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;
6. Now Esau saw ] The conduct of Esau in this passage is prompted by the desire to obtain a blessing such as Isaac had given Jacob in Gen 28:3-4. In order to propitiate his father, he contracts a marriage with his first cousin, the daughter of Ishmael. Neither in this, nor in the following verse, is there implied any resentment on the part of Esau towards Jacob, or any other reason for Jacob’s journey to Paddan-aram beyond that of marriage with one of his own kindred.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Gen 28:6-9
Then went Esau unto Ishmael
Esau, the type of worldliness and hypocrisy
I.
HIS CONDUCT WAS MERCENARY.
II. HIS CONDUCT WAS ONE-SIDED.
III. HIS CONDUCT WAS FRAMED BY THE PRINCIPLE OF IMITATION. (T. H.Leale.)
Lessons
1. Hypocrites hearing of blessing upon others, pretend to make to it as well as any.
2. Hypocrites hearing Gods charge to accompany His blessing, would seem to observe it (Gen 28:6).
3. Hypocrites seeing the obedience of saints, would seem to imitate it (Gen 28:7).
4. Hypocrites perceiving what is displeasing to God and His servants, would seem to avoid it (Gen 28:8).
5. Hypocrites in all their pretences for God, take their own ways without His counsel.
6. Hypocrites in all their pretended imitations of the saints do but add sin to sin (Gen 28:9). (G. Hughes, B. D.)
Mistaken imitation
See what awkward work is made when men go about to please others, and promote their worldly interests, by imitating that in which they have no delight. Ignorance and error mark every step they take, Esau was in no need of a wife. His parents would not be gratified by his connection with the apostate family of Ishmael. In short, he is out in all his calculations; nor can he discover the principles which influence those who fear the Lord. Thus have we often seen men try to imitate religious people for the sake of gaining esteem, or some way promoting their selfish ends; but instead of succeeding they have commonly made bad worse. That which to a right mind is as plain as the most public highway, to a mind perverted shall appear full of difficulties. The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city (Ecc 10:15). (A. Fuller.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
6-9. when Esau saw that Isaac hadblessed Jacob, &c.Desirous to humor his parents and, ifpossible, get the last will revoked, he became wise when too late(see Mt 25:10), and hoped bygratifying his parents in one thing to atone for all his formerdelinquencies. But he only made bad worse, and though he did notmarry a “wife of the daughters of Canaan,” he married intoa family which God had rejected. It showed a partial reformation, butno repentance, for he gave no proofs of abating his vindictivepurposes against his brother, nor cherishing that pious spirit thatwould have gratified his fatherhe was like Micah (see Jud17:13).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And when Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob,…. Had conferred the blessing before given, or had wished him a good journey; which perhaps may be all that Esau understood by it, and so was not so much offended with it:
and sent him away to Padanaram, to take him a wife from thence; which likewise might not be displeasing to him, partly as he understood it to be only on account of taking a wife, and not on account of his ill design upon him, which he might imagine his parents knew nothing of; and partly as he would now be out of the way, and he might find means the easier to ingratiate himself into his father’s favour, and get him to revoke the blessing, and settle the inheritance upon him:
and that as he blessed him, he gave him a charge, saying, thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan; or of the Canaanites, of any of the tribes or nations that belonged to that people, whether Hittites or others.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
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; 9 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.
