anah Summary and Overview

speech. (1.) One of the sons of Seir, and head of an Idumean tribe, called a Horite, as in course of time all the branches of this tribe were called from their dwelling in caves in Mount Seir (Gen. 36:20, 29; 1 Chr. 1:38). (2.) One of the two sons of Zibeon the Horite, and father of Esau's wife Aholibamah (Gen. 36:18, 24).

(one who answers), the son of Zibeon and father of Aholibamah, one of Esau's wives. #Ge 36:2,14,25| He is supposed to have discovered the "hot springs" (not "mules," as in the Authorized Version) in the desert as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father. (B.C. 1797.)

A'NAH (answering), the father of Aholibamah, one of Esau's wives. Gen 36:2, 2 Kgs 22:14, Jud 6:24. The discovery of some warm springs (although in the A. V. the word is translated mules) is attributed to him.

Son of Zibeon, son of Seir the Horite; father of Aholibamah, Esau's wife (Genesis 36:2; Genesis 36:14; Genesis 36:20; Genesis 36:25). (See AHOLIBAMAH.) "Aholibamah, daughter of Ahab, daughter of Zibeon," is tantamount to granddaughter, i.e. descendant from Zibeon; not that Anah was "daughter of Zibeon," for Genesis 36:20 calls him" son (i.e. grandson) of Seir." Those descendants alone of Seir are enumerated who, being heads of tribes, were connected with Edom; so Anah is mentioned because he was head of a tribe, independently of his father. As sprung from Seir, he is called a "Horite," i.e. a dweller in caves or troglodyte; also a "Hivite," a branch of the Canaanites; also he is named "Beeri the Hittite," the "Hittites" being the general name for "Canaanites" (Genesis 26:34). "Hirite" is thought by some a transcriber's error for "Horite." instead of "mules" (Genesis 36:24) translate yemin "water springs"; not as Luther, "he invented mules" (Leviticus 19:19), but "discovered hotsprings" (so Vulgate and Syriac vers.) of which there are several S.E. of the Dead Sea, e.g. Callirrhoe in the wady Zerka Maein; another in wady el Ahsa, and in wady Hamad; whence he got the surname Beeri, or "the spring man." Judith is the same as Aholibamah.