Genesis 28:9
New International Version
so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.

New Living Translation
So Esau visited his uncle Ishmael’s family and married one of Ishmael’s daughters, in addition to the wives he already had. His new wife’s name was Mahalath. She was the sister of Nebaioth and the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
Esau went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, in addition to the wives he already had.

King James Bible
Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

New King James Version
So Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife in addition to the wives he had.

New American Standard Bible
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.

NASB 1995
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.

NASB 1977
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.

Legacy Standard Bible
and Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife, besides the wives that he had.

Amplified Bible
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].

Christian Standard Bible
so Esau went to Ishmael and married, in addition to his other wives, Mahalath daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son. She was the sister of Nebaioth.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
so Esau went to Ishmael and married, in addition to his other wives, Mahalath daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son. She was the sister of Nebaioth.

American Standard Version
and Esau went unto Ishmael, and took, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.

Contemporary English Version
So he married Ishmael's daughter Mahalath, who was the sister of Nebaioth and the granddaughter of Abraham.

English Revised Version
and Esau went unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, daughter of Abraham's son Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth, in addition to the wives he had.

Good News Translation
So he went to Ishmael son of Abraham and married his daughter Mahalath, who was the sister of Nebaioth.

International Standard Version
so he went to Abraham's son Ishmael and married Ishmael's daughter Mahalath, who was the sister of Nebaioth.

Majority Standard Bible
Esau went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, in addition to the wives he already had.

NET Bible
So Esau went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham's son Ishmael, along with the wives he already had.

New Heart English Bible
Esau went to Ishmael, and took, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then went Esau to Ishmael, and took to the wives which he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

World English Bible
So Esau went to Ishmael, and took, in addition to the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and Esau goes to Ishmael, and takes Mahalath, daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, sister of Nebajoth, to his wives, to himself, for a wife.

Young's Literal Translation
and Esau goeth unto Ishmael, and taketh Mahalath, daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, sister of Nebajoth, unto his wives, to himself, for a wife.

Smith's Literal Translation
And Esau will go to Ishmael, and will take Mahalath, daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, sister of Nebajoth, to his wives, to him for a wife.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He went to Ismael, and took to wife, besides them he had before, Maheleth the daughter of Ismael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nabajoth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
he went to Ishmael, and he took as a wife, beside those he had before, Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth.

New American Bible
so Esau went to Ishmael, and in addition to the wives he had, married Mahalath, the daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.

New Revised Standard Version
Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, and sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife in addition to the wives he had.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then Esau went to Ishmael, Abraham's son, and took Bismath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebioth, to be his wife, in addition to his other wives.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Esau went on to Ishmayl and he took Besmath, daughter of Ishmayl, son of Abraham, the sister of Nebiuth, in addition to his wives, as a wife for himself.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
so Esau went unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives that he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Esau went to Ismael, and took Maeleth the daughter of Ismael, the son of Abraam, the sister of Nabeoth, a wife in addition to his other wives.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Esau Marries Mahalath
8And seeing that his father Isaac disapproved of the Canaanite women, 9Esau went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael, in addition to the wives he already had.

Cross References
Genesis 26:34-35
When Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. / And they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah.

Genesis 36:2-3
Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite, / and Basemath daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth.

Genesis 24:3
and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling,

Genesis 27:46
Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a Hittite wife from among them, what good is my life?”

Genesis 25:13-16
These are the names of the sons of Ishmael in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, / Mishma, Dumah, Massa, / Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. ...

Genesis 21:21
And while he was dwelling in the Wilderness of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Genesis 24:37-38
My master made me swear an oath and said, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land I dwell, / but you shall go to my father’s house and to my kindred to take a wife for my son.’

Genesis 12:1-3
Then the LORD said to Abram, “Leave your country, your kindred, and your father’s household, and go to the land I will show you. / I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. / I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 17:19
But God replied, “Your wife Sarah will indeed bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.

Genesis 15:18-21
On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates— / the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, / Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, ...

Genesis 16:1-3
Now Abram’s wife Sarai had borne him no children, but she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar. / So Sarai said to Abram, “Look now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go to my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. / So after he had lived in Canaan for ten years, his wife Sarai took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to Abram to be his wife.

Genesis 29:1-3
Jacob resumed his journey and came to the land of the people of the east. / He looked and saw a well in the field, and near it lay three flocks of sheep, because the sheep were watered from this well. And a large stone covered the mouth of the well. / When all the flocks had been gathered there, the shepherds would roll away the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

Genesis 30:1-3
When Rachel saw that she was not bearing any children for Jacob, she envied her sister. “Give me children, or I will die!” she said to Jacob. / Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has withheld children from you?” / Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, that she may bear children for me, so that through her I too can build a family.”

