Anah
(one who answers), the son of Zibeon and father of Aholibamah, one of Esau’s wives. (Genesis 36:2,14,25) He is supposed to have discovered the “hot springs” (not “mules,” as in the Authorized Version) in the desert as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father. (B.C. 1797.)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Anah
Anah a'-na (`anah, meaning uncertain; a Horite clan-name (Ge 36:1-43)): ⇒See a list of verses on ANAH in the Bible. (1) Mother of Aholibamah, one of the wives of Esau and daughter of Zibeon (compare Ge 36:2,14,18,25). The Septuagint, the Samaritan Pentateuch, and the Peshitta read "son," identifying this Anah with number 3 (see below); Ge 36:2, read (ha-chori), for (ha-chiwwi). (2) Son of Seir, the Horite, and brother of Zibeon; one of the chiefs of the land of Edom (compare Ge 36:20-21 = 1Ch 1:38). Seir is elsewhere the name of the land (compare Ge 14:6; Isa 21:11); but here the country is personified and becomes the mythical ancestor of the tribes inhabiting it. ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia. (3) Son of Zibeon, "This is Anah who found the hot springs in the wilderness" (compare Ge 36:24 = 1Ch 1:40-41) The word ha-yemim, occurs only in this passage and is probably corrupt. Ball (Sacred Books of the Old Testament, Genesis, critical note 93) suggests that it is a corruption of we-hemam (compare Ge 36:22) in an earlier verse. Jerome, in his commentary on Ge 36…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Anah
i. A daughter of Zibeon, and mother of Oholibamah, one of Esau's wives. On 3g2. u. 18. » (H). The mention of a daughter in this genealogical list has been used to prove that kinship amongst the Horites was traced tlirougli women (\V. R. Smith in Journal of Philology, ix. p. 50). As is pointed out, however, in \K\ •». so""; ancient authorities (including LXX. Sam. resh.) read son instead of daughter, which would identify this A. with 2. a son of Zibeon, Gn 36" (R), 1 Cli l«.u 8, A Horite 'duke,' brother of Zibeon, Gn 36»» (R), 1 Ch 1». If we take A. as an eponym rather than a personal name, and think ot relationships between clans rather than individuals, it is quite possible to reduce the above three refer- ences to one. This can be done all the more readily by adopting wth Kautzsch in Gn 36" the reading >"'-" ' the Horite ' as in v." instead of Ml im 'the Hi\'ite.' In regard to No. 2 the note is appended, ' This is A. wlio found the hot springs ( AV the mules) in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Ziljeon his father' (Gn 36-»). For the Heb. cp-n which is a Sir. Xry-. LXX ofiers…
Fausset's Bible Dictionary on Anah
Son of Zibeon, son of Seir the Horite; father of Aholibamah, Esau's wife (Gen 36:2; Gen 36:14; Gen 36:20; Gen 36:25). (See AHOLIBAMAH) "Aholibamah, daughter of Ahab, daughter of Zibeon," is tantamount to granddaughter, i.e. descendant from Zibeon; not that Anah was "daughter of Zibeon," for Gen 36:20 calls him" son (i.e. grandson) of Seir." Those descendants alone of Seir are enumerated who, being heads of tribes, were connected with Edom; so Anah is mentioned because he was head of a tribe, independently of his father. As sprung from Seir, he is called a "Horite," i.e. a dweller in caves or troglodyte; also a "Hivite," a branch of the Canaanites; also he is named "Beeri the Hittite," the "Hittites" being the general name for "Canaanites" (Gen 26:34). "Hirite" is thought by some a transcriber's error for "Horite." instead of "mules" (Gen 36:24) translate yemin "water springs"; not as Luther, "he invented mules" (Lev 19:19), but "discovered hotsprings" (so Vulgate and Syriac vers.) of which there are several S.E. of the Dead Sea, e.g. Callirrhoe in the wady Zerka Maein; another in wad…
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia