Genesis 36:3-4
and Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. And Adah bore to Esau, Eliphaz; Basemath bore Reuel;
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse isn't just listing names; it's subtly highlighting a deliberate choice. By marrying Basemath, the daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth, Esau strategically broadened his family ties with other Ishmaelite clans, not just the Kenazites through his other wife.
This chapter meticulously traces the lineage of Esau, detailing his descendants and the rulers of Edom, highlighting how Esau settled in Mount Seir, apart from his brother Jacob. The inclusion of Ishmael's daughter as one of Esau's wives, Basemath, underscores a complex interweaving of families and a departure from Isaac's intended lineage for Jacob. This genealogy, while impressive in its scope, serves to contrast Esau's temporal dominion with the promised, though still future, inheritance of Jacob.
Did Esau's wife have one name or two? And why does it matter?
This verse presents a fascinating textual puzzle: Esau's wife, Basemath, is also referred to as Mahalath in other parts of Scripture (Genesis 28:9). While scholarly debate continues, this highlights how biblical names could have multiple aspects or even be exchanged.
What does Esau marrying an Ishmaelite woman reveal about the complex relationships of the time?
Esau, the grandson of Abraham through Isaac, marries Basemath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's other son. This union is significant because it symbolically bridges two distinct, and at times rivalrous, branches of Abraham's family tree.
This marriage connects Esau's lineage, the future Edomites, with the descendants of Ishmael, showing a complex network of relationships and political alliances among Abraham's descendants.
c. 1800 BC
Ishmael's Descendants Established
Ishmael, son of Abraham and Hagar, has numerous descendants who form tribal groups across the Sinai Peninsula and Northern Arabia.
c. 1700 BC
Esau's Migration to Mount Seir
Esau, grandson of Abraham, moves his family and possessions from Canaan to the hill country of Seir, establishing his lineage there.
c. 1700 BC— this verse
Esau Marries Ishmael's Daughter
Esau takes Basemath, daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth, as one of his wives. This intermarriage highlights connections between the Ishmaelite and Edomite lines.
c. 1600-1500 BC
Edomite Kings Reign
Before Israel had kings, a succession of kings ruled in the land of Edom, indicating a developed socio-political structure among Esau's descendants.
This passage identifies the same woman, previously called Mahalath, as the daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth, highlighting the complexity of names and lineage in these ancient records.
Genesis 26:34This verse describes Esau's first marriages to Hittite women, setting the stage for his later marriage to Basemath, an Ishmaelite, illustrating the intertwining of different family lines.
Genesis 36:10This verse names Esau's son, Reuel, and states his mother was Basemath, the daughter of Esau himself, suggesting a potential discrepancy or a different Basemath that these commentaries grapple with.
Genesis 17:20This verse records God's promise concerning Ishmael, stating he would become a great nation, which provides context for his descendants, like Nebaioth and Basemath, eventually marrying into Esau's lineage.
calvinGenesis 36:1-43: "Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom."
And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob.
Et accepit Esau uxores suas, et filios suos, et filias suas, et omnes animas domus suae, et pecudes suas, et omnia jumenta sua, et omnem acquisitionem suam, quam acquis…
gillGenesis 36:3: "And Bashemath Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth."
And Bashemath, Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebaioth,.... The eldest son of Ishmael, see Genesis 28:9 ; called there Mahalath.
This verse isn't just listing names; it's subtly highlighting a deliberate choice. By marrying Basemath, the daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth, Esau strategically broadened his family ties with other Ishmaelite clans, not just the Kenazites through his other wife.
This chapter meticulously traces the lineage of Esau, detailing his descendants and the rulers of Edom, highlighting how Esau settled in Mount Seir, apart from his brother Jacob. The inclusion of Ishmael's daughter as one of Esau's wives, Basemath, underscores a complex interweaving of families and a departure from Isaac's intended lineage for Jacob. This genealogy, while impressive in its scope, serves to contrast Esau's temporal dominion with the promised, though still future, inheritance of Jacob.
This chapter meticulously traces the lineage of Esau, detailing his descendants and the rulers of Edom, highlighting how Esau settled in Mount Seir, apart from his brother Jacob. The inclusion of Ishmael's daughter as one of Esau's wives, Basemath, underscores a complex interweaving of families and a departure from Isaac's intended lineage for Jacob. This genealogy, while impressive in its scope, serves to contrast Esau's temporal dominion with the promised, though still future, inheritance of Jacob.
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"and Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. And Adah bore to Esau, Eliphaz; Basemath bore Reuel;" — This verse isn't just listing names; it's subtly highlighting a deliberate choice. By marrying Basemath, the daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth, Esau strategically broadened his family ties w…
