Who was Achbor in the Bible?

Achbor was a king of Edom, the son of Baal-hanan, who reigned before the establishment of the Israelite monarchy. He is listed in the genealogy of Edomite kings found in Genesis 36:38-39 and 1 Chronicles 1:49.

Why is Achbor mentioned in the Bible?

Achbor is mentioned to document the historical lineage and succession of Edomite kings, showing God's faithfulness in recording the descendants of Esau. His inclusion highlights the historical context surrounding the nation of Israel's development.

What is the significance of Achbor being an Edomite king?

As an Edomite king, Achbor represents the nation descended from Esau, Jacob's brother, fulfilling God's promise that Esau would become a nation. This establishes the ongoing relationship and often rivalry between the nations of Edom and Israel.

Achbor

Old TestamentPatriarchsMaleKingSon

Achbor was an Edomite king, the son of Baal-hanan, who reigned before the establishment of the Israelite monarchy.

Achbor

Biography

Achbor son of Baal-hanan was a king of Edom, listed among the series of rulers who "reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the Israelites" (Genesis 36:38-39; 1 Chronicles 1:49). He succeeded Saul of Rehoboth on the throne of Edom, and his own successor was Hadar. Beyond these bare genealogical details, Scripture provides no account of his reign, policies, or personal character. Achbor belonged to the pre-Israelite monarchic tradition of Edom, a territory descended from Esau, which the biblical text acknowledges had organized kingship well before Israel requested and received its first king in the person of Saul son of Kish.

Significance

The Edomite king list in Genesis 36, in which Achbor appears, serves a subtle but important theological function. By noting that Edom had kings "before any king reigned over the Israelites," the text sets the stage for Israel's later demand for a king in 1 Samuel 8, contextualizing it within the broader political landscape of the ancient Near East. Edom's existence as a recognized nation descended from Esau also reminds readers that God's sovereign purposes touched peoples outside the direct Abrahamic-Israelite covenant, and that the biblical story of redemption unfolds within a world of real nations, histories, and competing political structures.

Verse Appearances (3)

Genesis

Genesis 36:38 Genesis 36:39

1Chr

1Chr 1:49

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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