How does Esau's action in Genesis 28:6 reflect his understanding of parental approval?

Setting the scene

• “When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith … and Basemath … And they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah” (Genesis 26:34-35).

• Years later Isaac blesses Jacob and commands, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman” (Genesis 28:1).

• “Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob … and that … he commanded him, ‘Do not marry a Canaanite woman’” (Genesis 28:6).

---

What Esau notices

• Jacob’s obedience to his parents earns him a fresh blessing (Genesis 28:3-4).

• Esau finally realizes two things:

– his Canaanite marriages displease his parents;

– obedience to their wishes appears to unlock further favor.

---

Esau’s response

• “Esau realized that the daughters of Canaan displeased his father Isaac; so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath” (Genesis 28:8-9).

• By adding an Ishmaelite wife, Esau reasons he can fix the problem without giving up the wives he already has.

---

What Esau’s action reveals about his view of parental approval

• Approval is external: He focuses on checking the right cultural box—“not a Canaanite”—rather than seeking the heart of the command.

• Approval is transactional: Blessing appears to him as something earned by quick compliance, mirroring his earlier attempt to regain the birthright with stew (Genesis 25:29-34).

• Approval is secondary to self: He does not dissolve the disapproved marriages; he adds a third. His comfort remains untouched.

• Approval disregards the covenant line: True obedience would align with God’s promise through Isaac, yet Esau connects himself to Ishmael, another line outside the covenant (cf. Genesis 17:18-21).

• Approval is short-sighted: Hebrews 12:16 points to Esau as “godless,” showing he values immediate validation over spiritual inheritance.

---

Lessons from Esau’s misread

• Surface obedience cannot replace a heart aligned with God (1 Samuel 15:22).

• Real honor involves listening early, not reacting late (Proverbs 13:1).

• Spiritual discernment is required; without it, even well-intentioned efforts veer outside God’s plan (Proverbs 14:12).

---

Takeaway

Esau’s move in Genesis 28:6-9 shows a man who finally notices the weight of parental approval but still measures it in outward gestures, missing the deeper call to covenant faithfulness and a surrendered heart.