This passage concerning Esau comes in in the midst of Jacob’s story, either, 1. To show the influence of a good example. Esau, though the greater man, now begins to think Jacob the better man, and disdains not to take him for his pattern in this particular instance of marrying with a daughter of Abraham. The elder children should give to the younger an example of tractableness and obedience; it is bad if they do not: but it is some alleviation if they take the example of it from them, as Esau here did from Jacob. Or, 2. To show the folly of an after-wit. Esau did well, but he did it when it was too late, He saw that the daughters of Canaan pleased not his father, and he might have seen that long ago if he had consulted his father’s judgment as much as he did his palate. And how did he now mend the matter? Why, truly, so as to make bad worse. (1.) He married a daughter of Ishmael, the son of the bond-woman, who was cast out, and was not to inherit with Isaac and his seed, thus joining with a family which God had rejected, and seeking to strengthen his own pretensions by the aid of another pretender. (2.) He took a third wife, while, for aught that appears, his other two were neither dead nor divorced. (3.) He did it only to please his father, not to please God. Now that Jacob was sent into a far country Esau would be all in all at home, and he hoped so to humour his father as to prevail with him to make a new will, and entail the promise upon him, revoking the settlement lately made upon Jacob. And thus, [1.] He was wise when it was too late, like Israel that would venture when the decree had gone forth against them (Num. xiv. 40), and the foolish virgins, Matt. xxv. 11. [2.] He rested in a partial reformation, and thought, by pleasing his parents in one thing, to atone for all his other miscarriages. It is not said that when he saw how obedient Jacob was, and how willing to please his parents, he repented of his malicious design against him: no, it appeared afterwards that he persisted in that, and retained his malice. Note, Carnal hearts are apt to think themselves as good as they should be, because perhaps, in some one particular instance, they are not so bad as they have been. Thus Micah retains his idols, but thinks himself happy in having a Levite to be his priest, Judg. xvii. 13.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Verses 6-9:
Esau was determined to win or retain the goodwill of his father. He observed Isaac’s instructions to Jacob, and realized that his father regarded the women of Canaan unsuitable for wives for his sons. Esau had already displeased his parents by marrying two Hittite women (Ge 26:34, 35). Now he sought to make up for this by taking other wives, this time from Isaac’s kin. He took to wife the daughter of Ishmael, although his Hittite wives were neither dead nor divorced.
Esau’s conduct in the matter of his wives is further indication of the sensuality of his character. He violated the Divine principle of monogamy, by taking at least three wives. He sought by marrying Isaac’s niece to sustain the purity of the Abrahamic lineage. He tried to secure Divine favor by human effort. It failed -just as it fails in this age when men seek to please God by the energies of the flesh.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
6. When Esau saw. A brief narration concerning Esau is here inserted, which it is useful to know; because we learn from it that the wicked, though they exalt themselves against God, and though, in contempt of his grace, they please themselves in obtaining their desires, are yet not able to despise that grace altogether. So now, Esau is penetrated with a desire of the blessing; not that he aspires to it sincerely and from his heart; but perceiving it to be something valuable, he is impelled to seek after it, though with reluctance. A further fault is, that he does not seek it as he ought: for he devises a new and strange method of reconciling God and his father to himself; and therefore all his diligence is without profit. At the same time he does not seem to be careful about pleasing God, so that he may but propitiate his father. Before all things, it was his duty to cast aside his profane disposition, his perverse manners, and his corrupt affections of the flesh, and then to bear with meekness the chastisement inflicted upon him: for genuine repentance would have dictated to him this sentiment, Seeing I have hitherto rendered myself unworthy of the birthright, my brother is deservedly preferred before me. Nothing, therefore, remains for me but to humble myself, and since I am deprived of the honor of being the head, let it suffice me to be at least one of the members of the Church. And, certainly, it would have been more desirable for him to remain in some obscure corner of the Church, than, as one cut off and torn away from the elect people, to shine with a proud preeminence on earth. He aims, however, at nothing of this kind, but attempts, by I know not what prevarications, to appease his father in whatever way he may be able. Moses, in this example, depicts all hypocrites to the life. For as often as the judgment of God urges them, though they are wounded with the pain of their punishment, they yet do not seek a true remedy; for having aimed at offering one kind of satisfaction only, they entirely neglect a simple and real conversion: and even in the satisfaction offered, they only make a pretense. Whereas Esau ought thoroughly to have repented, he only tried to correct the single fault of his marriage; and this too in a most absurd manner. Yet another defect follows: for while he retains the wives who were so hateful to his parents, he supposes he has discharged his duty by marrying a third. But by this method, neither was the trouble of his parents alleviated, nor his house cleansed from guilt. And now truly, whence does he marry his third wife? From the race of Ishmael, whom we know to have been himself degenerate, and whose posterity had departed from the pure worship of God. A remarkable proof of this is discernible at the present day, in the pretended and perfidious intermeddlers, who imagine they can admirably adjust religious differences by simply adorning their too gross corruptions with attractive colors. (55) The actual state of things compels them to confess that the vile errors and abuses of Popery have so far prevailed as to render a Reformation absolutely necessary: but they are unwilling that the filth of this Camarine marsh be stirred; (56) they only desire to conceal its impurities, and even that they do by compulsion. For they had previously called their abominations the sacred worship of God; but since these are now dragged to light by the word of God, they therefore descend to novel artifices. They flatter themselves, however; in vain, seeing they are here condemned by Moses, in the person of Esau. Away, then, with their impure pretended reformation, which has nothing simple nor sincere. Moreover, since it is a disease inherent in the human race, willingly to attempt to deceive God by some fictitious pretext, let us know that we do nothing effectually, until we tear up our sins by the roots, and thoroughly devote ourselves to God.
