Genesis 26:34
When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easy to miss here is the deliberate echo of Isaac's own marriage age. Just as Isaac was forty when he married Rebekah, Esau also marries at forty, but he chooses Hittite women, directly defying God's command to Abraham and Isaac to separate from the Canaanites and seek a wife for Isaac from their own people. This choice highlights Esau's disregard for his family's spiritual heritage, setting him on a path of rebellion.
This verse marks a significant moment in Esau's life, occurring just after Isaac's experiences in Gerar and his reaffirmation of God's covenant at Beersheba. Esau, now forty years old, chooses wives from the Hittites, a people native to the land but not part of God's chosen lineage. This decision directly contrasts with the earlier instruction for Abraham and Isaac to seek wives for Isaac from their own people, setting the stage for future conflict and Esau's eventual rejection by God.
Esau, the firstborn, chose wives from the very people Abraham warned against. What does this tell us about his heart and his place in God's plan?
At forty years old, Esau took Judith and Basemath, daughters of Hittite men, as his wives.
This act, noted in Genesis 26:34, was a direct contradiction to the deep-seated instructions given by his grandfather, Abraham. Remember Abraham's charge to his servant in Genesis 24:3? He was adamant that Isaac should not marry a Canaanite woman, fearing they were too distant from God's covenant and blessing.
Esau's choice to marry Hittite women, who were part of the broader Canaanite population, wasn't just a personal preference. It signaled a disregard for the unique covenant relationship his family had with God. These were people under Noah's curse, not inheritors of Abraham's promised blessing. By marrying them, Esau deliberately chose a path that separated him from the lineage God was carefully establishing through Isaac and Rebekah.
Esau's marriages weren't just a personal choice; they deeply wounded his parents. What does this parental grief reveal about the spiritual implications of Esau's decision?
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The text doesn't leave us guessing about the impact of Esau's choices. Genesis 26:35 explicitly states, 'These two Hittite wives were a bitterness of spirit to Isaac and Rebekah.'
This wasn't just mild disappointment. It was a profound grief, a 'bitterness of spirit.' Think about what this means:
Understand the original words
chitti · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
An inhabitant of the land of Heth (Canaan). In the patriarchal narratives, the Hittites represent the surrounding pagan culture with which God’s people were forbidden to intermarry to preserve their spiritual and covenantal distinctness.
Esau's decision to marry Hittite women at forty was a significant step away from the lineage of faith established by his grandfather Abraham. This choice not only caused immediate grief to his parents but also set him on a path that ultimately led to him forfeiting the primary covenant blessings passed through his brother Jacob.
c. 2000 BC
Abraham settles in Canaan
Abraham, the grandfather of Esau, was commanded by God to settle in the land of Canaan, which was inhabited by various peoples, including the Hittites. He was warned against taking wives for his descendants from these Canaanite peoples.
c. 1800 BC
Isaac marries Rebekah
Isaac, Abraham's son, married Rebekah. She was from Abraham's extended family in Mesopotamia, not from the Canaanites, following the divine instruction.
c. 1770 BC
Isaac sojourns in Gerar
During a famine, Isaac sojourned in the land of the Philistines, near the Hittites. He was blessed by God and became prosperous, despite attempts by the locals to hinder him.
c. 1770 BC— this verse
Esau's Hittite Marriages
At the age of forty, Esau married two Hittite women, Judith and Basemath. This act directly contradicted the promises and instructions given to Abraham and Isaac regarding marriage within the chosen lineage.
c. 1770 BC
Grief to Isaac and Rebekah
Esau's choice of wives brought deep sorrow and distress to his parents, Isaac and Rebekah, as these marriages aligned Esau with peoples outside of God's covenant promises.
c. 1750 BC
Jacob receives the patriarchal blessing
Later, Esau's twin brother Jacob, through Isaac's deception, received the primary patriarchal blessing intended for the continuation of God's covenant promises. Esau's earlier choices likely played a role in his father's perception of his spiritual maturity.
This verse directly follows Esau's disastrous marriages, highlighting how Rebekah lamented that Jacob might also marry among the Hittites, showing the deep distress these unions caused.
Deuteronomy 7:3-4This passage from the Law reiterates God's command against intermarrying with the surrounding nations, providing the theological context for why Esau's choices were so problematic and displeasing to God and his parents.
Judges 3:5-6This verse describes the Israelites intermarrying with the Canaanites and serving their gods, illustrating the negative consequences and the dilution of faith that resulted from such unions, a path Esau was setting his family on.
Genesis 24:3This verse shows Abraham's strong charge to his servant to find a wife for Isaac from his own kin, not from the Canaanites, directly contrasting with Esau's choices and underscoring the importance of marital fidelity to God's covenant.
clarkeGenesis 26:34: "And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:"
He took to wife - the daughter, etc. - It is very likely that the wives taken by Esau were daughters of chiefs among the Hittites, and by this union he sought to increase and strengthen his secular power and influence.
ellicottGenesis 26:34: "And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:"
ESAU’S MARRIAGE WITH CANAANITISH WOMEN.
What's easy to miss here is the deliberate echo of Isaac's own marriage age. Just as Isaac was forty when he married Rebekah, Esau also marries at forty, but he chooses Hittite women, directly defying God's command to Abraham and Isaac to separate from the Canaanites and seek a wife for Isaac from their own people. This choice highlights Esau's disregard for his family's spiritual heritage, setting him on a path of rebellion.
This verse marks a significant moment in Esau's life, occurring just after Isaac's experiences in Gerar and his reaffirmation of God's covenant at Beersheba. Esau, now forty years old, chooses wives from the Hittites, a people native to the land but not part of God's chosen lineage. This decision directly contrasts with the earlier instruction for Abraham and Isaac to seek wives for Isaac from their own people, setting the stage for future conflict and Esau's eventual rejection by God.
This verse marks a significant moment in Esau's life, occurring just after Isaac's experiences in Gerar and his reaffirmation of God's covenant at Beersheba. Esau, now forty years old, chooses wives from the Hittites, a people native to the land but not part of God's chosen lineage. This decision directly contrasts with the earlier instruction for Abraham and Isaac to seek wives for Isaac from their own people, setting the stage for future conflict and Esau's eventual rejection by God.
"When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite," — What's easy to miss here is the deliberate echo of Isaac's own marriage age. Just as Isaac was forty when he married Rebekah, Esau also marries at forty, but he chooses Hittite women, directly defyin…
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