Genesis 36: Aloof Opinions

Following the death of Avraham in Bereishit Chapter 25, the Torah lists the descendants of Yishmael and the tribal leaders that came from him:בראשית כ״ה:יבוְאֵ֛לֶּה תֹּֽלְד֥וֹת יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל בֶּן־אַבְרָהָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָלְדָ֣ה הָגָ֔ר הַמִּצְרִ֖ית שִׁפְחַ֥ת שָׂרָֽה לְאַבְרָהָֽם׃These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.Similarly, following the death of Yitzchak in Bereishit Chapter 35, the Torah now lists the descendants of Esav and the leaders that come from him.בראשית ל״ו:אוְאֵ֛לֶּה תֹּֽלְד֥וֹת עֵשָׂ֖ו ה֥וּא אֱדֽוֹם׃Now these are the generations of Esau, that is, Edom.Esav’s list is far more extensive and repetitive than Yishmael’s. It includes not only his children but also tribal chiefs and kings. In the middle of this genealogical list is a striking verse:בראשית ל״ו:ל״אוְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ הַמְּלָכִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר מָלְכ֖וּ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ אֱד֑וֹם לִפְנֵ֥י מְלָךְ־מֶ֖לֶךְ לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃And these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel.This verse is puzzling. The first Israelite king, Shaul, would not reign for nearly a thousand years—well after this list and well after Moshe Rabbeinu’s death. Ibn Ezra addresses this tension. He notes that some commentators believe this section was written by Moshe as a prophecy. However, he also quotes Rashi who claims that this section was added during the reign of King Yehoshafat, the eighth king after Shaul.Yehoshafat, as the eighth king, corresponds to the eight Edomite kings listed in this chapter. During his reign, Edom no longer had a king, which Rashi saw as a historical parallel. Ibn Ezra, however, strongly rejects this theory. He writes that the book containing this idea should be burned, emphasizing his belief in the divine authorship of the Torah.Ibn Ezra then offers his own explanation: the eight kings listed in Genesis 36 are the kings who ruled from the time of Esav until Moshe, whom he refers to as “king over Israel.” This interpretation preserves the traditional view that Moshe wrote the Torah under divine inspiration.Chizkuni supports Ibn Ezra’s view, arguing that it would be impossible for only eight kings to have ruled Edom from Esav until Shaul, as that period spans at least twelve generations. Rashbam adds that Josephus lists forty kings during this time, further disproving the historical theory.Nonetheless, it is remarkable that Ibn Ezra even mentions an opinion that suggests Moshe did not write this section of the Torah—even if he ultimately dismisses it. This inclusion implies that Yitzchaki’s view was influential enough in Ibn Ezra’s time to warrant direct refutation. It also highlights the intellectual honesty and rigor of medieval commentators, who engaged with controversial ideas even as they defended tradition.