(55) The Council of Trent is here obviously referred to, which held its sessions from the year 1545 to the year 1563. This council was the Romanist reaction upon the Protestant reformation. Father Paul gives a singular and graphic description of the persons, the characters, and the arguments, by which this last council of the Church of Rome was distinguished. It will be remembered that Calvin’s Commentary on Genesis was published about the middle of this protracted period. — Ed.
(56) Camarina was a city on the south of Sicily, placed near the mouths of two rivers, close to which was a march or lake, called the Camarine lake, injurious to health, and often producing pestilence. It is reported that the inhabitants consulted Apollo whether or not they should drain it. The answer was, that it would be better undrained. This answer they disregarded, and in consequence the enemy found it easy to attack and plunder the city. Hence the proverb, “ Ne moveas Camarinam;” that is, “Do not get rid of one evil to bring on you a greater.” — Ed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
CRITICAL NOTES.
Gen. 28:9. Then went Esau unto Ishmael.] To his family, and not to Ishmael himself, who had been dead for fourteen years. (Gen. 25:17.)
MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.Gen. 28:6-9
ESAU, THE TYPE OF WORLDLINESS AND HYPOCRISY
Esau attempts to repair the error into which he had fallen by marrying into a heathen family, to the great grief of his parents. He knew that his father had charged Jacob to avoid such a wicked course (Gen. 28:1), and that upon this point he would be most accessible. Therefore he resolves to marry into his fathers family. He considered that this would pass with his father as a noble act of filial devotion. But all this is only the wordly policy of the hypocrite. He feigns repentance in order to secure some temporal good or comfort for himself. He is, therefore, the type of hypocrisy and worldliness in religion. He was certainly, all this time, a hypocrite, for he nursed hatred in his heart against his brother, and only waited opportunity to carry out his evil purpose. Such are the characteristics of the religion of hypocrites of all times. What was the case with Esau?
I. His conduct was mercenary. He only cared to win back the temporal advantages of the blessing by any means, even by the pretence of a pious devotion to the wishes of his father. So hypocrites only study their own worldly interests. They are concerned with religion only so far as it will promote these. They are like the multitude who were ready to follow Christ as long as He offered easy blessings, but deserted Him the moment their advantage seemed to lie in another direction. Such men claim to follow Christ as long as they think that their worldly prosperity is promoted by such a profession, but they will barter Him for a consideration when the temptation is strong enough. What will ye give me, and I will deliver Him unto you.
II. His conduct was one-sided. Esau wanted to secure the favour and blessing of his father while, at the same time, he was cherishing deadly hatred towards his brother. He wanted to enjoy all the benefits of piety while he wilfully neglected some of its obligations. There are those who would like to secure the favour of God and some of the advantages of religion, while at the same time, they have no respect to all Gods commandments. They wickedly assume a privilege in regard to certain sins. They are willing to serve God in many respects, if only an exception can be made in favour of some particular sin. Such men do not submit themselves to God. They are strangers to the spirit of faith and obedience, and therefore they are not righteous. The servants of God cannot be allowed to choose their own paths of duty by a principle of selfish interest.
III. His conduct was framed by the principle of imitation. Esau presumed to imitate the conduct of his brother, but he was ignorant of the deep grounds upon which it rested. There are many hypocrites in this sense, that they are imitators of the outward conduct and signs of devotion of godly men. Such men deceive themselves. They do not intend to be guilty of a pretence; but are merely imitators of what pious men do and say, though, all the while, they are ignorant of the deep reasons upon which these things are founded. Esau, then, is a type of the worldly man, and of hypocrites who wish to claim some of the advantages of religion without giving themselves up entirely to God, and also of those who imitate the conduct of the truly pious without their deep convictions and felt satisfaction in God. The result of Esaus conduct is a warning to all whom it may concern. His scheme did not succeed, and he only was landed in worse difficulties. He marries into a family quite outside the pale of the covenant, one which was outlawed and alienated, where even now the pure worship of God had already degenerated. So the hope of the hypocrite shall perish.
SUGGESTIVE COMMENTS ON THE VERSES
Gen. 28:6. But he was ever too late, and therefore what he did was to little purpose. An over-late sight is good neither in piety nor policy. How many have we known taken away in their offers and essays, before they had prepared their hearts to cleave to God.(Trapp.)
Gen. 28:7-9. See what awkward work is made when men go about to please others, and promote their worldly interests by imitating that in which they have no delight. Ignorance and error mark every step they take. Esau was in no need of a wife. His parents would not be gratified by his connection with the apostate family of Ishmael. In short, he is out in all his calculations; nor can he discover the principles which influence those who fear the Lord. Thus have we often seen men try to imitate religious people for the sake of gaining esteem, or some way promoting their selfish ends; but instead of succeeding they have commonly made bad worse. That which to a right mind is as plain as the most public highway, to a mind perverted shall appear full of difficulties. The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. (Ecc. 10:15.)(Fuller.)
Hypocrites will needs do something that they may seem to be somebody. But, for the want of an inward principle, they do nothing well. They cement one error with another, as Esau here; and as Herod prevents perjury by murder, thus while they shun the sands they fall into the whirlpool.(Trapp.)
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
3. Esau Takes Another Wife (Gen. 28:6-9). Isaac blessed Jacob that the blessing which he had given him previously, viz., God gave thee of the dew of heaven, etc. (Gen. 27:28) might be fulfilled in the land which God had promised to Abraham; but his blessing to Esau, of the fat places of the earth shall be thy dwelling (Gen. 27:39), would be fulfilled in a different country (SC, 157). Esau saw that Isaac did not want Jacob to have a Canaanite wife. He assumed that he had lost the blessing because he had married a Canaanitish woman, since Isaac, when blessing Jacob, had impressed upon him not to do so. He consequently thought that by not marrying another of these women, he would win back his fathers favor and possibly secure the revocation of Jacobs blessing. . . . Although he did not marry any more women of Canaan, he was not willing to send away those he already had, in spite of their unsuitability and wickedness (SC, 158). Desirous to humor his parents, and if possible to get the last will revoked, he became wise when too late (Mat. 25:10), and hoped, by gratifying his parents in one thing, to atone for all his former delinquencies. But he only made bad worse; and though he did not marry a wife of the daughters of Canaan, he married into a family [that of Ishmael] which God had rejected; it showed a partial reformation, but no repentance, for he gave no proofs of abating his vindictive purposes against his brother, nor cherishing that pious spirit that would have gratified his fatherhe was like Micah: see Jdg. 17:13, also ch. Gen. 36:1-5 (CECG, 198). Cf, especially Gen. 26:34, Gen. 28:9, Gen. 36:1-5. How account for these apparent differences in the lists of Esaus wives? Some critics think that Esau had six wives; others, five; and still others, three. It will be noted that all the wives in the second list have names different from those in the first. Keil, Lange, et al, account for this by the fact that women at their marriage received new names. On this hypothesis, Bashemath, daughter of Ishmael, is the same with Mahalath; Adah, daughter of Elon the Hittite is the same with Bashemath; and Aholibamah, daughter of Anah and (grand-) daughter of Zibeon the Hivite, is identical with Judith, daughter of Beeri the Hittite. Anah is also called Beeri (man of the springs), from the fact he had found certain warm springs in the wilderness [cf. Gen. 36:24] (Haley, ADB, 336). The account given of the parentage of these wives has seemed to many equally obscure and perplexing as that of their names, But all these difficulties admit to an easy and satisfactory solution. Thus, with regard to the number of Esaus wives, although it is not expressly said that he had three wives, the several passages in which they are enumerated comprise only three; and these, as shall be presently shown, the same three throughout. As to the names of the wives, it has been remarked, that while these, in Eastern countries, as elsewhere, are sometimes changed on account of some memorable circumstances in the course of life, women assume new names more frequently than menthey do so particularly on their marriage; and as in this genealogical record all the wives of Esau are distinguished by different names from those which they formerly bore, the change is to be traced partly to their entrance into the matrimonial relation, and partly to their settlement in a foreign land, where Esau himself assumed the permanent designation of Edom (Gen. 36:8). The import of their names was founded probably on some conspicuous attribute of character or feature of personal appearance or habit, as Judith or Jehudith (the praised one) was changed into Aholibamah (tent-height, i.e., tall, stately); Bashemath, Hebrew, Basemath (fragrance, the perfumed one) into Adah (ornament, beauty, the adorned one); Mahalath (hard, the musical one) into Basemath (fragrance, perfume, the perfumed one). If Esau had obtained the name of Edom from his red hair, or the red pottage, his wives might as well have derived their new appellatives from such trivial circumstances as peculiarity of appearance and dress, or a love of strong-scented unguents. With regard to the names of their respective fathers, Elon the Hittite, and Ishmael stand in both lists; while Anah is not the mother and Beeri the father, of Aholibamah, as has been supposed by Ranke and others; but as has been demonstrated with great ingenuity by Hengstenberg, is identical with Beeri. Anah, being the proper name of the individual, is given in this genealogical record (Gen. 36:2; Gen. 36:14; Gen. 36:24); while Beeri (man of springs), a surname properly applied to him by his contemporaries (see Gen. 36:24), was naturally preferred in the general narrative (Gen. 26:34). There is another difficulty connected with the name of Anah. He is called (Gen. 26:34) a Hittite, here (Gen. 36:2) a Hivite, and (Gen. 36:20) a Horite. But there is nothing contradictory in these statements. For in the historical relation he is styled, in a wide sense, a Hittite, a term which is frequently used as synonymous with Canaanite (Jos. 1:4, 1Ki. 10:29, 2Ki. 7:6); while in his tribal connection he was a Hivite, just as a man may be described in general history as a native of Great Britain, while specifically he is a Scotchman. The word Horite does not imply either a geographical or national distinction, but simply a dweller in caves; Zibeon, on emigrating to Mount Seir, having become a Troglodyte. These difficulties, then, which encompass the domestic history of Esau having been removed, a clear view of the names and parentage of Esaus wives may be exhibited in the following table:
Ch. Gen. 26:34
Ch. Gen. 36:2-3
Father
Name at birth Judith, or Jehudith
Name after marriage = Aholibamah
Daughter of Anah (Beeri), Hittite, Hivite, and Horite, and Granddaughter of Zibeon, Hivite and Horite
Bashemath
= Adah
Daughter of Elon, Hittite
ch, Gen. 28:9 Mahalath
= Bashemath
Daughter of Ishmael, and sister of Nebajoth
In this table, the daughter of Zibeon is taken in connection, not with Anah (a mans name), but with Aholibamah; and consequently we must interpret daughter in the wider sense it sometimes bears of granddaughter. It may be interesting to add, that Dr. Wilson (Lands of the Bible, Vol. I, p. 33) found that these names are still common in Idumea and among the Arabs. When conversing with the Fellahin, of Wady Musa, he says It is worthy of notice that the first name of a man which they mention to us as current among them was that of Esau; and that Matshabah, one of their female names, seems, by a bold anagram, not unusual in the formation of Arabic words from the Hebrew, to resemble Bashemath, wife of Esau. Aidah, too, one of the female names, is like that of Adah, another of Esaus wives (Jamieson, CECG, 226, on ch. 36). Esaus marriage was another attempt to regain the blessing, by trying to please his parents in Jacobs absence. But his choice showed he had no sense of spiritual realities. He does not do exactly what God requires but something like it. But at heart he was unchanged (TPCG, 55). Esau belongs to the great army of substitutes, like Cain, i.e., those who substitute their own way of doing things for Gods way of doing things. For the opposite note the attitude of Jesus in regard to his own baptism (Mat. 3:13): to fulfil all righteousness is to do Gods will to the full.
