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NASB | Genesis 28:9 and Esau went to Ishmael, and married, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 28:9 and [to appease his parents] Esau went to [the family of] Ishmael and took as his wife, in addition to the wives he [already] had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth [Ishmael's firstborn son]. |
Bible Question: Esau married Ishmael's daughter (she may have even been his firstborn as Nebaioth, his firstborn son, is mentioned here). According to this verse, can the prophecies in Scripture concerning Edom (Obadiah for example)also be applied to the descendants of Ishmael? |
Bible Answer: Greetings Mommapbs, "Esau went to Ishmael and took as his wife, besides the wives he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth." Genesis 28:9 [ESV] Interesting Question... "28:6-9 Esau attempted to find favor in Isaac's eyes by doing what Isaac wished. By marrying Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Esau believed he had met the standard Isaac had given Jacob (v.1). Sadly, Esau could not regain his lost blessing. Mahalath is the same woman as Basemath, the daughter of Ishmael, in 36:2. Her name probably means "Dance." (1) By attempting to marry back into the line of Abraham (through Ishmael), Esau actually increases his iniquity by adding to his pagan wives (26:34-35) a wife from a family God had rejected. (2) It is interesting also to note that Ishmael himself had died 14 years earlier. Even as he attempts to find favor in Isaac's eyes, he still did not put away his heathen wives when he married into Ishmael's family. Therefore, can the prophecies of Edom also be applied to Ishmael? No. The record of prophecy of Ishmael's descendants rests in God's promise of 12 princes to Ishmael (cf. 17:20-21). Since Mahalath married into the line of Esau, then she would then be considered part of his line rather than that of the 12 princes of Ishmael. This was most likely not the last occasion where the line of Esau and Ishmael intermingled with each other. As the Hebrew people would have twelve tribes, so Ishmael's people would also have twelve families (25:12-18). Ishmael's line was the line of the 'lesser' promise as compared to Isaac's line, which is the 'greater' promise. Esau's line would serve Jacob's (25:23). I believe that Obadiah and other such prophecies regarding Edom should be considered as referring to the line of Esau without reference to Ishmael's line, even though this was most likely not the only occurrence where the two lines intermingled in marriage. Ishmael was Esau's uncle, and therefore Ishmael's line would not be "encompassed" in any way by Esau's line. And Esau's line could not be 'encompassed' by Ishmael's line, since Esau's line was given its own prophecy (25:23), and its own special designation by God (Romans 9:10-13). Blessings to you, Makarios (1) The Nelson Study Bible, New King James Version, 1997, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Earl D. Radmacher, Th. D., General Editor, pg. 57 (2) The MacArthur Study Bible, 1997, Word Publishing, John MacArthur, Author and General Editor, pg. 55 |