Aholibamah

אָהֳלִיבָמָה/uh-HOH-lih-BAY-muh/

“Tent of the height, or tabernacle of the high place”

Summary

A wife of Esau who was the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite, through whom Esau's descendants gained their foothold in Mount Seir.

☩Identity

Aholibamah was one of Esau's three wives, the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite (or Horite). Her personal name was apparently Judith, with Aholibamah being her married name or the name of the district from which she came.

Key verses:Genesis 36:2Genesis 36:25Genesis 26:34

☩Her Sons

She bore three sons to Esau: Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah. Remarkably, each of these sons became the head of a tribe in Edom, while Esau's other wives' descendants only became tribes through his grandsons.

Key verses:Genesis 36:14Genesis 36:18

☩An Edomite Duke

The name Aholibamah also appears as a 'duke' or tribal chief in the list of Edomite leaders. This probably refers to the territory in the heights of Edom near Mount Hor and Petra that took its name from Esau's wife.

Key verses:Genesis 36:41

Related Verses8 mentions

Genesis· 7 verses

36:2 36:3 36:5 36:14 36:18

1 Chronicles· 1 verse

1:52

References

1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Aholibamah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
2.George Morrish, "Aholibamah," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Aholibamah," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).