Bedad
Bedad was the father of Hadad, one of the kings of Edom before Israel had a king.
Biography
Bedad was an Edomite figure mentioned in the ancient king lists of Genesis 36:35 and 1 Chronicles 1:46. He is identified solely as the father of Hadad, one of the eight kings who ruled in Edom before any king reigned over Israel. The Edomite royal succession during the patriarchal age was not dynastic, each king came from a different lineage, and Bedad's son Hadad is credited with defeating Midian in the field of Moab. Bedad's home territory is not specified, though his son Hadad's city is identified as Avith. As a figure of the patriarchal era, Bedad predates the Mosaic period and represents the early development of governance among the descendants of Esau, Jacob's twin brother.
Significance
Bedad's theological significance rests in his place within the Edomite genealogical record that Genesis 36 carefully preserves alongside the lineages of Israel. The Edomites descended from Esau, and God acknowledged His sovereign oversight of their national development (Deuteronomy 2:5). By including Bedad and his son Hadad in the biblical record, Scripture affirms that God's providential attention extended beyond Israel to neighboring nations. The Edomite king lists also serve as a chronological backdrop, illustrating the long-standing tension between the descendants of Jacob and Esau, a tension rooted in the Genesis narrative and stretching into the prophetic literature of Obadiah and Malachi.
Verse Appearances (2)
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]