Nahath

Biblical Record

Nahath appears in Genesis 36, which sets out the genealogy of Esau, and in 1 Chronicles 1, which reproduces that genealogy.

• Genesis 36:13 lists the sons of Reuel as Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah, and states that they were the descendants of Bashemath, Esau's wife.
• Genesis 36:17 names the same four men as "duke Nahath, duke Zerah, duke Shammah, duke Mizzah," presenting them as the chiefs descended from Reuel in the land of Edom. Here "duke," or chief, denotes the leader of a clan or tribe.
• 1 Chronicles 1:37 lists the sons of Reuel as Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

Nahath is always named first in these lists. On the basis of this order he is sometimes described as the firstborn, although the text does not explicitly say so. Scripture records only his name, his lineage, and the fact that he was a chief; it gives no account of his life or deeds.

Significance Within Scripture

Nahath's grandmother Bashemath is introduced in Genesis 36:3 as the daughter of Ishmael. Nahath is therefore a descendant of Abraham in whom the line running through Isaac and Esau converges with the line of Ishmael. Before the narrative turns to the story of Jacob, Genesis 36 summarizes how Esau's descendants multiplied into a number of chiefs in Edom. Nahath is one of the names on that list of chiefs. He is not mentioned in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Points of Discussion

The name is sometimes interpreted to mean "rest" or "quietness." Interpretations of the list of chiefs in Genesis 36 differ. Some hold that each name refers to an individual, while other scholars maintain that the names also designate the clans or regional groups known by those names.

The Korean Revised Version also mentions other individuals who bear the same name. The Nahath of 1 Chronicles 6:26 is a Levite descended from Elkanah. The Nahath of 2 Chronicles 31:13 is a Levite who, in the time of Hezekiah, served under Cononiah in overseeing the temple offerings. Both are distinct from Nahath the Edomite chief. Manahath in Genesis 36:23 and 1 Chronicles 1:40, a son of Shobal the Horite, is likewise a separate person.

In the Korean Church

Nahath is reportedly seldom treated as a subject in his own right in sermons or Sunday school lessons. Readers usually encounter his name while reading Esau's genealogy during a read-through of the Bible.