Husham

Biblical Record

Husham appears in the list of the kings of Edom. This list first appears in Genesis 36:31-39 and is repeated in nearly identical form in 1 Chronicles 1:43-50. Genesis introduces the list as "the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel" (Genesis 36:31).

The text contains only two statements about Husham:

• After Jobab died, Husham "of the land of Temani" became king (Genesis 36:34; 1 Chronicles 1:45).
• After Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad became king (Genesis 36:35; 1 Chronicles 1:46).

Husham is the third king in the list. For some of the other kings, the name of a father or of a royal city is recorded. For Husham, only his place of origin is given; neither his father nor his city is mentioned. Scripture also says nothing about the length of his reign or his deeds.

Significance Within Scripture

"Teman" is a clan name derived from Teman, the son of Eliphaz and grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:11). It later also came to be used as a name for the region of Edom (Jeremiah 49:7; Amos 1:12). Husham's place of origin indicates that he came from the territory of the Temanite line among Esau's descendants.

Most of the kings in the list are not sons of their predecessors, and each comes from a different place. For this reason, some interpreters hold that kingship in early Edom was not passed down within a single family. Husham is not mentioned in the New Testament.

Interpretations and Debates

The phrase "before there reigned any king over the children of Israel" in Genesis 36:31 is frequently discussed in debates over when Genesis was composed. Those who accept Mosaic authorship explain the verse as a prophetic statement or as a later scribal addition. Critical scholars regard it as evidence of composition after the rise of the Israelite monarchy.

At the end of the Septuagint version of the Book of Job, there is an appended text not found in the original. This addition identifies Jobab with Job and presents the list of Edomite kings, and Husham is reported to appear there as well. This, however, is a later tradition, not the testimony of the Hebrew text. Because of his Temanite origin, some have also tried to connect Husham with Eliphaz the Temanite, one of Job's friends (Job's three friends), but Scripture says nothing of any relationship between them.

In the Korean Church

Husham is a figure whose name appears only in genealogies and king lists. As a result, he is rarely treated on his own in sermons or Sunday school lessons. Readers usually encounter him while reading the lists in Genesis 36 and 1 Chronicles 1 during Bible read-through programs.