Seir

Seir is a rugged hill country south of the Dead Sea. Its first people are the Horites, whose family lines fill Genesis 36. Later Esau settles there, and the text says plainly, “Esau is Edom.” When Jacob returns to meet his brother, he sends messengers ahead to the land of Seir, and Esau goes home that way after a surprisingly gentle reunion. Centuries later God tells Israel not to trouble the people there, because he gave mount Seir to Esau’s family. Read Genesis 32 and 33 for the story behind the place.

23 verses

Genesis

Genesis 14:6

And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness.

Genesis 32:3

And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

Genesis 33:14

Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.

Genesis 33:16

So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.

Genesis 36:8

Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.

Genesis 36:9

And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir:

Genesis 36:20

These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah,

Genesis 36:21

And Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan: these are the dukes of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom.

Genesis 36:22

And the children of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan's sister was Timna.

Genesis 36:23

And the children of Shobal were these; Alvan, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.

Genesis 36:24

And these are the children of Zibeon; both Ajah, and Anah: this was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.

Genesis 36:25

And the children of Anah were these; Dishon, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah.

Genesis 36:26

And these are the children of Dishon; Hemdan, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.

Genesis 36:27

The children of Ezer are these; Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Akan.

Genesis 36:28

The children of Dishan are these; Uz, and Aran.

Genesis 36:29

These are the dukes that came of the Horites; duke Lotan, duke Shobal, duke Zibeon, duke Anah,

Genesis 36:30

Duke Dishon, duke Ezer, duke Dishan: these are the dukes that came of Hori, among their dukes in the land of Seir.

Numbers

Numbers 24:18

And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly.

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 1:2

( There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)

Deuteronomy 2:1

Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days.

Deuteronomy 2:12

The Horims also dwelt in Seir beforetime; but the children of Esau succeeded them, when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead; as Israel did unto the land of his possession, which the LORD gave unto them.

Deuteronomy 2:22

As he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day:

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 1:38

And the sons of Seir; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, and Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan.

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

Rough; hairy. (1.) A Horite; one of the “dukes” of Edom (Gen. 36:20-30).

(2.) The name of a mountainous region occupied by the Edomites, extending along the eastern side of the Arabah from the south-eastern extremity of the Dead Sea to near the Akabah, or the eastern branch of the Red Sea. It was originally occupied by the Horites (Gen. 14:6), who were afterwards driven out by the Edomites (Gen. 32:3; 33:14, 16). It was allotted to the descendants of Esau (Deut. 2:4, 22; Josh. 24:4; 2 Chr. 20:10; Isa. 21:11; Exek. 25:8).

(3.) A mountain range (not the Edomite range, Gen. 32:3) lying between the Wady Aly and the Wady Ghurab (Josh. 15:10).

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From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

(hairy, Shaggy),

(1.) We have both "land of Seir," (Genesis 32:3; 36:50) and "Mount Seir." (Genesis 14:6) It is the original name of the mountain range extending along the east side of the valley of Arabah, from the Dead Sea to the Elanitic, Golf. The Horites appear to have been the chief of the aboriginal inhabitants, (Genesis 36:20) but it was ever afterward the possession of the Edomites, the descendants of Esau. The Mount Seir of the: Bible extended much farther south than the modern province, as is shown by the words of (2:1-8) It had the Arabah on the west, vs. 1 and 8; it extended as far south as the head of the Gulf of Akabah, ver. 8; its eastern border ran along the base of the mountain range where the plateau of Arabia begins. Its northern, order is not so accurately determined. There is a line of "naked" white hills or cliffs which run across the great valley about eight miles south of the Dead Sea, the highest eminence being Mount Hor, which is 4800 feet high.

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(2.) Mount Seir, an entirely different place from the foregoing; one of the landmarks on the north boundary of the territory of Judah. (Joshua 15:10) only. It lay westward of Kirjath-jearim, and between it and Beth-shemesh. If Kuriel el-Enab be the former and Ain-shems the latter of these two, then Mount Seir cannot fail to be the ridge which lies between the Wady Aly and the Wady Ghurab . In a pass of this ridge is the modern village of Seir.