New King James Version
Genesis 26:34
34When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite.
Genesis 26:34 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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:
- New International Version (NIV)When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.
- English Standard Version (ESV)When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite,
- New Living Translation (NLT)At the age of forty, Esau married two Hittite wives: Judith, the daughter of Beeri, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon.
Context of Genesis 26:34
32It came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” 33So he called it Shebah. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day. When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.
Read all of Genesis 26Genesis 26:34 word by word
וַיְהִ֤י עֵשָׂו֙ בֶּן־אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וַיִּקַּ֤ח אִשָּׁה֙ אֶת־יְהוּדִ֔ית בַּת־בְּאֵרִ֖י הַֽחִתִּ֑י וְאֶת־בָּ֣שְׂמַ֔ת בַּת־אֵילֹ֖ן הַֽחִתִּֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Esauעֵשָׂו‛êώâv · EsauH6215
- was fortyאַרְבָּעִים'arbâ‛îym · fortyH705
- yearsשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
- oldבֵּןbên · son: agedH1121
- when he tookלָקַחlâqach · to take: marryH3947
- to wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- Judithיְהוּדִיתyehûdîyth · JudithH3067
- the daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- of Beeriבְּאֵרִיbe'êrîy · BeeriH882
- the Hittiteחִתִּיchittîy · HittiteH2850
- and Bashemathבָּֽשְׂמַתboώmath · BasemathH1315
- of Elonאֵלוֹן'êylôn 'êlôn 'êylôn · ElonH356
Cross-references for Genesis 26:34
- Genesis 36:2Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite; Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;
- Genesis 24:3and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell;
- Exodus 34:16and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods.
- 1 Corinthians 7:2Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.
- Hebrews 12:16lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.
Commentaries on Genesis 26:34
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 34He took to wife - the daughter, etc. - It is very likely that the wives taken by Esau were daughters of chiefs among the Hittites, and by this union he sought to increase and strengthen his secular power and influence.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-35Verses 1-35 - The Events of Isaac‘s Life 5. משׁמרת mı̂shmeret “charge, ordinance.” מציה mı̂tsvâh “command,” special order. חק choq “decree, statute,” engraven on stone or metal. תירה tôrâh “law,” doctrine, system of moral truth. 10. עשׂק ‛êśeq Eseq, “strife.” 21. שׂטנה śı̂ṭnâh Sitnah, “opposition.” 22. רחבית rechobôt Rechoboth, “room.” 26. אחזת 'ǎchuzat Achuzzath, “possession.” 33. שׁבעה shı̂b‛âh Shib‘ah, “seven; oath.” 34. יהוּדית yehûdı̂yt…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 34-35Verses 34-35 Esau was foolish in marrying two wives together, and still more in marrying Canaanites, strangers to the blessing of Abraham, and subject to the curse of Noah. It grieved his parents that he married without their advice and consent. It grieved them that he married among those who had no religion. Children have little reason to expect God's blessing who do that which is a grief of mind to good parents.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 34-35Esau's marriages show how he was not suitable to lead God's covenant people into receiving God's blessings. Isaac's later attempt to bless Esau was foolish (27:1–40). Later, Esau married a third wife, trying to make things right without success (28:6–9).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3434. Esau ... took to wife--If the pious feelings of Abraham recoiled from the idea of Isaac forming a matrimonial connection with a Canaanitish woman [Ge 24:3], that devout patriarch himself would be equally opposed to such a union on the part of his children; and we may easily imagine how much his pious heart was wounded, and the family peace destroyed, when his favorite but wayward son brought no less than two idolatrous wives among them--an additional…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 26:34
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 26
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries