Who was Bela in the Bible?

Bela, son of Beor, was the first recorded king to reign in the land of Edom, as documented in the book of Genesis. He is listed among the kings who ruled before any king reigned over the Israelites (Genesis 36:31-32).

Why is Bela, son of Beor, significant?

Bela's significance lies in his role as the first king of Edom, establishing a line of kingship that predated the monarchy in Israel. His mention highlights God's fulfillment of prophecy, as Esau's descendants (the Edomites) became kings long before Jacob's (Genesis 36:31, 1 Chronicles 1:43).

What do we know about Bela's life and reign?

The Bible provides very few details about Bela's life or events of his reign. We only know his name, his father (Beor), and that his capital city was named Dinhabah (Genesis 36:32). His primary mention is to establish the historical sequence of Edomite kingship.

Bela

Old TestamentPatriarchsMaleKingSon

Bela, son of Beor, was the first king to reign in Edom before Israel had a king.

Bela

Biography

Bela son of Beor was the first king listed among the ancient rulers who reigned in Edom before any king governed Israel (Genesis 36:32; 1 Chronicles 1:43). His capital city was Dinhabah, and his reign preceded the Israelite monarchy by generations. The parallel mention of 'Beor' as Bela's father recalls the name of Balaam's father (Numbers 22:5), though most scholars regard these as distinct individuals. Bela's name may derive from the Hebrew root meaning 'consume' or 'swallow.' He stands at the head of an eight-king succession in Edom, a dynasty notable for its lack of hereditary succession, each king apparently coming from a different family or city. Bela thus represents the earliest phase of Edomite political organization.

Significance

As the first king of Edom, Bela son of Beor occupies a unique position in the biblical record: he ruled an organized kingdom before Israel had any king at all. This detail in Genesis 36 carries implicit theological weight, reflecting God's sovereign oversight of nations beyond Israel's borders. The Edomites descended from Esau, and God had declared that 'the older shall serve the younger' (Genesis 25:23), yet Edom's early political development shows that God's providential care extended even to the nation born of the rejected twin. Bela's kingship also sets the stage for centuries of complex relations between Edom and Israel, ultimately culminating in the prophetic declarations of Obadiah and the Messianic lineage through Jacob.

Authority Records

Wikidata

FatherBenjaminChildNaamanChildArdChildUzzielChildUzzi

Verse Appearances (4)

Genesis

Genesis 36:32 Genesis 36:33

1Chr

1Chr 1:43 1Chr 1:44

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]

View all sources & licensing →

See our editorial standards →

Content compiled from public domain scholarship, academic sources, and verified references. Editorial standards · View all sources