Dead Men Tell Tales

by Harry Rimmer

To summarize the Old Testament record of Edom and Edomites, we must begin by noting that although Esau sold his birthright, his brother Jacob actually stole the blessing. We are all familiar with this fascinating drama of the deception wrought by Jacob at his mother’s insistence, when he impersonated his brother to deceive his dying father. This account constitutes one of the implacably honest records characteristic of the Bible. No other book known to man is so frank in the delineation of the weaknesses of its leading characters, as God can deal honestly with sin and failure, since He knows how to overrule such, and effect a cure! When Esau learned that the blessing of his father had been stolen by his younger brother, he took a solemn oath that as soon as the days of mourning for his father were ended, he would slay Jacob, the deceiver. His vengeance was frustrated, however, as Isaac and Rebekah sent Jacob to Padan-aram. Here Jacob met a shrewd bargainer more ruthless than himself; and dwelt in Padan-aram for twenty years, during which he prospered enormously.

On his way home from his long sojourn, the account tells how he met Esau. Two chapters of Genesis, namely, the thirty-second and the thirty-third, are occupied with this dramatic and human document. Still burdened by the guilt of his dishonest conduct in the matter of the blessing, and perhaps feeling also that he had been less than honorable in buying the birthright, Jacob prepared an enticing bribe to soften the wrath of Esau. Word had been brought to him that Esau was coming to meet him with four hundred retainers, and Jacob believed that the hour of reckoning had come. The score of years, however, had softened the wrath of Esau, and he greeted his younger brother with love and affection. Refusing to accept any bribe or present at his hand, he made him welcome to his possession. The record distinctly states that at that time Esau was dwelling in Seir.

It is evident that he must have prospered there, as the genealogical tables in the thirty-sixth chapter of Genesis list his progeny. All of his grandsons appear in the record as dukes. Verses one, eight and nine of this chapter identify the Edomites as descendants of Esau. They further identify the land of their dwelling with the ancient site of Seir. To clarify this point, we here reproduce these three verses:

“Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.”

“Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.”

“And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir.”

Verse twenty begins the list of the previous inhabitants of Seir, who are called the Horites. These people are listed in Genesis 14:6 as among the races that were smitten by Chedorlaomer in the days of Abraham in the notable Battle of the Kings. It seems evident, then, that Esau was powerful enough to overcome the Horites and to impose his dominion upon them. The two companies intermarried and became the Edomites of the later record.

The next important point in their development is introduced in the twentieth chapter of Numbers. As the children of Israel were making their notable journey from Egypt to the land of Canaan, Moses sent a courteous request to the king of Edom asking permission to make a peaceful passage across that land. The salutation of Moses was brotherly and affectionate. He reminded the king of Edom that Israel and the Edomites were brethren. He asserted his peaceful purpose, and gave a pledge not to harm the fields or the crops with the passage of his flocks.

The king of Edom summarily refused this courteous request in the most graceless manner. He threatened the company of Israel and forbade them to pass over his domain. The answer of Moses was a renewal of the request for peaceful passage. This time, Moses stated that they would stay to the high and rocky way where no harm could come to the land from their herds. He even covenanted to pay for such water as the flocks might drink. The result was a renewal of the threat to oppose the passage with the edge of the sword. Consequently the people of Israel were forced to make a circuit of Edom, and they passed around its border by way of mount Hor.

From this time on, there was implacable enmity between the two great branches of these Semitic people. The subsequent history is a constant record of battle and hatred on both sides.