Mizzah
Mizzah was a grandson of Esau and one of the chiefs of Edom listed in the genealogies of Genesis and 1 Chronicles.
Biography
Mizzah was a descendant of Esau through the line of Reuel, Esau's son by his wife Basemath, the daughter of Ishmael. He is identified as the son of Reuel and is listed among the chiefs (or clan leaders) of Edom in both Genesis 36:13, 17 and 1 Chronicles 1:37. As one of the Edomite chieftains during the patriarchal era, Mizzah held a position of tribal authority in the land of Seir, the mountainous region south of the Dead Sea that became Edom's homeland. His lineage connects two significant biblical family lines, as Esau was the twin brother of Jacob (Israel) and Basemath was a daughter of Ishmael, making Mizzah a convergence of Abrahamic descent through multiple branches.
Significance
Mizzah's inclusion in the biblical genealogies serves as a witness to God's faithfulness to His broader promises to Abraham, whose descendants were to become many nations (Genesis 17:4-6). While the covenant line passed through Jacob, the careful recording of Esau's descendants, including chiefs like Mizzah, demonstrates that God's blessing extended beyond Israel alone. The Edomite genealogies also set the stage for the complex relationship between Israel and Edom that unfolds throughout the Old Testament. Mizzah's place in Scripture reminds readers that God is sovereign over all nations and peoples, even those outside the direct covenant community.
Verse Appearances (3)
Genesis
1 Chronicles
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]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]