Oholibamah

Biblical Record

Oholibamah was a wife of Esau. She appears in the genealogy of Esau in Genesis 36. Genesis 36:2 introduces her as "Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite." Genesis 36:14 describes her as "the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon." Genesis 36:25 also names her, together with Dishon, as one of Anah's children.

Esau took Oholibamah as a wife from among the women of Canaan. In the land of Canaan she bore three sons: Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah (Genesis 36:5). According to Genesis 36:18, each of these sons became a chief (KJV "duke"), that is, the head of one branch of the Edomite people. Scripture says nothing further about her life or character.

Genesis 36:41 and 1 Chronicles 1:52 list a "duke Aholibamah" among the chiefs of Edom. The prevailing view is that this refers not to Esau's wife but to a clan or region bearing the same name.

Significance in Scripture

Oholibamah is a genealogical figure whose entry shows how Edom, the descendants of Esau, divided into various clans. Her son Korah is a different person from the Levite Korah who rebelled in Numbers 16. The New Testament does not mention Oholibamah.

Her name is commonly interpreted to mean something like "tent of the high place." The names Oholah and Oholibah (KJV "Aholah" and "Aholibah") in Ezekiel 23 are similar, but they are symbolic names representing Samaria and Jerusalem and have no connection to this figure.

Interpretive Issues

The lists of Esau's wives differ from passage to passage. Genesis 26:34 names Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Bashemath the daughter of Elon. Genesis 28:9 names Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael. Genesis 36:2–3, however, names Adah, Oholibamah, and Bashemath the daughter of Ishmael. Various explanations have been offered for these differences, such as that one person bore several names or that different traditions were combined. Some Jewish traditions reportedly identified Oholibamah with Judith.

In addition, Genesis 36:2 identifies her family as Hivite, while Genesis 36:20 lists Zibeon as a son of Seir the Horite. Whether Anah was Zibeon's "daughter" or "son" is also read differently depending on the text and the ancient versions. For these reasons, commentators differ in how they understand the genealogical relationships.

In the Korean Church

Oholibamah is rarely treated on her own in sermons or Sunday school. Her name generally comes up only when Esau's genealogy is read in the course of reading through the Bible.