Origin of Name:
The name Edom, “red,” comes from it’s founder Esau, who was also called by the name “Edom” either because of the color of his skin (Genesis 25:25) or because of the color of the pottage for which he sold his birthright (Genesis 25:30). In Genesis 36:8 Esau is equated with Edom as living in Mt. Seir; and he is described as the father of Edom (36:9, Hebrew).
History of Edom:
The children of Esau are said to have “destroyed” the Horites who lived in Seir before them (Genesis 14:6; Deuteronomy 2:22). Esau married the daughter of Anah, a Horite (Genesis 36:20–in verse 2 he is called a Hivite); and the lists in this chapter show that the races intermingled. The Horite government was in the hands of “dukes” (Genesis 36:29). They were succeeded by dukes of the house of Esau (Genesis 36:40). This form of government gave way to that of an elective monarchy (Genesis 36:31); and this had existed sometime before Israel left the wilderness. The then reigning king would not permit Israel to pass through the land (Numbers 20:14; 21:4). Israel was forbidden to “abhor an Edomite,” on the ground that he was a brother and the third generation of their children could enter into the assembly of the Lord (Deuteronomy 23:7). So war with Edom was out of the question.
Some thirty years after the Exodus, it is recorded that Ramses III “smote the people of Seir.” The Israelites could not have been far off. We first hear of war between Israel and Edom under Saul (1 Samuel 14:47). David prosecuted the war with terrific energy, slaying 18,000 Edomites (The “Syrians” referenced in this passage) in the Valley of Salt (2 Samuel 8:13); Joab remaining for six months in the country, which was garrisoned by Israelites, “until he had cut off every male in Edom” (1 Kings 11:15). Hadad of the blood royal of Edom escaped to Egypt, and later became a source of trouble to Solomon (1 Kings 11:14,25). Edom’s downfall opened the ports of the Red Sea to Israel, which allowed for Solomon and Jehoshaphat future expeditions. In Jehoshaphat’s time the king is called a “deputy” (1 Kings 22:47). Its king acknowledged the supremacy of Judah (2 Kings 3:9). Under Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat, Edom revolted. Jehoram defeated them at Zair, but was unable to quell the rebellion (2 Kings 8:20). Amaziah invaded the country, slew 10,000 in the Valley of Salt, and took Sela which he named Joktheel (2 Kings 14:7). Uzziah restored the Edomite port of Elath (2 Kings 14:22). In the Syrian war Rezin regained Elath for Syria, and cast out the Jews. It was then permanently occupied by Syrians–here also probably we should read Edomites (2 Kings 16:6). From the cuneiform inscriptions, we learn that when Tiglath-pileser subdued Rezin, among the kings from whom he received homage at Damascus was Kaus-malaka of Edom (736 BC). Later Malik-ram paid homage to Sennacherib. They were compelled to render service to Esarhaddon as well. They gave what help they could to Nebuchadnezzar, and celebrated the destruction of Jerusalem, stirring the bitterest indignation in the hearts of the Jews (Lamentations 4:21; Ezekiel 25:12; 35:3; Obadiah 1:10). The Edomites pressed into the now empty lands in the South of Judah. In 300 BC Mt. Seir with its capital Petra fell into the hands of the Nabateans.
Idumaea and the Idumeans:
West of the `Arabah the country they occupied came to be known by the Greek name Idumaea, and the people as Idumeans. Hebron, their chief city, was taken by Judas Maccabeus in 165 BC (1 Macc 4:29,61; 5:65). In 126 BC the country was subdued by John Hyrcanus, who compelled the people to become Jews and to submit to circumcision. Antipater, governor of Idumaea, was made procurator of Judea, Samaria and Galilee by Julius Caesar. He paved the way to the throne for his son Herod the Great. With the fall of Judah under the Romans, Idumaea disappears from history.
Territory:
The boundaries of Edom may be traced with some approach to accuracy. On the East of the `Arabah the northern border ran from the Dead Sea, and was marked by Wady el-Kurachi, or Wady el-Chasa. On the East it marched with the desert. The southern border ran by Elath and Ezion-geber (Deuteronomy 2:8). On the West of the `Arabah the north boundary of Edom is determined by the south border of Israel, as indicated in Numbers 34:3. Lastly there is a line running from the Salt Sea southward of the Ascent of Akrabbim to Zin and Kadesh-barnea. We are told this lays in the “uttermost” of the border of Edom (Numbers 20:16). The line may be generally indicated by the course of Wady el-Fiqrah. It is impossible to say how much of the uplands West of the `Arabah and southward to the Gulf of `Aqaba were included in Edom.