Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Rebekah frames her entire plea around her disgust for the local women, but her real fear isn't that Jacob will marry someone "like these"—it's that he'll be killed by Esau due to the deception that just occurred. She cleverly uses a pre-existing concern of Isaac's (proper marriage for Jacob) as a cover for the immediate danger he's in.
Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following Jacob's deception to steal Esau's blessing, Rebekah now devises a plan for Jacob's escape. She tells Isaac she can no longer bear to live if Jacob marries one of the local Canaanite women, like Esau's wives. This prompts Isaac to call Jacob and send him to their relatives in Haran to find a wife, thereby setting the stage for the next phase of their story.
Why did Rebekah bring up the Hittite women at this specific moment? Was it genuine concern for Jacob's marriage, or something else entirely?
This verse reveals Rebekah's strategic use of a genuine concern to achieve a hidden agenda. Her stated fear – that Jacob might marry a Hittite woman like his brother Esau – wasn't entirely fabricated. Esau's marriages to Hittite women had indeed caused distress to Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 26:34-35). However, the immediate context shows that Jacob's departure is driven by the need to escape Esau's murderous rage after the deception of the blessing.
Rebekah uses the issue of marriage as a more palatable reason for Isaac, framing Jacob's potential departure as a way to prevent him from making a mistake like Esau, and thus securing a proper wife from their own family. It’s a blend of truth and deception, a common tactic when navigating difficult circumstances, but one that highlights the messy reality of human relationships even within God's plan.
Rebekah declares, 'what good shall my life be to me?' What does this intense statement reveal about the burden of her decisions and family dynamics?
Rebekah's desperate cry, 'what good shall my life be to me?' speaks volumes about the heavy toll of the family’s choices. It reflects a deep weariness with the ongoing tensions and potential future problems caused by intermarriage with the Canaanites, whom she viewed as spiritually incompatible.
This statement also underscores the profound impact of parental decisions on a family. Rebekah and Isaac's choices, including their favoritism and the methods used to secure the patriarchal blessing, have led to a fractured family where hatred and deception fester. Her lament isn't just about future marriages; it's about the present reality of a life filled with anxiety and unresolved conflict, a direct result of the path they've taken.
Ask a follow-up
Even with deception and flawed motives, God's plan for Jacob unfolds. How does this verse fit into the larger picture of His sovereign purpose?
While Rebekah's motives and methods are questionable – a mix of genuine fear and calculated deception – this moment is still part of God's unfolding plan. The commentators note that God's purpose for Jacob to be the progenitor of the chosen line was sovereign and would have been achieved regardless of human intervention. Rebekah’s actions, though flawed, ultimately serve to send Jacob away from the immediate danger of Esau and towards the lineage from which the Messiah would come.
This doesn't excuse the deceit. The Bible is unflinchingly honest about the failings of its heroes. Yet, it also demonstrates God's incredible grace in working through imperfect people and flawed situations. He can use our strategies, even our mistakes, to accomplish His eternal purposes, while still holding us accountable for our actions. The ultimate blessing was not derailed, even though the path was messy.
Understand the original words
quwts · Hebrew Verb
To feel intense aversion, disgust, or detestation. In a biblical context, it often expresses extreme distress or spiritual weariness resulting from sinful or undesirable circumstances.
chittiy · Hebrew Noun/Adjective
A general term referring to individuals belonging to the people group native to the land of Canaan. In the patriarchal narratives, marrying these women was discouraged due to their idolatrous religious practices and the risk of compromising the covenantal distinctiveness of the Abrahamic line.
chayyim · Hebrew Noun
The sphere of one’s existence, time on earth, or the capacity for breath and vitality. Biblically, it is viewed as a gift from God, and its quality is often tied to faithfulness to His covenant.
erets · Hebrew Noun
The geographical region promised by God to Abraham and his descendants. In the context of the patriarchal narratives, 'the land' often serves as a shorthand for the pagan, non-covenantal influences residing there that threatened the purity of the promised seed.