Genesis 31:1-3
Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.” / And Jacob saw from the countenance of Laban that his attitude toward him had changed. / Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

Genesis 32:1-3
Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. / When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God.” So he named that place Mahanaim. / Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.


Treasury of Scripture

Then went Esau to Ishmael, and took to the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

unto Ishmael.

Genesis 25:13-17
And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, …

Genesis 36:3,13,18
And Bashemath Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth…

Mahalath.

Genesis 36:3
And Bashemath Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth.

the sister.

Jump to Previous
Abraham Abraham's Addition Besides Daughter Esau Ishmael Ish'mael Mahalath Ma'halath Married Nebaioth Neba'ioth Nebajoth Sister Wife Wives
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Abraham Abraham's Addition Besides Daughter Esau Ishmael Ish'mael Mahalath Ma'halath Married Nebaioth Neba'ioth Nebajoth Sister Wife Wives
Genesis 28
1. Isaac blesses Jacob, and sends him to Padan-aram.
6. Esau marries Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael.
10. Jacob journeys, and has a vision of a ladder.
18. The stone of Bethel.
20. Jacob's vow.














So Esau went to Ishmael
This phrase marks a significant decision by Esau, who seeks to align himself with the family of Ishmael, Abraham's other son. The Hebrew root for "went" (הלך, halak) often implies a deliberate action or journey. Esau's choice reflects a strategic move to gain favor or acceptance, possibly to appease his parents after realizing their disapproval of his previous marriages (Genesis 26:34-35). Historically, this action underscores the complex family dynamics and alliances within the patriarchal narratives, highlighting Esau's attempt to connect with his broader family lineage.

and married Mahalath
The act of marriage here is significant, as it represents Esau's attempt to rectify his previous choices. The name "Mahalath" (מחלת) can be translated to mean "sickness" or "a harp," which may symbolize either a burden or a harmonious union. In the context of Esau's life, this marriage could be seen as an effort to bring harmony to his family relationships. Theologically, it reflects the ongoing theme of marriage as a covenantal act, deeply rooted in the cultural and religious practices of the time.

the sister of Nebaioth
Nebaioth is mentioned as the firstborn of Ishmael (Genesis 25:13), indicating Mahalath's prominent family background. The mention of Nebaioth serves to establish Mahalath's lineage and the significance of her family ties. This connection to Nebaioth, a leader among Ishmael's descendants, suggests that Esau's marriage was not only a personal decision but also a political alliance, reflecting the importance of family networks in the ancient Near Eastern context.

and daughter of Abraham’s son Ishmael
This phrase emphasizes Mahalath's direct descent from Ishmael, Abraham's son through Hagar. The mention of Ishmael highlights the interconnectedness of Abraham's descendants and the fulfillment of God's promise to make Ishmael a great nation (Genesis 17:20). It also serves as a reminder of the broader narrative of God's covenant with Abraham and the diverse branches of his family tree. From a conservative Christian perspective, this lineage underscores the unfolding of God's plan through various family lines, each playing a role in the biblical story.

in addition to the wives he already had
Esau's polygamy is noted here, reflecting the cultural norms of the time, where multiple marriages were common among leaders and patriarchs. This phrase indicates that Esau's marriage to Mahalath was not his first, highlighting the complexity of his family life. Theologically, it serves as a contrast to the monogamous ideal often emphasized in later biblical teachings. It also illustrates the challenges and consequences of deviating from God's design for marriage, as seen in the discord it brought to Esau's family relationships.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Esau
עֵשָׂ֖ו (‘ê·śāw)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6215: Esau -- oldest son of Isaac

went
וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ (way·yê·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Ishmael
יִשְׁמָעֵ֑אל (yiš·mā·‘êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3458: Ishmael -- 'God hears', the name of several Israelites

and married
וַיִּקַּ֡ח (way·yiq·qaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

Mahalath,
מָחֲלַ֣ת ׀ (mā·ḥă·laṯ)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4258: Mahalath -- daughter of Ishmael, also a granddaughter of David

the sister
אֲח֧וֹת (’ă·ḥō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 269: Sister -- a sister

of Nebaioth
נְבָי֛וֹת (nə·ḇā·yō·wṯ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 5032: Nebaioth -- oldest son of Ishmael, also his desc

[and] daughter
בַּת־ (baṯ-)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 1323: A daughter

of Abraham’s
אַבְרָהָ֜ם (’aḇ·rā·hām)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 85: Abraham -- 'exalted father', the father of the Jewish nation

son
בֶּן־ (ben-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1121: A son

Ishmael,
יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל (yiš·mā·‘êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3458: Ishmael -- 'God hears', the name of several Israelites

in addition to
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the wives
לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ (lə·’iš·šāh)
Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

he already had.
ל֥וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew


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OT Law: Genesis 28:9 Esau went to Ishmael and took besides (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 28:8
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