Baal-hanan (Hebrew: בַּעַל חָנָן / בָּעַל חָנָן, Standard Baʿal Ḥanan Tiberian Baʿal Ḥānān / Bāʿal Ḥānān) means "Baal has been gracious".[1] There are two men by this name in the Hebrew Bible.
In Genesis 36:38–39, Baal-hanan is a King of Edom. He is also mentioned in the King List in Chronicles 1:49–50. He succeeded Shaul and was himself succeeded by Hadad. He was the son of Achbor.
He is called the son of Achbor; but the name of his native city is not given. For this and other reasons, Marqaurt supposes that "son of Achbor" is a duplicate of "son of Beor" (Gen. 36:32), and that "Baal-hanan" in the original text is given as the name of the father of the next king, Hadar.[2]
The date and even historicity[3] of his reign are unknown, as he is not mentioned in any other surviving source.
In the Books of Chronicles there is also a second man by this name, from the city of Geder. In Chronicles 27:28 he is described as being responsible to King David for the care of olive and sycamore trees.