Person Old Testament
Bilhan
Bilhan, a descendant of Esau, was one of the chiefs of Edom. Mentioned in 2 verses across 2 books, first at Genesis 36:27.
Why it matters. Descendant of Esau and chief of Edom
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Bilhan
Bilhan was a descendant of Esau, brother of Israel (or 'Jacob')'s brother, and one of the chiefs of Edom (Gen. 36:27; 1Ch. 1:42). Esau, also known as Edom, settled in the hill country of Seir and became the ancestor of the Edomites (Gen. 36:8-9). The Edomites were the southeastern neighbors of the Israelites and were known for their wisdom and military prowess (Jer. 49:7; Obad. 1:8-9). Bilhan's mention as a chief suggests that he held a position of authority and leadership among the Edomites. The listing of Edomite chiefs in Genesis and Chronicles demonstrates the political and social organization of Edom and its development as a nation distinct from Israel.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Family
Family links from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0). Where the dataset marks an identification as uncertain, the mark is kept. Matthew and Luke give different genealogies for Jesus; see the Lineage page, which never merges them.
- Parents
- Ezer
Appears in Scripture
Named in 2 verses across 2 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.