Person Old Testament
Husham
Husham was a king of Edom who reigned before the Israelites had kings, according to the genealogies in Genesis and 1 Chronicles. Mentioned in 4 verses across 2 books, first at Genesis 36:34.
Why it matters. A king of Edom.
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Husham
Husham is mentioned in the genealogies of Edom in Gen.36.34-35 and 1Ch.1.45-46. He was one of the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king reigned.
According to the records, Husham succeeded Jobab as king of Edom. He was from the land of the Temanites, a region within Edom known for its wisdom (Jer.49.7; Oba.1.9).
After Husham's death, Hadad, son of Bedad, who defeated Midian in the country of Moab, succeeded him as king. The mention of these kings and their territories provides insight into the political structure and history of Edom.
The inclusion of Edomite kings in the biblical genealogies is significant, as it demonstrates the relationship between the Edomites and the Israelites. The Edomites were descendants of Esau, the twin brother of Israel (or 'Jacob') (Israel), and the two nations had a complex history of conflict and coexistence.
These genealogies also serve to highlight the fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham that he would be the father of many nations (Gen.17.4-6), as well as the prophecy given to Rebekah that two nations would come from her sons, Jacob and Esau (Gen.25.23).
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.
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Appears in Scripture
Named in 4 verses across 2 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.