Genesis 36:7

Gen 36:7 For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle.

Ver. 7. For their riches were more, &c.] And besides, mount Seir was more fit for a hunter. A good ease it was to Jacob, who had little joy in his neighbourhood. "God will not take the ungodly by the hand"; {Job 8:20, marg.} no more will his people. When they are forced to be in ill company, they cry, "Oh that I had the wings of a dove! that I might flee away": {Psa 55:6} or if that "Oh" will not set them at liberty, they take up that "Woe," to express their misery; "Woe is me, that I sojourn in Meshech!" &c. {Psa 120:5} It was once the prayer of a good gentlewoman, when she came to die, being in much trouble of conscience: O Lord, let me not go to hell, where the wicked are; for, Lord, thou knowest I never loved their company here. {a}

{a} Moses’s Choice, by M. Bur., p. 330.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gen_36:7

For their riches were more

Riches cannot secure happiness

I wish I were rich, I would buy everything, cried Charlie.

The sun, moon, and stars? inquired William. No; everything that can be had for money. Thats not happiness, said William. Get your hat, Charlie, and come with me to Mr. Morrisons, said his father. Oh, please not, papa, he is such a disagreeable, miserable old man, with his cross looks and gouty foot, hobbling about and groaning. I think you would like to live with him, said his father. I, papa? I would rather live down a coal-pit! With him you would have all that can be bought with money. I see it wont do, said Charlie. Health cannot be bought with money. Nor good temper, nor friendship, nor life, said William. Above all, added their papa, the favour of God cannot be bought with money. Be content with as much of it as God gives, and seek to use it aright.

The fear of God and sweet content Yield riches that will neer be spent..

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

36:7-8 Esau, like Lot, left for the eastern land (cp. 13:5-6).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(7) The land wherein they were strangers.—The large growth of their wealth made the separation of Esau and Jacob as inevitable as had been that of Abraham and Lot. It is a usual incident in the life of nomads, and a tribe can multiply only to the extent of the capabilities of their district to support them. When this is reached, one portion of the tribe must seek a new home. This necessity was in the present case aggravated by Esau and Jacob being only sojourners in Canaan, surrounded by tribes who claimed to be owners of the soil: and this may have helped in determining Esau’s choice; for in right of Aholibamah, he was in her country a duke. Maimonides also observes, that though Esau had gone on hunting expeditions to Seir, and even possibly for plunder, yet that he was not sufficiently powerful to take possession of the country until by Isaac’s death the number of his retainers was largely multiplied.

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

7. For their substance was too great] The departure of Esau into Seir is here explained as necessitated by the growing wealth of Esau and Jacob in Canaan: cf. the separation of Abraham and Lot in ch. 13. Obviously the explanation given here does not agree with the representation in Gen_32:3 and Gen_33:14-16. “Substance,” cf. Gen_12:5, Gen_15:14.

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.

Thus dwelt Esau in Mount Seir,.... Before he is said to be in the land of Seir, Gen 32:3; now to dwell in a mount of that name; from which driving the Horites, he seized upon and dwelt in it; it had not its name from his own rough, shaggy hair, as Josephus says (r), much less from the satyrs, and hairy demons that frequented it, as R. Abraham Seba (s), but rather from Seir the Horite who inhabited the land, Gen 36:20; unless he had his name from the mountain which might be so called, from its being rough and rugged like shaggy hair, and being covered with bushes and brambles which carried such a resemblance; and so it stands opposed to Mount Halak near it, Jos 11:17, which signifies the bald or smooth mountain, being destitute of shrubs, &c. The Targum of Jonathan calls this mountain Mount Gabla, and one part of the land of Edom, or Idumea, was called Gobolites, as Josephus (t) relates, perhaps the same with Gebal, Psa 83:7; hither Esau went and took up his residence, after things were amicably adjusted between him and his brother Jacob; the Jews say (u), that Isaac left, all he had to his two sons, and that after they had buried him, Esau said to Jacob, let us divide what our father has left us into two parts, and I will choose because I am the firstborn; so Jacob divided it into two parts; all that his father had left he made one part, and the land of Israel the other part, and Esau took what his father left, see Gen 36:6; and the land of Israel and the cave of Machpelah he delivered to Jacob, and they drew up everlasting writings between them. Now this or something like it being the case, and those the circumstances of fixings, thus, and by that means, so it came to pass, that Esau dwelt in Seir; and Jacob remained secure and quiet in the land of Canaan:

Esau is Edom, so called from the red pottage he had of Jacob, which is repeated to fix the odium of that transaction upon him, as well as for the sake of what follows, showing the reason why his posterity were called Edomites.

(r) Antiqu. l. 1. c. 20. sect. 3. (s) Tzeror Hammor, fol. 47. 1. (t) Antiqu. l. 2. c. 1. sect. 2. (u) Pirke Eliezer, c. 38. fol. 43. 1.

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

Which words contain the reason why that land which was large and fruitful could not bear them, because they were not entire possessors of it, but only sojourners in it, and therefore must take the owners’ leavings, which were not sufficient for both of them and their numerous families.

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

For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers literally, of their wanderings (cf. Gen_28:4 Gen_37:1) could not bear them because of their cattle. This does not necessarily imply that Jacob was established in Canaan before Esau removed. Esau may have recognized the impossibility of two so rich and powerful chieftains as himself and his brother occupying Canaan, and may have retired Before Jacob actually took possession (Keil, Inglis).

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

ולא יכלה ארץ מגוריהם AND THE LAND OF THEIR SOJOURNINGS COULD NOT — supply sufficient pasture for the cattle which they had. A Midrashic comment (Genesis Rabbah 82:13) on מפני יעקב אחיו [HE WENT TO A COUNTRY] ON ACCOUNT OF HIS BROTHER JACOB is: on account of the bond of indebtedness involved in the decree, (Genesis 14:13) “thy seed shall be a stranger etc… and they shall afflict them etc.” that was imposed upon Isaac’s descendants. He said, “I shall go hence — I desire no part either in the gift of this land which has been made to him (to my father) nor in the payment of this bond". Another reason why he went away was on account of the shame he felt at having sold his birthright (cf. Genesis Rabbah 82:13).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

AND THE LAND OF THEIR SOJOURNINGS. The meaning thereof is “the city of their sojournings,” which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned, for the land of Canaan could support a thousand times more than Jacob and Esau. But when Esau saw that he could not stay in his city and in his place, he left the entire country to his brother and went his way.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.