Edom

Ee´duhm

A name derived from the Semitic root meaning “red,” “ruddy.” 1 A descendant of Esau (Gen 36:1; Gen 36:8), the brother of Jacob-Israel, and the elder of the twin sons of Isaac and Rebekah (Gen 25:19-26). Esau-Seir is the ancestor of the Edomites in the same way that Jacob-Israel is the eponym of the Israelites. 2 The area situated south of the Dead Sea on both sides of Wadi Arabah because of the reddish color of the sandstone of that district. In biblical passages the country of Edom stands in apposition to the land of Seir (Gen 32:3; Gen 36:8; Judg 5:4).