King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
¶ 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:
Complete Jewish Bible:
When 'Esav was forty years old, he took as wives Y'hudit the daughter of Be'eri the Hitti and Basmat the daughter of Elon the Hitti.
Berean Standard Bible:
When Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.
American Standard Version:
And when Esau was forty years old he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite:
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
And Esau{H6215} was forty{H705} years{H8141} old{H1121} when he took{H3947} to wife{H802} Judith{H3067} the daughter{H1323} of Beeri{H882} the Hittite{H2850}, and Bashemath{H1315} the daughter{H1323} of Elon{H356} the Hittite{H2850}:
Cross-References (KJV):
Genesis 36:2
- Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;
Genesis 36:13
- And these [are] the sons of Reuel; Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah: these were the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife.
Exodus 34:16
- And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.
Genesis 36:5
- And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these [are] the sons of Esau, which were born unto him in the land of Canaan.
Genesis 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.
Genesis 24:3
- And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
1 Corinthians 7:2
- Nevertheless, [to avoid] fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:
Commentary for Genesis 26:34
Genesis 26:34 is a verse set within the broader narrative of the patriarch Isaac and his family. The historical context of this verse is the period of the early Hebrew patriarchs, which is foundational to Jewish and Christian traditions. This timeframe is characterized by the establishment of the covenantal relationship between God and the patriarchs, with a focus on the lineage of Abraham through his son Isaac.
The themes present in this verse include:
1. **Family Dynamics and Tensions**: Esau, the firstborn of Isaac and Rebekah, is a central figure in a narrative fraught with family tension. His marriage to two Hittite women, Judith and Bashemath, causes grief to his parents (as mentioned in Genesis 26:35), particularly because these marriages are outside the chosen lineage that would lead to the fulfillment of God's promises.
2. **Cultural Integrity and Intermarriage**: The verse reflects the challenges of maintaining cultural and religious integrity in the face of intermarriage with surrounding peoples, such as the Hittites. This theme is recurrent in the Old Testament, emphasizing the importance of the Israelites' distinct identity and faith.
3. **God's Sovereignty and Human Choice**: Despite the apparent deviation from the line of promise, God's sovereignty is a persistent theme. The narrative eventually shows that God's plans are fulfilled even when human choices seem to contradict them. Esau's decisions, while disappointing to his parents, do not thwart the divine plan for the chosen lineage through his brother Jacob.
4. **The Role of Women**: The mention of Judith and Bashemath, though brief, highlights the role of women in the patriarchal narratives, often as instruments of alliance or sources of conflict within the family structure.
5. **The Fulfillment of Promise**: The broader context of Isaac's family story underscores the theme of God's promises being fulfilled despite human shortcomings. The lineage of the covenant continues through Jacob, whose descendants will become the nation of Israel, in accordance with the divine promises to Abraham.
In summary, Genesis 26:34 is situated within the narrative of the patriarchal era, highlighting themes of family dynamics, cultural integrity, divine sovereignty, the role of women, and the fulfillment of God's promises. Esau's marriages serve as a backdrop to the unfolding story of God's covenant with the patriarchs and the establishment of the chosen line through which salvation history will continue to unfold.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H6215
There are 82 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עֵשָׂו
Transliteration: ʻÊsâv
Pronunciation: ay-sawv'
Description: apparently a form of the passive participle of עָשָׂה in the original sense of handling; rough (i.e. sensibly felt); Esav, a son of Isaac, including his posterity; Esau. - Strong's Number: H705
There are 178 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אַרְבָּעִים
Transliteration: ʼarbâʻîym
Pronunciation: ar-baw-eem'
Description: multiple of אַרְבַּע; forty; -forty. - Strong's Number: H8141
There are 647 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁנֶה
Transliteration: shâneh
Pronunciation: shaw-neh'
Description: (in plural or (feminine) שָׁנָה; from שָׁנָה; a year (as a revolution of time); [phrase] whole age, [idiom] long, [phrase] old, year([idiom] -ly). - Strong's Number: H1121
There are 3654 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בֵּן
Transliteration: bên
Pronunciation: bane
Description: from בָּנָה; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.); [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth. - Strong's Number: H3947
There are 909 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: לָקַח
Transliteration: lâqach
Pronunciation: law-kakh'
Description: a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of applications); accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win. - Strong's Number: H802
There are 729 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אִשָּׁה
Transliteration: ʼishshâh
Pronunciation: ish-shaw'
Description: feminine of אִישׁ or אֱנוֹשׁ; irregular plural, נָשִׁים;(used in the same wide sense as אֱנוֹשׁ); a woman; (adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English. - Strong's Number: H3067
There are 1 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: יְהוּדִית
Transliteration: Yᵉhûwdîyth
Pronunciation: yeh-ho-deeth'
Description: the same as יְהוּדִית; Jewess; Jehudith, a Canaanitess; Judith. - Strong's Number: H1323
There are 499 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בַּת
Transliteration: bath
Pronunciation: bath
Description: from בָּנָה (as feminine of בֵּן); a daughter (used in the same wide sense as other terms of relationship, literally and figuratively); apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, [idiom] first, [idiom] old, [phrase] owl, town, village. - Strong's Number: H882
There are 2 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בְּאֵרִי
Transliteration: Bᵉʼêrîy
Pronunciation: be-ay-ree'
Description: from בְּאֵר; fountained; Beeri, the name of a Hittite and of an Israelite; Beeri. - Strong's Number: H2850
There are 47 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: חִתִּי
Transliteration: Chittîy
Pronunciation: khit-tee'
Description: patronymically from חֵת; a Chittite, or descendant of Cheth; Hittite, Hittities. - Strong's Number: H1315
There are 7 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: בׇּשְׂמַת
Transliteration: Bosmath
Pronunciation: bos-math'
Description: feminine of בֶּשֶׂם (the second form); fragrance; Bosmath, the name of a wife of Esau, and of a daughter of Solomon; Bashemath, Basmath. - Strong's Number: H356
There are 120 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֵילוֹן
Transliteration: ʼÊylôwn
Pronunciation: ay-lone'
Description: or (shortened) אֵלוֹן ; or אֵילֹן ; from אַיִל; oak-grove; Elon, the name of a place in Palestine, and also of one Hittite, two Israelites; Elon.