventh, twenty-six names in all, or, including the one daughter, who is introduced as Lotan"s sister, twenty-seven. The first question which arises is, who Seir was, now first mentioned here. He is called in Gen_36:20 "Seir the Horite," and the only previous mention of the name Seir in that chapter is in ver. 8, "Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom;" while we read in Gen_14:6, "The Horites in mount Self;" in Gen_32:3, "To the land of Seir, the country of Edom." For anything we know of the person Self, then, we are confined to these two notices that in Gen_36:20, and the one in our text. The name signifies "rough;" and whether Seir. the person, took the name from Seir, the place (a mountain district, reaching from the Dead Sea to the Elanitic Gulf) or vice versa, it would seem plain that the proper name belonged to the head of the tribe, which had become located there, and was, of course, not in the line of Abraham. This tribe, called Horites Hori being the name of Seir"s eldest grandson or Troglodytes, acquired their name from hollowing out dwellings in the rocks, as at Petra. They were visited evidently by Esau: he married at least one of his wives from them; and his descendants, the Edomites, in due time dispossessed and superseded them. (Deu_2:12) No doubt some were left behind, and contentedly submitted to the Edomites and became mingled with them. These considerations put together account for the introduction here of the names of Seir and his twenty-seven descendants, while the particulars of their genealogy, so far as here given, would lie easily to hand. The sons of Seir are called in Genesis also "dukes" (ypeWLa), a word answered to by the later "sheikhs;" and they are called "dukes of the Horites," or "the dukes of Hori, among their dukes in the land of Self." The twenty-six or twenty-seven names under notice agree in the Authorized Version entirely with those in Gen_36:20-27, except that for Homam, Allan, Shephi, Amram, and Jakan here, we have Hemam, Alvan, Shepho, Hemdan, and Akau there. Also in the Hebrew the texts agree in the two places as regards these names, with the same exceptions. But in the Septuagint the names differ much more in the two places. Thus for Wsar, Disa (or Lisan, jAlwn Taibhl Swfin, Aiq Swnan Daiswn jEmerwn jAsebwn, jIeqram, and Akan here, we have jAsar, JRiswn Gwlam Gaibhl Swfar Wmae, jAna Dhswn jAmada jAsban jIqran, and JIoukam there). When the name of Anah is reached in Genesis, it is added, "This was that Anah that found the mules more probably "hot springs," as the finder of which Anah is supposed to have been called Beeri in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon, his father." And again, when Dishon is mentioned as the son of Anah, there is added, "And Aholi-bamah the daughter of Anah." Note is made of her name, no doubt, for the same kind of reason as Timna is mentioned above. Aholibamah i.q. "Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite," (Gen_26:34) enjoys notice inasmuch as she became the wife of Esau; and Timna, as she became the concubine of Esau"s son Eliphaz, and thereby the mother of Amalek.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Seir - One of another nation, prince of the Horims; whose genealogy is here described, because of that affinity which was contracted between his and Esau's posterity; and those who were not united and incorporated with them, were destroyed by them. See Deut. ii, 12.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

And the sons of Seir,.... This man and his posterity were not of the race of Esau, but are mentioned because they were a family into which Esau, and a son of his, married, and whose possessions he and his obtained. The account from hence, to the end of Ch1 1:42 is the same with Gen 36:20, with some little variation of names.

1 Chronicles 1:43

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

General Information:

All of the names here are names of men, execpt for Timna. Timna is the name of a woman. (See: How to Translate Names)

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.