What does Genesis 36:31 mean?
This opens a passage listing those who ruled over Edom during a specific era: the years before Israel had any kings. It's unclear whether this era extended right up to the time of Israel's first king (1 Samuel 8:4–5) or if it happened much earlier.Esau (Genesis 36:1) and his family conquered the land of Seir (Genesis 14:6; Deuteronomy 2:12). His twin brother, Jacob, was renamed Israel (Genesis 35:10), but his descendants will not arrive in the Promised Land for several centuries (Exodus 1:1–5; 12:40), after which time they will be ruled by "judges," not kings (Judges 21:25).