Genesis 36:41

Summary

This verse continues a list of Edomite clan chiefs (allufim), naming three in succession: Oholibamah, Elah, and Pinon. Each name is preceded by the repeated title alluf ("chief"), marking these as heads of clans or territories descended from Esau's line.

Key words

• 'a.Luf ("chief", H0441B) — masculine singular noun, repeated three times in this verse, each time governing a following proper name in construct-like apposition; it designates a tribal or clan leader rather than a king.
• 'o.ho.li.va.Mah ("Oholibamah", H0173) — proper name, here referring to a place or clan name (elsewhere in Genesis 36 this same name belongs to one of Esau's wives), functioning as the name governed by the first alluf.
• 'e.Lah ("Elah", H0425G) — proper name of a chief/clan, masculine, the second name in the sequence.
• pi.Non ("Pinon", H6373) — proper name of a chief/clan, masculine, the third and final name in this verse.

What the text says

The Hebrew syntax is a simple paratactic list: the noun alluf is repeated before each proper name rather than being stated once and followed by a string of names. This repetition creates a rhythmic, formulaic structure typical of genealogical registers in Genesis, where each entry stands as its own unit: "chief X, chief Y, chief Z." There is no verb in the verse; it consists entirely of noun phrases in apposition, consistent with a catalog or record format rather than narrative prose.

The name 'o.ho.li.va.Mah ("Oholibamah") is notable because the same form appears earlier in Genesis 36 as the name of one of Esau's wives. In this verse it functions within the list of chiefs rather than as a wife's name, though the underlying Hebrew form is identical. The text does not grammatically distinguish here whether this refers to a person, clan, or territory called Oholibamah — that determination depends on context outside the word forms themselves.

Differences between versions

The Vulgate (VULCLEM) and Septuagint (LXXSWETE) both render alluf with terms meaning "chief/leader" (dux in Latin, hēgemōn in Greek), matching the Hebrew semantic range. The Greek transliterates 'o.ho.li.va.Mah as "Ἐλιβεμᾶς" (Elibemas), a phonetic adaptation that drops the initial Oho- element found in the Hebrew and Latin (Oolibama). The Greek text as given here appears truncated, ending with "ἡγεμὼν" before a name, suggesting the third name (Pinon) is missing from this particular Septuagint excerpt. Modern translations (BSB, RV1909, SBLIBRE) render the names with only minor spelling variations and, in the case of BSB, omit the repeated title "chief" before each name, presenting them as a simple list.