Reuel was the second son of Esau and his wife Bashemath (daughter of Ishmael). He became the father of four sons who served as tribal chiefs in Edom. Through his lineage, he connected the family lines of Esau and Ishmael and played an important role in early Edomite history.
6Esau took his wives, his sons and daughters, and everyone in his household, along with his livestock, all his animals, and all the property he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and he moved to another land, away from his brother Jacob.
Reuel's sons became clan chiefs in Edom: Chief Nahath, Chief Zerah, Chief Shammah, and Chief Mizzah. These are counted as Reuel's chiefs in the land of Edom.
17These were the sons of Esau's son Reuel: Chief Nahath, Chief Zerah, Chief Shammah, Chief Mizzah. These were the chiefs descended from Reuel in the land of Edom; they were the descendants of Esau's wife Basemath.
Reuel is mentioned as part of Esau's genealogy, showing that Esau was the ancestor of Edom and that his descendants became a great people in the hill country of Seir.
2Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah daughter of Anah, granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite,[^1]
[^1]: The Hebrew reads "daughter of Zibeon"; according to verses 24–25 Zibeon was Anah's father, so "granddaughter" is intended.