Esau marries two Hittite women and causes sorrow for his parents by stepping outside their preferred heritage.
In Genesis 26:34-35Genesis 26:34-35 commentary we are introduced to Esau as a man making a significant life decision. When Esau was forty years old he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite (vv. 34-35). Esau, the elder son of Isaac and Rebekah, lived during roughly the early second millennium BC. His choice to wed women from the Hittite people links him to an important culture in the region of Canaan. The Hittites, traditionally originating in the area that is now modern-day Turkey, also inhabited parts of the land where the Patriarchs lived and traveled.
The text then explains the impact these marriages had on his family: and they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah (v. 35). Isaac and Rebekah, who would have passed down Abraham’s covenant promises to their children, were distressed by Esau’s unions. These Hittite marriages possibly signaled a departure from the familial lineage and customs that valued worship of the God of Abraham, and thus brought emotional pain into Isaac’s household. By marrying outside of this tradition, Esau’s actions reflect a willingness to adopt different customs that did not align with the faith commitments of his parents.
Historically, Esau’s family line would have extended among these Hittite relatives, potentially influencing how his descendants connected with various peoples in the broader region. The Hittites’ presence in the land underscores how the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob intersected with neighboring nations and cultures. In the unfolding narrative of Genesis, Esau’s choices foreshadow future dynamics in how different tribes in the land would interact, sometimes peacefully, sometimes with conflict.
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Genesis 26:34-35 meaning
In Genesis 26:34-35Genesis 26:34-35 commentary we are introduced to Esau as a man making a significant life decision. When Esau was forty years old he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite (vv. 34-35). Esau, the elder son of Isaac and Rebekah, lived during roughly the early second millennium BC. His choice to wed women from the Hittite people links him to an important culture in the region of Canaan. The Hittites, traditionally originating in the area that is now modern-day Turkey, also inhabited parts of the land where the Patriarchs lived and traveled.
The text then explains the impact these marriages had on his family: and they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah (v. 35). Isaac and Rebekah, who would have passed down Abraham’s covenant promises to their children, were distressed by Esau’s unions. These Hittite marriages possibly signaled a departure from the familial lineage and customs that valued worship of the God of Abraham, and thus brought emotional pain into Isaac’s household. By marrying outside of this tradition, Esau’s actions reflect a willingness to adopt different customs that did not align with the faith commitments of his parents.
Historically, Esau’s family line would have extended among these Hittite relatives, potentially influencing how his descendants connected with various peoples in the broader region. The Hittites’ presence in the land underscores how the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob intersected with neighboring nations and cultures. In the unfolding narrative of Genesis, Esau’s choices foreshadow future dynamics in how different tribes in the land would interact, sometimes peacefully, sometimes with conflict.