Esau Marries Third Wife
- Dates
- 1714 BC
When Esau hears Isaac's charge to not take a Canaanite for a wife and that his parents are displeased when he did so, he goes to Ishmael and takes Mahalath as a wife. She is the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son.
In detail
In the blessing of Jacob by Isaac and Jacob's commission to take a wife from among their relatives in Mesopotamia, Esau perceived the deep—rooted displeasure his parents felt toward his Hittite wives. No doubt with the intention of pleasing his parents, he went to fetch a wife from the family of his grandfather Abraham, as Jacob was instructed to do from the family of his maternal uncle, Laban.
Mahalath, or Bashemath (ch. 36:3), whom he took to wife, was related to Isaac as Jacob's wife Rachel was to his mother Rebekah. Esau married his father's niece Jacob, his mother's. Esau's going "unto Ishmael" must mean going "to the family of Ishmael," for Ishmael died about 14 years prior to this time (see on chs. 25:19 27:1).
Bible passages
- Genesis 28:6-9
6 When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padan–aram, 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; 7 And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padan–aram; 8 And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; …
Text of the King James Version.