v1-3: Esau's wives;
- Adah, daughter of Elon the Hittite (or Basemath?);
- Oholibamah, daughter of Anah; and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hittite, v24;
- Basemath, daughter of Ishmael (Mehalath).
Compare 26.34; 28.9; it is difficult to reconcile these names; perhaps Judith has now died, and the wives have different names.
v4-8: Esau, like Jacob, becomes wealthy. He moves away from Jacob, and eventually arrives in Seir.
v9-14: Esau's wives have some sons in Canaan, but more are born once he moves to Seir. In particular, through Eliphaz is born Amalek, who fathers a nation presenting problems for Israel over centuries.
v15-19: There are 14 chiefs, individuals having responsibility and authority; from v6-7, we see that there is much to look after. Obad 3 indicates that the people of Esau lived in caves in the mountains of Seir.
v20-30: The Horites, to which Esau;s family is linked by marriage. Oholibamah (v25) became Esau's wife. The Horites had chiefs even before the Edomites.
v31-39: The later kings of Edom, men who sought position and prestige, wanting the respect and submission of others. Eight are listed, but apparently none follow their father; in contrast the kings of Judah and, to a lesser extent, of Israel, follow their fathers as king.
All this helps us to see the character of a people that has rejected God; we can only assume that they all bore the profane character of Esau. They have their own chiefs and kings, and avoid submission to others, see v31 margin.