Rebekah's fear of her son Jacob marrying a local Canaanite woman ('Hittite woman' likely refers to Canaanites in general) is rooted in Abraham's earlier instructions and Esau's problematic marriages. This fear, combined with the need to protect Jacob from Esau's anger, motivates her to send Jacob away to find a wife from their own kin in Haran.
c. 1850 BC
Abraham's Marriage Instructions
Abraham instructs his servant to find a wife for his son Isaac from their own relatives in Mesopotamia, not from the Canaanites.
c. 1820 BC
Isaac Marries Rebekah
Isaac marries Rebekah, who is from Abraham's homeland in Aram-Naharaim (Mesopotamia).
c. 1790 BC
Esau Marries Hittite Women
Esau, Isaac and Rebekah's son, marries two Hittite women, Judith and Basemath, which deeply grieves Rebekah.
c. 1790 BC— this verse
Isaac Blesses Jacob
Through deception orchestrated by Rebekah, Jacob receives the patriarchal blessing intended for Esau. Rebekah uses her grief over Esau's wives as a pretext for sending Jacob away.
c. 1790 BC
Jacob Flees to Haran
Fearing Esau's wrath after Jacob stole the blessing, Rebekah urges Jacob to flee to her brother Laban in Haran to find a wife.
This passage directly precedes the concern Rebekah expresses, showing Esau's marriages to Hittite women as the source of grief for Isaac and Rebekah, setting the stage for her fear regarding Jacob.
Genesis 28:1-9This section continues the narrative and shows Isaac sending Jacob away to find a wife from Rebekah's family, fulfilling Rebekah's stated desire and demonstrating the outcome of her concerns.
Deuteronomy 7:3-4This command given later to the Israelites echoes Rebekah's fear, prohibiting marriage with surrounding nations whose worship and customs were contrary to God's ways, highlighting the theological importance of choosing a spouse from within the covenant community.
Ruth 1:4This verse shows a similar situation where men from Israel marry Moabite women, leading to sorrow and eventual loss for Naomi, illustrating the potential negative consequences of intermarriage that Rebekah feared.
2 Corinthians 6:14This New Testament passage speaks directly to the principle of not being unequally yoked with unbelievers, providing a spiritual parallel to Rebekah's concern about her son marrying someone outside of their faith community.
clarkeGenesis 27:46: "And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?"
I am weary of my life - It is very likely that Rebekah kept many of the circumstances related above from the knowledge of Isaac; but as Jacob could not go to Padan-aram without his knowledge, she appears here quite in her own character, framing an excuse for his depa…
ellicottGenesis 27:46: "And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?"
(46) Rebekah said to Isaac. —With this begins a new act. In the previous five verses we had the general results of Rebekah’s guile: we have now the special consequence of Jacob’s departure for Haran. Upon Rebekah’s communication to Isaac follows his decision in the n…
Rebekah frames her entire plea around her disgust for the local women, but her real fear isn't that Jacob will marry someone "like these"—it's that he'll be killed by Esau due to the deception that just occurred. She cleverly uses a pre-existing concern of Isaac's (proper marriage for Jacob) as a cover for the immediate danger he's in.
Following Jacob's deception to steal Esau's blessing, Rebekah now devises a plan for Jacob's escape. She tells Isaac she can no longer bear to live if Jacob marries one of the local Canaanite women, like Esau's wives. This prompts Isaac to call Jacob and send him to their relatives in Haran to find a wife, thereby setting the stage for the next phase of their story.
Following Jacob's deception to steal Esau's blessing, Rebekah now devises a plan for Jacob's escape. She tells Isaac she can no longer bear to live if Jacob marries one of the local Canaanite women, like Esau's wives. This prompts Isaac to call Jacob and send him to their relatives in Haran to find a wife, thereby setting the stage for the next phase of their story.
"Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?”" — Rebekah frames her entire plea around her disgust for the local women, but her real fear isn't that Jacob will marry someone "like these"—it's that he'll be killed by Esau due to the deception that…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026