settled times; and the foundation of the Edomite monarchy
may be dated approximately from 150 to 200 years before
the time of David.—The monarchy was obviously not
hereditary, none of the kings being the son of his predecessor;
that it was elective (Tu. Kn. Di. De. Dri. al.)
is more than we have a right to assume. Frazer (AAO, 113)
finds here an illustration of his theory of female succession,
the crown passing to men of other families who married the
hereditary princesses; but v.39 is fatal to this view. The
fact that the kings reigned in different cities supports an
opinion (Winckler, GI, i. 192; Che. 429) that they were
analogous to the Hebrew Judges, i.e. local chiefs who held
supreme power during their life, but were unable to establish
a dynasty. A beginning of the recognition of the hereditary
principle may be traced in the story of Hadad 'of the seed
royal' (1 Ki. 1114ff.), who is regarded as heir-presumptive to
the throne (Meyer).
32. (
Hebrew characters) (G Βάλακ υἱ. τοῦ Βεώρ)] The name of the first king
bears a striking resemblance to (Hebrew characters), the soothsayer whom the
king of Moab hired to curse Israel (Nu. 22 ff.), and who afterwards died
fighting for Midian (Nu. 318 [P]). The identity of the two personages
is recognised by (amongst others) Kn-Di. Nö. (Unters. 87), Hommel
(AHT, 153, 2221), Sayce (EHH, 224, 229), Che. al., though the legend
which places his home at Pethor on the Euphrates (E) is hardly consistent
with this notice.—(Hebrew characters) (Δενναβα), his city, is not known; acc.
to Jerome, OS, p. 115,1 it is Dannaia, between Ar Moab and the
Arnon, or Dannaba near Heshbon (cf. Eus. OS, 11431, [p. 249]); Hommel
and Sayce suggest Dunip, somewhere in N Syria.—33. (Hebrew characters) (Ἰω[α]βάβ,
Ἰώβ, etc.)] identified by G (Jb. 4218) with the patriarch Job.—(Hebrew characters)] A
chief city of Edom (Is. 346 631, Jer. 4824 4913. 22, Am. 112), now el-Buṣaireh,
20 m. SE of the Dead Sea.—34. (Hebrew characters) (Ἁσόμ, S (Syriac characters) = (Hebrew characters))].—the land of the Temanite] see on v.11.—35. (Hebrew characters) bears the well-known name
of an Aramæan deity, whose worship must have prevailed widely in
Edom (see v.39, 1 Ki. 1114ff.).—who smote Midian, etc.] The solitary
historical notice in the list. It is a tempting suggestion of Ewald
(HI, ii. 336), that the battle was an incident of the great Midianite raid
under which Israel suffered so severely, so that this king was contemporary
with Gideon (cf. Meyer, 381 f.).—(Hebrew characters)] G Γεθθαίμ = (Hebrew characters), on
which reading Marquart (Fundamente, 11) bases an ingenious explanation
of the mysterious name (Hebrew characters) in Ju. 38ff. ((Hebrew characters),—a confusion
of the third and fourth kings in our list).—36. (Hebrew characters)] G (Hebrew characters),
perhaps the same name as Solomon.—(Hebrew characters)] A place of this name
(Μασρικά) is mentioned in OS, 13710 (p. 277), in Gebalene, the northern
