Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Genesis 36:24
And these [are] the children of Zibeon; both Ajah, and Anah: this [was that] Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.
24. Zibeon ] means “an hyaena.”
Anah ] See note on Gen 36:2. Whether son or brother ( Gen 36:20) of Zibeon, Anah stands for a clan.
the hot springs ] There must have been some well-known story about Anah and his discovery of certain hot springs, while he was, like Saul in 1 Samuel 9, searching for strayed asses. Hot springs are found not far from the pilgrim road to Mecca. The tradition probably claimed their possession for the clan of Anah.
The word for “hot springs” presented a difficulty. The A.V. and Luther render “mules,” and LXX makes it a proper name , while Targ. Onk. renders “the Emim”; but Lat. aquas calidas correctly.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 24. This was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness] The words eth kaiyemim, here translated mules, has given rise to a great variety of conjectures and discordant opinions. St. Jerome, who renders it aquas calidas, warm springs, or hot baths, says there are as many opinions concerning it as there are commentators.
The Septuagint has , which seems to be the name of a man; but this is expressed in a great variety of ways in different MSS. of that version.
The Syriac renders it [Syriac] maye, waters; the author of this version having read in the Hebrew copy from which he translated. mayim, waters, for yemim, the two first letters being transposed.
Onkelos translates the word gibbaraiya, giants, or strong or powerful men.
The Samaritan text has [Samaritan] haaimim, and the Samaritan version [Samaritan] am aimai, the Emim, a warlike people, bordering upon the Horites.
The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel paraphrases the place thus: “This is the Anah who united the onager with the tame ass, and in process of time he found mules produced by them.” R. D. Kimchi says, that “Zibeon was both the father and brother of Anah; and this Anah, intent on heterogeneous mixtures, caused asses and horses to copulate, and so produced mules.” R. S. Jarchi is of the same opinion. See his comment on this place.
Bochart believes the Emim are meant; and argues forcibly,
1. That matsa, he found, never signifies to invent, but rather the meeting with or happening on a thing which already exists.
2. That mules are never called yemim in the Scriptures, but peradim.
3. That Anah fed ASSES only, not horses. And,
4. That there is no mention of mules in Palestine till the days of David.
From the whole he concludes that the Emim are meant, with whom Anah fought; and he brings many places of Scripture where the same form of expression, he or they found, signifies the onset to battle, Jdg 1:5; 1Sa 31:3; 1Kg 13:24; 2Ch 22:8; Nu 35:27; Ge 4:14; with many others. See the Hierozoicon, vol. i., cap. 21, p. 23S., edit. 1692.
Gusset, in Comment. Heb. Ling., examines what Bochart has asserted, and supposes that mules, not the Emim, were found by Anah.
Wagenseil would credit what Bochart has asserted, did not stronger reasons lead him to believe that the word means a sort of plant!
From the above opinions and versions the reader may choose which he likes best, or invent one for himself. My own opinion is, that mules were not known before the time of Anah; and that he was probably the first who coupled the mare and ass together to produce this mongrel, or the first who met with creatures of this race in some very secluded part of the wilderness. Is it not probable that from this Anah, or enah, the Enetae derived at least their fabulous origin, whom Homer mentions as famous for their race of wild mules?
‘ ,
, .
IL., lib. ii., v. 852.
The Paphlagonians Pylaemenes rules,
Where rich HENETIA breeds her SAVAGE MULES.
POPE.
