Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The text subtly highlights Esau’s superficial imitation of piety. He attempts to appease his father by marrying into Abraham’s lineage, but it’s a move motivated by a desire for favor, not genuine spiritual alignment, as he still keeps his previous wives and doesn't address the root of his parents’ disapproval.
Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After Isaac blesses Jacob and sends him away to find a wife among his relatives in Haran, Esau, realizing he has displeased his parents with his previous wives, also decides to seek a wife from Abraham's lineage. This leads Esau to marry Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth, further complicating the family's relationships and the fulfillment of God's promises. Esau's actions highlight a superficial attempt to please his parents rather than a genuine turning towards God.
Esau sees Jacob blessed and sent away to find a wife from his mother's family. What does Esau do in response?
Esau’s decision to marry Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, is presented as a reaction to Jacob’s blessing and his father Isaac's instructions. Esau had previously married Canaanite women, which displeased Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 26:34-35). Now, seeing Isaac charge Jacob to marry within their extended family and bless him, Esau attempts to rectify his past mistake. He marries Mahalath, who is related by blood through Abraham and Ishmael.
However, this action is not born from genuine faith or a desire to please God. It’s an attempt to win favor with his parents and perhaps secure a blessing for himself. The commentary notes highlight that Esau doesn't seek reconciliation with God or consider the spiritual implications of his choice, focusing instead on appeasing his father. This reveals a superficial understanding of faith, where outward actions are performed to achieve personal gain rather than stemming from a transformed heart.
Esau marries Mahalath, Ishmael’s daughter. Why is this significant beyond just pleasing his parents?
While Esau’s immediate motivation might have been to please Isaac and Rebekah, his choice of Mahalath carries deeper implications regarding the lineage of faith. Isaac had explicitly instructed Jacob to marry a woman from the family of his mother Rebekah’s brother, Laban, in Aram (Genesis 28:1-2). This instruction was about preserving the covenant promise that God had made to Abraham, a promise that would pass through Isaac and Jacob, not Ishmael’s line.
Ishmael, though Abraham’s son, was the son of a handmaid (Hagar) and had been sent away (Genesis 21:10-14). While Abraham loved Ishmael, God’s specific covenant promises were reiterated through Isaac. Esau’s marriage to Mahalath, who is from Ishmael’s line, represents a move away from the divinely chosen path for the covenant family. It’s an unwise choice not just because of potential parental disapproval, but because it aligns Esau with a lineage that, while related, was set aside for the specific covenant purposes God had for Isaac’s descendants. This highlights a fundamental difference between simply having Abrahamic ancestry and being part of God’s chosen, covenant people.
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c. 1898 BC
Ishmael's Death
Ishmael, Abraham's son, dies at the age of 137. While some interpretations suggest Esau went to Ishmael in person, it is more likely he went to Ishmael's family or descendants, as Ishmael himself was likely deceased by this time.
c. 1837 BC— this verse
Isaac's Age and Esau's Marriage
Isaac is around 137 years old. Esau, who is about 77 years old, marries Mahalath, daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth. This marriage is an attempt by Esau to please his parents, Isaac and Rebekah, who were displeased with his previous marriages to Canaanite women.
c. 1837 BC
Jacob's Departure for Haran
Shortly after Esau's marriage, Jacob is sent away to Padan-aram to find a wife among the family of his mother, Rebekah. This event is immediately followed by Jacob's significant dream at Bethel.
This passage shows Esau's earlier wives, who were daughters of Heth, causing grief to Isaac and Rebekah, highlighting Esau's continued disregard for his parents' wishes regarding marriage.
Genesis 25:1-6This passage introduces Ishmael's lineage and his eventual separation from Abraham's direct inheritance, which provides context for Esau's choice of a wife from this line, a line set aside from the covenant promise.
Deuteronomy 7:3-4This passage explicitly warns against intermarrying with surrounding nations, explaining the spiritual danger of such unions, which Isaac and Rebekah feared would befall Jacob but which Esau embraced.
Genesis 17:20-21This passage details God's promise concerning Ishmael, acknowledging him but clearly establishing that the covenant would continue through Isaac, underscoring Esau's choice of a wife from Ishmael's line as being outside the direct line of promise.
calvinGenesis 28:1-22: "And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan."
When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;
Et vidit Esau quod benedixisset Ishac Iahacob, et misisset eum in Padan Aram, ut caperet sibi inde uxorem: et benedicendo…
cambridgeGenesis 28:9: "Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife."
9 . unto the wives ] i.e. in addition to Judith and Basemath ( Genesis 26:34 ). Mahalath … the sister of Nebaioth ] Nebaioth was the firstborn son of Ishmael ( Genesis 25:13 ). In Genesis 36:3 , the name of Ishmael’s daughter, sister of Nebaioth, appears as Basemath. Here she is called Mahalath; while Basemath, in Genesis 26:34…
The text subtly highlights Esau’s superficial imitation of piety. He attempts to appease his father by marrying into Abraham’s lineage, but it’s a move motivated by a desire for favor, not genuine spiritual alignment, as he still keeps his previous wives and doesn't address the root of his parents’ disapproval.
After Isaac blesses Jacob and sends him away to find a wife among his relatives in Haran, Esau, realizing he has displeased his parents with his previous wives, also decides to seek a wife from Abraham's lineage. This leads Esau to marry Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth, further complicating the family's relationships and the fulfillment of God's promises. Esau's actions highlight a superficial attempt to please his parents rather than a genuine turning towards God.
After Isaac blesses Jacob and sends him away to find a wife among his relatives in Haran, Esau, realizing he has displeased his parents with his previous wives, also decides to seek a wife from Abraham's lineage. This leads Esau to marry Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth, further complicating the family's relationships and the fulfillment of God's promises. Esau's actions highlight a superficial attempt to please his parents rather than a genuine turning towards God.
"Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth." — The text subtly highlights Esau’s superficial imitation of piety. He attempts to appease his father by marrying into Abraham’s lineage, but it’s a move motivated by a desire for favor, not genuine sp…
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Last reviewed October 2026