Place Old Testament
Pau
Also known as Pai =ESV, KJV; Pau =NIV
Pau, also known as Pai, was a city in Edom mentioned in the genealogy of Edomite kings. Mentioned in 2 verses across 2 books, first at Genesis 36:39.
Why it matters. A city in Edom
- Primary passages
- Location
- 30.735, 35.606 (approximate, within about 2 km)
Coordinates from STEPBible TIPNR (palopenmaps.org link). Approximate; not independently verified.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Pau
Pau, also referred to as Pai, was a city in the land of Edom, located south of the Dead Sea in modern-day Jordan. It is mentioned twice in the Old Testament, both times in the context of the genealogy of Edomite kings (Gen. 36:39; 1Chr. 1:50). In these passages, Hadar (or Hadad) is listed as the king of Edom who died, and Pau is named as the city from which his successor, Mehetabel, came. The name "Pau" or "Pai" is of uncertain meaning and etymology. Apart from these genealogical references, no further information about the city or its history is provided in the Bible. The exact location of Pau remains unknown, as there are no conclusive archaeological findings that can be linked to this ancient Edomite city.
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.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 2 verses across 2 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.