Bedad

Bedad was the father of Hadad, a king of Edom named in Genesis 36:35 and 1 Chronicles 1:46. The king who defeated Midian in the country of Moab was his son Hadad; neither passage identifies Bedad himself as king.

Father of Hadad

The royal list says that Hadad succeeded Husham and names Avith as his city. These details concern Hadad. Bedad is mentioned to identify the king’s father, without a separate account of his own life.

The setting of the record

Genesis 36:31 introduces kings who ruled Edom before a king ruled the Israelites. This gives the setting of the list, but does not provide dates for Bedad’s birth or death, describe his character, or attribute military victories to him. The record places Edom within the biblical account of the nations; its brevity does not justify inventing a biography.

Biblical reference

And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith. (Genesis 36:35, KJV).