Lexical Summary Chusham: Chusham Original Word: חוּשָׁם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Husham Or Chusham {khoo-shawm'}; from chuwsh; hastily; Chusham, an Idumaean -- Husham. see HEBREW chuwsh NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom chush Definition a king of Edom NASB Translation Husham (4). Brown-Driver-Briggs חֻשָֿׁם, חוּשָׁם proper name, masculine a king of Edom: חֻשָֿׁם Genesis 36:34,35 = חוּשָׁם 1 Chronicles 1:45,46. חוֺתָם see below חתם. חֲזָאֵל see חֲזָהאֵל below I. חזה Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrences Husham appears four times in the Old Testament (Genesis 36:34; Genesis 36:35; 1 Chronicles 1:45; 1 Chronicles 1:46). In every reference he is presented as an early king in the line of Edom who reigned “from the land of the Temanites.” The Genesis record provides the historical narrative; the Chronicler repeats it to preserve the same lineage for post-exilic readers. Historical Setting The genealogy of Genesis 36 traces the descendants of Esau and lists a sequence of eight kings “who reigned in Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites” (Genesis 36:31). Husham follows Jobab son of Zerah of Bozrah and precedes Hadad son of Bedad. His kingdom is associated with Teman, a region in the northern highlands of Edom famed for its wisdom (Jeremiah 49:7) and strategic caravan routes. The mention of “the land of the Temanites” locates Husham in what was probably the intellectual and political heartland of Edom in the second millennium B.C. The Edomite Monarchy Unlike the later dynastic rule in Israel, the Edomite kings of Genesis 36 appear to have risen through prowess rather than heredity, each succession marked by the death of the former ruler and no mention of direct descent. Husham’s reign is therefore one piece of evidence for an early archetype of Near-Eastern kingship built on tribal coalitions and regional influence. The notice that Hadad “defeated Midian in the field of Moab” (Genesis 36:35) while succeeding Husham hints at a period of territorial skirmish in which kings fortified their legitimacy through military victory. Theological Significance 1. Covenant Backdrop: By inserting the Edomite royal list into the Book of Genesis, Moses shows that God’s promise to Abraham regarding Esau (“I have made him into a nation,” Genesis 17:20) was already unfolding, even as Israel was still a nascent family. Husham’s rule therefore underscores divine fidelity to grant national status to Abraham’s other son. Connections to Later Scripture Teman becomes a prophetic symbol centuries after Husham. Obadiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel all target Teman when pronouncing judgment on Edom, suggesting that the prestige enjoyed in Husham’s era endured long enough to warrant prophetic attention. The early prominence of Temanite rule thus lays literary groundwork for those later oracles. Ministry and Practical Application • God’s promises are multi-generational, extending beyond one favored line. Recognizing an Edomite monarch like Husham broadens appreciation for the scope of divine faithfulness. Key Verse “When Jobab died, Husham from the land of the Temanites succeeded him as king.” Genesis 36:34 Forms and Transliterations חֻשָׁ֑ם חֻשָׁ֖ם חוּשָׁ֑ם חוּשָׁ֖ם חושם חשם chuSham ḥu·šām ḥū·šām ḥušām ḥūšāmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 36:34 HEB: וַיִּמְלֹ֣ךְ תַּחְתָּ֔יו חֻשָׁ֖ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ הַתֵּימָנִֽי׃ NAS: died, and Husham of the land KJV: died, and Husham of the land INT: became his place and Husham of the land of the Temanites Genesis 36:35 1 Chronicles 1:45 1 Chronicles 1:46 4 Occurrences |