The family line
Genesis identifies Amalek as a son of Eliphaz, the son of Esau. Timna was Amalek’s mother. That places Amalek within the descendants of Esau rather than the descendants of Ishmael.
A chronological question in Genesis 14
There is another detail that deserves separate attention. Genesis 14 refers to “the country of the Amalekites” during the account of Abram and the war of the kings. That occurs before the later genealogy introduces Amalek as Esau’s grandson.
The genealogy itself is clear about Amalek’s descent. The earlier geographic wording creates a question about the name used for that country. This research does not need to force those two observations into a claim the text itself does not make.
Keep genealogy and geography distinct
For the study, the safest distinction is simple: when asking who Amalek was descended from, Genesis 36 supplies the family line. When examining why Genesis 14 uses the geographic name earlier, that is a separate chronological and textual question.
Study the sources
Bible: Genesis 36:12, 16 for Amalek’s genealogy; Genesis 14:7 for the earlier geographic reference.
This page separates what the biblical text states from the chronological connections being examined in Will Salas's research. The current book project is not yet a published book.