Samlah is mentioned inGenesis 36:36-37and1 Chronicles 1:47-48as one of the kings who reigned in Edom before Israel had kings. He was from the city of Masrekah and succeeded Hadad, son of Bedad, as king of Edom. After Samlah's death, Shaul from Rehoboth on the River succeeded him as king. The genealogies in Genesis 36 and 1 Chronicles 1 list the descendants of Esau, who was Jacob's brother, and the kings who ruled in Edom. These kings were not necessarily related to each other, and their reigns were not dynastic. The mention of these kings demonstrates Edom's political organization and its existence as a nation before Israel had a centralized monarchy. Samlah's inclusion in these lists provides a glimpse into the history of Edom and its relationship with Israel.
Samlah
EnglishA king of Edom living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.36.36.