Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Genesis 36:16 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 16. 16Duke 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.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
The Eliphaz chief list continues with Korah, Gatam, and Amalek and closes under Adah's branch. Korah is textually difficult because verse 14 places Korah under Aholibamah and the Samaritan Pentateuch omits the name here.
Chiefs, mothers, and Seir beside Edom
This verse is one part of that explanation in Genesis 36:9–30. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Genesis 36:9–30
Read verses 11–16 with verse 18 and 1 Chronicles 1:36. The comparisons expose the Korah problem and show why this verse should not be harmonized by inventing a second individual without evidence.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The final Eliphaz chiefs close Adah's branch while the Korah variation alerts readers to a material list and manuscript difficulty.
Read Genesis 36:15–19 together
Why these verses belong together: The descendant branches are recast as chiefs under the three maternal lines and summarized under Esau-Edom.
Verse 15. 15 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,
Verse 16. 16 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.
Verse 17. 17 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.
Verse 18. 18 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.
Verse 19. 19 These are the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these are their dukes.
What Remains True
Textual fidelity includes naming a list difference while preserving the larger genealogy that remains clear.
How It Can Shape Life
- When manuscripts or parallel lists differ, document the evidence and avoid turning a possible copy or placement issue into an assured biography.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Genesis 36:9–30 — Esau's Descendants and Seir's Clans Are RecordedSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
Where care is needed
Korah may be a second person or clan, a displaced name, or a textual expansion; the evidence does not settle the question.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Displayed wording, list sequence, maternal lines, Timna and Amalek, chiefs, Seir and Horite records, Anah's discovery, canonical name comparisons, brotherhood restraint, and later-conflict boundaries.
Exact location: Genesis 36:9–30 in the pinned eng-kjv2006 source; compared with Genesis 15:19; 25:30; 26:34–35; 28:9; 36:1–8, 31–43; 37:1–2; Exodus 17; Deuteronomy 2:4–5, 12, 22; 23:7; 25:17–19; 1 Samuel 15; 1 Chronicles 1:35–42; Job 2:11
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Hebrew genealogical, social-status, political, people-group, gender-inclusive, and obscure-word evidence.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 36:9–30; forms and syntax for toledot, father, sons or descendants, concubine, alluf chiefs, Horite, inhabitants, sister, yēmim, children including a daughter, and chief lists
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Translation alternatives, KJV-language clarification, material textual variants, Horite restraint, and the uncertainty of Anah's discovery.
Exact location: NET Bible, Genesis 36 and translator notes 7–22 on genealogical father, descendants, chiefs, Korah, Seir and Horites, Hemam, Shepho, yēmim, children, and Dishon-Dishan
Open NET Genesis 36 ↗