The Enetae or Henetae, who were a people contiguous to Paphlagonia, Cappadocia, and Galatia, might have derived their origin from this Anah, or Henah, out of which the of the ancient Greek writers might have been formed; and according to Theophrastus, Strabo, and Plutarch, the first mules were seen among these people. See Ludov, De Dieu and Scheuchzer.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Mules; so most understand the word Jemim, which is no where else used, and give this sense of it, that he found out the way of the generation of mules by the copulation of a horse and a mare. Others render it waters, that he found out some springs of water, which in those hot countries were rare and precious; or hot waters, some hot and medicinal springs. But the Chaldee renders it giants, and the Samaritan version Emims, a sort of giants mentioned Deu 2:10,11; who also were neighbours to the Horites here spoken of, as appears from Gen 14:5,6; and therefore might, according to the manner of those times, make inroads one upon another. So Jemim is put for Emim, either by an apocope of the first letter, or by the change of the Hebrew letter Jod into Aleph, both which are frequent among the Hebrews. And the sense is, that Anah the Horite found out the Emims; that is, he met with them, or came upon them suddenly, and smote them. In this sense the word finding is oft used, as Jdg 1:5; 1Sa 31:3; Psa 21:8; Isa 10:10.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
24. This was that Anah that foundthe mules in the wildernessThe word “mules” is, inseveral ancient versions, rendered “water springs”; andthis discovery of some remarkable fountain was sufficient, among awandering or pastoral people, to entitle him to such a distinguishingnotice.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And these are the children of Zibeon,…. The third son of Self, and who had two sons;
both Ajah and Anah; of the latter it is observed:
this [was that] Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father; who observed, while he was feeding his father’s asses in the wilderness, that the he asses coupled with mares, or horses with the she asses, and produced another sort of creatures called mules; and by this means found out the way how such creatures might be produced, and practised it: so Aelianus says d, that mules are not the produce of nature, but you may call it an adulterous invention of human contrivance and boldness, and a theft: this is the common interpretation, and to which our version leads: but against it it may be observed, that the word for “mules” is different from this here used, nor is this word ever used of mules, nor does it appear that there were any creatures of this sort before the days of David; nor is the word translated “found” ever used of that which before was not in being, but of what already existed; nor is there any mention of horses or mares in this account also; had it referred to a mixture of these creatures with asses, it would not have been omitted. Some think therefore the words are to be rendered, “he found waters in the wilderness”; sources and collections of waters which were not usual in a wilderness, and of great worth and use in desert lands, as Edom was, and in those hot countries, and the Vulgate Latin version renders it, “hot waters”; but then to the fixing of either of these versions, the word must be altered either in its points or letters, for which there is no authority. The Targum of Onkelos renders it mighty ones or giants, and may signify the “Emim”, the “aleph” being changed for “yod”, as Aben Ezra observes; and then the sense is, that these gigantic people, who were so called from the terror they taught upon their neighbours, and, who dwelt near the Horim in Seir, De 2:10, as they used to steal from their flocks, Anah lighted on them in the wilderness, and fell upon them, and took them; and with this agrees the Samaritan version, “he found giants, in the wilderness”; and so Abendana interprets the words: Aben Ezra observes that many interpret the word of plants or herbs; and a very learned e man is of opinion that the word used is the name of an useful herb or plant, first discovered by Anah. This Anah, though a keeper of his father’s asses, is afterwards called Duke Anah; it being the custom of the sons of great personages to be the keepers of flocks and herds;
[See comments on Ge 29:9].
d De Animal. l. 12. c. 16. e Wagenseil, in Sota, p. 217, 218.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
24. This was that Anah that found the mules. Mules are the adulterous offspring of the horse and the ass. Moses says that Anal was the author of this connection. (131) But I do not consider this as said in praise of his industry; for the Lord has not in vain distinguished the different kinds of animals from the beginning. But since the vanity of the flesh often solicits the children of this world, so that they apply their minds to superfluous matters, Moses marks this unnatural pursuit in Anah, who did not think it sufficient to have a great number of animals; but he must add to them a degenerate race produced by unnatural intercourse. Moreover, we learn hence, that there is more moderation among brute animals in following the law of nature, than in men, who invent vicious admixtures.
