אֱדוֹם H0123
Edom — Esau's byname meaning 'red,' and by extension the nation, territory, and people descended from him southeast of the Dead Sea
Edom functions simultaneously as a personal name for Esau and as the designation for his descendants and their territory in the rugged highlands southeast of the Dead Sea. The etymology is anchored in Genesis 25:30, where Esau begs for 'that red stuff' (ha-adom) and earns the nickname. Across 100 occurrences the name covers the patriarch himself (Gen 36:1, 8), the nation collectively (Num 20:18-21; 2 Sam 8:14), and the land as a geographical entity (Gen 32:3; Jer 49:17). Prophetic literature turns Edom into a type of hostile opposition to God's people — Obadiah's entire oracle targets Edom, and Malachi 1:4 portrays its desolation as proof of divine judgment.
Senses
1. [split] Edom (person and nation) — The proper name Edom, from the root '-d-m ('red'), given to Esau after he traded his birthright for red lentil stew (Gen 25:30). The name extends to Esau's descendants as a people (Num 20:18-21; 1 Sam 14:47), their mountain territory southeast of the Dead Sea (Gen 32:3; 36:9), and the king who represents them (Num 20:18). In prophetic discourse Edom becomes emblematic of opposition to Israel, subject to oracles of judgment in Obadiah, Jeremiah 49, and Ezekiel 25. Spanish, French, and German all transliterate as 'Edom,' while the Septuagint renders it Edom or Idoumaia for the region. 1×
AR["أَدُوم", "أَدُومَ", "أَدُومُ"]·ben["ইদোম", "ইদোমের"]·DE["Edom", "Edoms"]·EN["Edom"]·FR["Édom"]·heb["אדום"]·HI["एदोम", "एदोम-की", "एदोम-के", "एदोम-ने"]·ID["Edom"]·IT["Edom"]·jav["Edom", "Èdom", "Édom"]·KO["에돔", "에돔-이", "에돔의", "에돔이다", "에돔이라"]·PT["'Edom", "'Edom;"]·RU["Едом", "Едома", "Эдом", "Эдома"]·ES["Edom"]·SW["Edom", "Edomu", "wa-Edomu", "ya-Edomu"]·TR["Edom", "Edom'un"]·urd["ادوم", "ادوم-کا", "ادوم-کے"]
1. Edom (nation, territory, people) — Split from sense 80027. Criteria: The nation descended from Esau, their territory south of the Dead Sea, or the collective people; prophetic oracles against Edom; political/military contexts (Num 20:14-21; 1 Sam 14:47; Obadiah) 96×
AR["أَدومَ", "أَدُوم", "أَدُومَ", "أَدُومُ"]·ben["ইদোম", "ইদোমের"]·DE["Edom", "Edoms"]·EN["Edom"]·FR["Édom"]·heb["אדום"]·HI["एदोम", "एदोम-की", "एदोम-के", "एदोम-ने"]·ID["Edom"]·IT["Edom"]·jav["Edom", "Èdom", "Édom"]·KO["에돔", "에돔-이", "에돔의", "에돔이다"]·PT["'Edom", "'Edom;", "Edom"]·RU["Едома", "Эдом", "Эдома"]·ES["Edom"]·SW["Edom", "Edomu", "wa-Edomu", "ya-Edomu"]·TR["Edom", "Edom'un", "Edomun"]·urd["ادوم", "ادوم-کا", "ادوم-کی", "ادوم-کے"]
2. Edom (Esau the person) — Split from sense 80027. Criteria: Personal name referring to Jacob's twin brother Esau; contexts of Genesis narratives where Esau/Edom is an individual character (Gen 25:30; 36:1, 8) 3×
AR["أَدُومَ", "أَدُومُ"]·ben["ইদোম"]·DE["Edom"]·EN["Edom"]·FR["Édom"]·heb["אדום"]·HI["एदोम"]·ID["Edom"]·IT["Edom"]·jav["Edom", "Édom"]·KO["에돔이다", "에돔이라"]·PT["'Edom"]·RU["Едом", "Эдом"]·ES["Edom"]·SW["Edom", "Edomu"]·TR["Edom"]·urd["ادوم"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
אֱדוֹם (†אֱדֹם Ez 25:14) n.pr.m. 1. Edom (name of a god? v. StaG.1, 121 RSSem 43; vid. n.pr. עבדאדם; but BaeRel 10 thinks dial. var. of אָדָם, בני אדום = בְנֵי אָדָם) = Esau, elderson of Isaac Gn 25:30 (J) (where etym. = red, cf. v 25 (E?) & sub אַדְמוֹנִי) 36:1, 8, 19 (P). 2. coll. (m. but f. Mal 1:4) Edomites, Idumeans as descend. of Esau Gn 36:9, 43 (P); also 1 S 14:47 + 31 textual + 2 S 8:13…