Seir

Biblical Text

Seir is a mountainous region referred to in the Old Testament chiefly as "Mount Seir" or "the land of Seir." Because Esau and his descendants lived there, the name is used almost interchangeably with Edom (Genesis 32:3; 36:8-9).

• Patriarchal period: Genesis 14:6 records that a coalition of eastern kings struck the Horites of Mount Seir. On his way back from Haran, Jacob sent messengers to Esau in the land of Seir (Genesis 32:3). After the two were reconciled, Esau returned to Seir (Genesis 33:16). Genesis 36:20-30 lists the descendants of "Seir the Horite," the original inhabitants of the land; in this passage Seir also appears as a personal name.
• Wilderness and settlement: During the wilderness period Israel journeyed around Mount Seir. God commanded the Israelites not to contend with the descendants of Esau, because He had given Mount Seir to Esau as an inheritance (Deuteronomy 2:1-5; Joshua 24:4). Deuteronomy 2:12, 22 reports that the children of Esau dispossessed the Horites and settled in their land. The prophecy of Balaam declares that Seir will become Israel's possession (Numbers 24:18).
• Monarchy: The sons of Simeon struck the remnant of the Amalekites at Mount Seir (1 Chronicles 4:42-43). In the days of Jehoshaphat, the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir came against Judah but turned on one another and were destroyed (2 Chronicles 20:22-23). After defeating the children of Seir, King Amaziah brought back their gods and worshiped them (2 Chronicles 25:11-14).
• Prophets: Isaiah 21:11 records, "He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night?" Ezekiel 35 is an oracle of judgment against the whole of Mount Seir.

Joshua 15:10 mentions another Mount Seir on the border of the tribe of Judah; it is regarded as a location distinct from the Seir of Edom.

Background

The Hebrew name is commonly associated with a word meaning "hairy." For this reason some read it as a wordplay on Esau, who is described as hairy (Genesis 25:25; 27:11), though this is not an established explanation of the place name's origin. The region is generally located in the highlands east of the Arabah valley, south of the Dead Sea. Scholars differ, however, on whether it also extended west of the Arabah. The name Seir is also reported to appear in ancient Egyptian texts.

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

Seir is the setting in which the relationship between Jacob and Esau—that is, between the brother nations of Israel and Edom—unfolds. Deuteronomy commands, "Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother" (Deuteronomy 23:7), yet the two nations were frequently hostile in later history. Oracles of judgment against Edom recur throughout the prophets (for example, "the mount of Esau" in the book of Obadiah).

Deuteronomy 33:2 and Judges 5:4 celebrate God coming forth from Seir. Habakkuk 3:3, in a similar vein, speaks of Teman and Paran.

The name Seir does not appear in the New Testament. Esau is mentioned in Romans 9:13 and Hebrews 12:16-17. The name Idumaea in Mark 3:8 derives from Edom, but Idumaea was a region that emerged when Edomites moved into southern Judah after the exile, so it does not coincide geographically with Mount Seir. The Herodian family is known to have come from Idumaea.

Interpretation and Debate

• God coming from the south: Deuteronomy 33:2, Judges 5:4, and Habakkuk 3:3 have traditionally been read as poetic recollections of the revelation at Mount Sinai and the wilderness journey. Some critical scholars cite these verses in support of the hypothesis that Israel's faith in God had connections with southern regions such as Edom and Midian. Conservative scholars respond that the texts provide insufficient grounds for such a reading.
• The identity of Dumah: Opinions differ on whether Dumah in Isaiah 21:11 refers to Edom or to a place in Arabia. The verse is often read as a text about watchfulness and waiting.