Bible Discussion Thread

What dies it mean when Esau's sons are described as 'dukes' ?

Genesis 36:15-19

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.

And these are the sons of Reuel Esau's son; duke Nahath, duke Zerah, duke Shammah, duke Mizzah: these are the dukes that came of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Bashemath, ESAU'S WIFE.

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.

These are the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these are their dukes.

Genesis 36:21

And Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan: these are the dukes of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom.

Genesis 36:29

These are the dukes that came of the Horites; duke Lotan, duke Shobal, duke Zibeon, duke Anah,

Genesis 36:30

Duke Dishon, duke Ezer, duke Dishan: these are the dukes that came of Hori, among their dukes in the land of Seir.

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,

Genesis 36:43

Duke Magdiel, duke Iram: these be the dukes of Edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession: he is Esau the father of the Edomites.

Exodus 15:15

Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.

Joshua 13:21

And all the cities of the plain, and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, which reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the princes of Midian, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, which were dukes of Sihon, dwelling in the country.

1 Chronicles 1:51-54

Hadad died also. And the dukes of Edom were; duke Timnah, duke Aliah, duke Jetheth,

Genesis 27:41

And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said IN HIS HEART, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; THEN will I my brother Jacob.

Romans 9:13

As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

Malachi 1:3

And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

Obadiah 1:18

And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.

KJV Commentary: Esau means

Hairy, Rebekah's first-born twin son ( Gen. 25:25). The name of Edom, "red", was also given to him from his conduct in connection with the red lentil pottage for which he sold his birthright (30, 31). The circumstances connected with his birth foreshadowed the enmity which afterwards subsisted between the "twin brothers and the nations they founded (25:22, 23, 26). In the process of time Jacob following his natural bent, became a shepherd; while Esau, a "son of the desert," devoted himself to the perilous and toilsome life of a huntsman. On a certain occasion, on returning from the chase, urged by the cravings of hunger, Esau SOLD his birthright to his brother, Jacob, who thereby obtained the covenant blessing ( Gen. 27:28, 29, 36; Heb. 12:16, 17). He afterwards tried to regain what he had so recklessly parted with, but was defeated in his attempts through the stealth of his brother ( Gen. 27:4, 34, 38). At the age of forty years, to the great grief of his parents, he "married ( Gen. 26:34, 35) two Canaanite maidens,

Esau tried to conciliate his parents ( Gen. 28:8, 9) by marrying his cousin Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael. This led him to cast in his lot with the "Ishmaelite tribes (present day Palestinians) and driving the Horites out of Mount Seir, he settled in that region.

Hi Stanley Smith, In the bible, duke means a leader.

Hi Stanley. 'Dukes' as in Genesis 36:15ff, is from a the Latin word 'dux', which means 'a leader or a chieftan'. In Hebrew, as we have it here in Genesis is the word, 'alluwph', signifying 'a tribal prince'. So, even though 'dux' (or, duke) is used as a leader or a military head, we see it also used in schools, as in 'dux of the class', or the leading student because of his/her educational prowess.