What is the meaning of Genesis 36:7?

For their possessions were too great

Genesis 36:6 has just detailed the wives, children, herds, and all the movable goods Esau owned. Verse 7 opens by telling us those combined assets were “too great.” Scripture often highlights how God’s material blessing can become so abundant that it reshapes living arrangements (Genesis 26:13–14 with Isaac; Genesis 30:43 with Jacob). Here, the text underscores sheer volume:

• Countless animals requiring pasture and water

• Servants, tents, and supplies expanding daily

• Two large family camps now matching or exceeding the scale once seen in Abram’s day (Genesis 13:2)

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for them to dwell together

The implication is straightforward: the brothers could not occupy the same space without strain. Earlier tension between Esau and Jacob (Genesis 27:41) had already pushed them toward physical distance, yet the narrator stresses practical necessity rather than personal bitterness. The pattern echoes Abram and Lot: “the land could not support them while they stayed together” (Genesis 13:6). Separation preserved peace and prevented the sort of strife Genesis 13:7 describes.

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the land where they stayed

At this moment Jacob is settling in Canaan while Esau gravitates toward Seir (Genesis 36:8). Canaan’s central hill country offers limited grazing and water; overgrazing would quickly exhaust it. Unlike Egypt’s irrigated Nile valley (cf. Genesis 47:6), Canaan relies on seasonal rains (Deuteronomy 11:11-12). The verse reminds readers that earthly territories have God-set limits, no matter how rich His people become (Psalm 24:1).

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could not support them

Support means sustain life—ample grass, water, and space for breeding. When population pressure rises, wisdom dictates relocation (Genesis 45:10-11; Exodus 18:17-18). By leaving, Esau avoids conflict and ensures both families thrive. The principle surfaces throughout Scripture: when resources stretch thin, God often opens a new place (Acts 8:1-4; Luke 9:12-17).

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because of their livestock

Livestock is the engine of their wealth (Genesis 31:10-12). Large herds consume:

• Pasture—overgrazed fields turn to dust

• Water—wells are finite (Genesis 26:18-22)

• Labor—shepherds need distance to manage flocks (Exodus 3:1)

Their animals, gifts from God (Psalm 104:14), are also responsibilities (Proverbs 27:23-27). Stewardship sometimes means moving on so God’s provision is not squandered. Esau’s choice to settle in Seir honors that stewardship and fulfills earlier prophecies about his territory (Genesis 25:23; Deuteronomy 2:5).

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summary

Genesis 36:7 records a practical, literal reason for Esau’s departure: God had blessed both brothers so richly that remaining side by side in the same stretch of Canaan would have damaged the land and stirred conflict. Their enormous herds demanded separate territories, echoing Abram and Lot’s earlier division. The verse reminds us that divine blessing brings responsibility, that land and resources have limits, and that wise, peace-loving stewardship sometimes requires a gracious parting of ways.