Was Timna a concubine, or a son of Eliphaz?
Chronicles gives Genesis 36:11–12 in short, naming Timna with Amalek her son.
The Passages
Genesis 36:12
1 Chronicles 1:36
See Also
Genesis 36:11
Genesis 36:40
The Difficulty
Genesis says, “Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau’s son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek” (Genesis 36:12). Chronicles lists her among his sons: “The sons of Eliphaz; Teman, and Omar, Zephi, and Gatam, Kenaz, and Timna, and Amalek” (1 Chronicles 1:36).
The Answer
Preferred: Chronicles gives Genesis 36:11–12 in short, as it gives the rest of Genesis 36. Genesis names the five sons of Eliphaz (36:11), then Timna, and Amalek whom she bare him; Chronicles keeps the names in the same order and leaves out the words between. Timna is named with Amalek as his mother (Gill), not as a son.
Also given: That Eliphaz had also a son named Timna. Gill cites a Jewish writer who thought Timna died bearing a second son, who was named for her; and there was a “duke Timnah” among the dukes of Esau (Genesis 36:40).
Sources
-
only it should be observed, that Timna, v. 36. is not the name of a man, but was the concubine of Eliphaz, the eldest son of Esau, and the mother of Amalek, Gen. xxxvi. 12.
Checked against: Internet Archive scan of the first edition, 2026-10-28 -
Timna the concubine of Eliphaz, after she had bore Amalek, conceived and bore another son, and she dying in child-birth, he called it by her name to perpetuate her memory
Checked against: Internet Archive scan of the first edition, 2026-10-28