(131) The word ימים, rendered mules by our translators, and by Calvin, is of doubtful signification; it occurs in this place only. It is by many commentators translated “waters,” or “warm springs;” and probably this interpretation is to be preferred. The reader may see the question discussed in Professor Bush’s note on this verse. — Ed
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(24) Anah that found the mules.Mules is the traditional rendering of the Jews; but as horses were at this date unknown in Palestine, Anah could not have discovered the art of crossing them with asses, and so producing mules. Jerome, moreover, says that the word in Punic, a language allied to Hebrew, means hot springs; and this translation is now generally adopted. Lange gives a list of hot springs in the Edomite region, of which those of Calirrhoe, the stream of beauty, in the Wady Zerka Maion, are probably those found by Anah.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 36:24. Found the mules, &c. It is difficult to come at the true meaning of this piece of ancient history. The rabbins, whom our version follows, render the word in the original iemim, mules: the Vulgate renders it, aquas calidas, hot waters: but the interpretation of Bochart seems far the best, namely, that imim is the name of a people, probably the same as the gigantic Emim, mentioned Deu 2:11. Accordingly the Targum renders it here by a word signifying giants, and Aquila and Symmachus retain the Hebrew name , the Emim; so that the passage should be rendered, who found, lighted upon, the Emims in the desert, who possibly attacked him there, when feeding, with his servants, his father’s asses; these Emims, it is not unlikely, being a kind of free-booters, and used to make such excursions. The word , matsa, rendered found, when applied to enemies, is used, for lighting upon, or even attacking them suddenly. See Parkhurst’s Lexicon, or Bochart, vol. 2: p. 238. Houbigant renders the passage, qui dimicavit in deserto contra Emaeos,who fought against the Emims in the wilderness, in agreement with the above interpretation.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Gen 36:24 And these [are] the children of Zibeon; both Ajah, and Anah: this [was that] Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.
Ver. 24. That found the mules. ] By breeding different kinds together, contrary to Lev 19:19 . Neither did the world, till then, want any perfect kind of creature; for the mule and the ass differ not, but only in degree. The Greeks call mules half-asses. a See here, saith one, b the busy curiosity of some men’s natures, given to new and strange inventions. So he that taught a parrot in Rome to repeat the Creed, every article in order, and by itself, distinctly. c Another, that painted the whole story of our Savour’s passion, both for persons and things, upon the nails of his own fingers. Had not he little to do, that learned to write a fair hand with his feet? Heidfeld saith he saw it with wonderment. And he d as little, that enclosed Homer’s Iliads written in a nut? which Cicero tells us he saw with his eyes. These were laborious toys, quae nec ignoranti nocent, nec scientem iuvant, as Seneca saith e of sophistry. Hard they are to come by; but of no use or worth: like an olive, or date stone; hard to crack the one, or cleave the other: but nothing, or nothing worth aught, when cracked or cloven, within either, f This same foolish wittiness Alexander wittily scoffed, when he gave a fellow only a bushel of peas, for his pains of throwing, every time, a pea upon a needle’s point, standing a pretty way off.
a H .
b Bp. Babington.
c Fuit olim psittacus Romae aureis centum comparatus, &c. – C. Rhodig., lib. ii. cap. 32.
d Maiolus, in Canic., coloq. 23.
e Sphinx Phil., p. 785.
f Plin., lib. vii. cap. 12.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
both. Some codices, with Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint, and Syriac, omit “both”.
found. Heb, matza, to happen on, discover (not invent); to find (not find out).
mul
es. Hab. hayyemim, hot springs (with Vulgate and Syriac), hence Anah got the name of Beeri from Beer, a well, Compare Gen 26:34; and to distinguish him from the Anah of Gen 36:20.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
found: Lev 19:19, Deu 2:10, 2Sa 13:29, 2Sa 18:9, 1Ki 1:38, 1Ki 1:44, 1Ki 4:28, Zec 14:15
Reciprocal: 1Ki 10:25 – and mules 1Ch 1:40 – Aiah
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 36:24. Found mules As the Hebrew word, here rendered mules, occurs nowhere else in Scripture, it is difficult to ascertain the meaning of this passage. Various have been the conjectures concerning what it was that Anah found. Some render the word waters, or hot waters, and understand the meaning to be, that he found some springs of water which in those hot countries were both rare and valuable, or some hot and medicinal springs. But the Chaldee renders it giants, and the Samaritan version Emims, a sort of giants mentioned Deu 2:10-11, who were neighbours to the Horites, here spoken of, (Gen 14:5-6,) and therefore, according to the manner of those times, might make inroads upon them. It has been generally supposed, however, that our translators are right, and that, in keeping asses, he discovered the method of breeding mules; probably by accident.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
36:24 And these [are] the children of Zibeon; both Ajah, and Anah: this [was that] Anah that found the {f} mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.
(f) Who not contented with those kinds of beasts, which God had created, discovered the monstrous generation of mules between the ass and the mare.