Esau

The name that is transliterated as “Esau” in English means “covered with hair,” “hairy.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In Finnish Sign Language and American Sign Language it is translated with the signs signifying “hairy forearm” (referring to the story starting at Genesis 27:11). (Source: Tarja Sandholm, Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Esau” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also hairy (like Esau).

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Esau .

complete verse (Genesis 36:2)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 36:2:

  • Newari: “Esau married Canaanite women, Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and grandchild of Zibeon the Hivite,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Esau married women who came-from-Canaan. They were Ada the child of Elon the Hithanon and Oholibama the child of Ana and grandchild of Zibeon the Hevhanon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Esau married three women from the Canaan region: Adah, the daughter of Elon from the Heth people-group; Oholibamah, who was the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon from the Hiv people-group;” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 36:2

Esau took his wives from the Canaanites: took … from means that he “married….” From the Canaanites is literally “from the daughters of the Canaanites.” The sense of the whole clause is as in Good News Translation: “Esau married Canaanite women.”

The names of Esau’s three wives follow this first brief statement. In some languages it is necessary to repeat “He married…” for each of the wives: “He married Adah … And he married Oholibamah … And he married Basemath….”

Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite: Adah is not included among the Hittite women married by Esau in 26.34. There the daughter of Elon the Hittite is Basemath. According to 28.9 Esau married Ishmael’s daughter, Mahalath. For Hittite see 15.20.

Oholibamah the daughter of Anah: she is mentioned only in this chapter and in the parallel reference in 1 Chr 1.52.

The son of Zibeon: note that the Revised Standard Version footnote shows that the Hebrew text says “daughter” (also in verse 14), but Revised Standard Version has followed the ancient versions that have son. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, which rates the Hebrew as {A}, recommends that the Hebrew “daughter” be translated as “granddaughter” (as in New International Version), and this is recommended to translators.

Hivite: in verse 20 Zibeon is referred to as one of the “sons of Seir the Horite.” Some interpreters think that Hivite in this verse is an error for “Horite.” Revised English Bible translate “Horite.” Anchor Bible argues that Hivite was a term meaning the same as “Horite” and that the later term was used in the Hebrew text to refer to the Hurrians. However, there is no archaeological evidence or ancient inscriptions to equate the Horites of Seir with the Hurrians.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .