And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel.
Parallel translations
- WEB These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before any king reigned over the children of Israel.
- BSB These are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites:
- NKJV Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel:
- NASB Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the sons of Israel.
- NLT These are the kings who ruled in the land of Edom before any king ruled over the Israelites:
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
This introduces the kings of Edom who reigned before Israel had any king. It notes Edom developed monarchy earlier than Israel.
Overview
Edom established kingship before Israel did, a fact the narrator points out deliberately. This reflects Isaac's blessing that Esau would gain earthly dominion (Genesis 27:40), while Israel's path to monarchy came later and through God's appointed time. The note also looks ahead to Israel's eventual kings, and ultimately to Christ, the true King in David's line, whose kingdom outlasts every earthly throne.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Gen 17:6And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
- Gen 17:16And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.
- 1 Chr 1:43–50Now these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel; Bela the son of Beor: and the name of his city was Dinhabah.
- Num 24:17–18I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
- Deut 17:14–20When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;
- Deut 33:5And he was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.
- Gen 25:23And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
- Num 20:14And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom, Thus saith thy brother Israel, Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us:
- Deut 33:29Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 36:31 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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