Arrived now at forty j'ears of age, Esau married two wives in close succession. B.C. cir. 1963. Some unhappy feelings appear to have previously exist- ed in the ftimily; for while Esau was a favorite with his fatlier, in consequence, it appears, of the presents of venison which the j'outh gave him, Jacob was re- garded with special affection by the mother. These partialities, and their natural consequences in unamia- ble feelings, were increased and exaggerated by Esau's marriage. His wives were both Canaanites, and, on account of their origin, were unacceptable to Isaac and Kubekah. The latter was especially grieved. " I am weary, "she said (Gen. xxvii, 46), "of my life, because of the daughters of Heth." Esau thus "became alien- ated from the parental home. Even his father's pref- erence for him may have been injuriously affected. The way was in some measure smoothed for the trans- ference of the coveted birthright to the younger sen.
Kitto, s. V. ; Smith, s. v. ; Fairbairn, s. v.
There is much apparent confusion in the accounts of Esau's wives and their relatives and posterity, as given in Gen. xxvi, 34 ; xxviii-, 9 ; xxxvi, 2-5, 10- 30, 40-43 ; 1 Chron. i, 35-42, 51-54, which may be ad- justed I)y the following combination: (1.) His first wife was Adah, the daughter of Elon the Ilittite (Gen. xxxvi, 2), or an aboriginal Canaanite. See Hittite.
In Gen. xxvi, 34, she is incorrectly called Bashemath, apparently by confusion with the name of his third wife, although her parentage is correctly given. Her onh' child was Eliphaz, who was therefore Esau's first- born (Gen. xxxvi, 10, 15 ; 1 Chron. i, 35). (2.) Esau's second wife was Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah, as all the accounts agree except that in Gen. xxvi, 34, where, by some error or variation of names, she is called Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite. This Anah, in Gen. xxxvi, 2, 14, is called the daughter of Zibeon, but from ver. 20, 24, 25, and 1 Chron. i, 38, it is evident that he was the son of Zibeon, his brother being Ajah, and his onlj' children a son Dishon and this daughter Aholibamah. We may also remark that this Anah and this Dishon had each an uncle of the same name respectively (Gen. xxxvi, 20, 21), and the name Aholibamah belonged subsequently to a chief- tain of an Edomitish tribe (ver. 41). Zibeon was a son of Seir, the original settler of the mountain which went by his name. His descendants were properly called Horites (Gen. xxxvi, 20, 29), but in ver. 20 he is called a Hivite, a term frequently interchangeable for heathenish tribes, as Hittite, in chap, xxvi, 34, is twice used for the same purpose. This connection of Esau with the original inhabitants of Idumtea will ex- plain his subsequent removal to that region, and the eventual supremacy of his descendants there. His children b}' Aholibamah were Jeush, Jaalam, and Ko- rah. (3.) Esau's third wife, taken, not like the for- mer, from foreign families, but from kindred stock, was Bashemath (otherwise called Mahalath), sister of Nebajoth and daughter of Ishmael, who bore him Renel (Gen. xxxvi, 3, 4 ; xxviii, 9). This elucidation substantially agrees with that proposed by Prof. Tur- ner {Companion to Genesis, p. 323), after Hengstenberg. — These sons of Esau rose to the importance of sheiks ("dukes") in their respective families (those b}' Aho- libamah being especially so styled, Gen. xxxvi, 18); and this was naturally more emphatically the case with his grandsons (Gen. xxxvi, 15, 16, where the name Korah is an interpolation, and Amalek is reck- oned along with the legitimate children of Eliphaz ; comp. the parallel account in 1 Chron. i, 36, where the name Timna is in like manner interpolated), who were probabl}' cotemporaneous with the native sheiks men- tioned in ver. 29, 30, or but little later — the gradual superiority of the Esauites over the Horites appearing from the "fact that the heirs of the latter (ver. 22-28) are not named with this distinction (comp. ver. 20, 21). This double line of chieftains of the respective tribes appears to have continued for a long time ; for in the subsequent list of native kings (ver. 31-39) and heads of the Edomitish part of the inhabitants (ver. 40, 43), coming down in parallel lines to about the time of the Exode (but from what point dated is uncertain), each appears to have regularly succeeded his predecessor, not by hereditar}' right indeed, but by that species of common consent, founded upon acknowledged pre-emi- nence, which is to this da}' recognised in the election of Aral) emirs. See Edohite.
The time for the fulfilment of the compact between the brothers has at length arrived. Isaac is " sick unto death." His appetite, as well as his health, having failed, is only to be gratified by provocatives. He de- sires some savory venison, and gives the requisite in- structions to Esau, who accordingly proceeds in quest of it. On this Rebekah begins to feel that the critical time has come. If the hated Hittites are not to enter with her less favored son into possession of the fanuly property, the sale of the birthright (the original idea of which she may have suggested to the " plain man," her son Jacob) must now in some wa}' be confirmed and consummated. One essential particular remained — the father's blessing. If this should be given to Esau, all hope was gone ; for this, like our modern wills, would hand the inheritance and the accompany- ing headship of the tribe to Esau and his wives.