Review Questions
See Gen. 28:20-22.
Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
ESAU MARRIES A DAUGHTER OF ISHMAEL.
(6) When Esau.The solemn transfer of the birthright to Jacob, and Isaacs complete assent thereto, must have been the cause of no little grief to Esau, and evidently it made him feel that he had greatly contributed to this result by his own illegitimate marriages. When, then, he sees Jacob sent away to obtain a wife, in accordance with the rule established by Abraham, he determines also to conform to it, and marries a daughter of Ishmael. She is called Bashe-math in chap 36:3, and described in both places as the sister of Nebajoth, in order to show that as Nebajoth the firstborn (Gen. 25:13) was undoubtedly the son of Ishmael by his first wife, whom Hagar took for him out of the land of Egypt (Gen. 21:21), so also Mahalath shared in this precedence, and was not the daughter of any of Ishmaels subsequent wives, or of a concubine.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Observe the policy of Esau. It was to please his father, not with a view to obtain the favor of God. And moreover, whom did he marry? The issue of the bond-woman, not the free. Still you see pursuing carnal, not spiritual objects. – Mahalath is called Bashemath. Gen 36:3 . Nabojoth, Gen 25:13 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Gen 28:6 When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram, 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;
Ver. 6. When Esau saw, &c. ] But he was ever too late ( O ), and therefore what he did was to little purpose. An overlate sight is good neither in piety nor policy. They will find it so that are semper victuri , a and never can find time to begin till they are shut out of heaven for their trifling. How many have we known taken away in their offers and essays; before they had prepared their hearts to cleave to God!
a Seneca.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Gen 28:6-9
6Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram to take to himself a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he charged him, saying, “You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan,” 7and that Jacob had obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Paddan-aram. 8So Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan displeased his father Isaac; 9and Esau went to Ishmael, and married, besides the wives that he had, Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebaioth.
Gen 28:6 “Now Esau” We get another insight into the character of Esau from Gen 28:6-9. He still does not want the responsibility, but he desires the blessing. And, again, he seems to be a man who is rather secular-minded. He already had wives from the daughters of Canaan (cf. Gen 26:34-35; Gen 27:46; Gen 28:8; Gen 36:2), and now he will marry a daughter of Ishmael in order to please his father. This girl goes by the name “Mahalath” in Gen 28:9, but is called “Basemath” in Gen 36:3. Possibly he is still trying to get a blessing from Isaac.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
and. Note the Figure of speech Polysyndeton, emphasizing (verses: Gen 28:6-8) the effort of Esau to note what would please his parents.
Canaan. Compare Gen 24:3, and remember who these Canaanites were. See note on Gen 12:6.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Esau: Gen 27:33
Thou: Gen 28:1
Reciprocal: Gen 24:54 – Send me Gen 25:20 – the Syrian Gen 33:18 – a city of Shechem Gen 34:1 – the daughter Exo 2:15 – fled Num 12:1 – married
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Gen 28:6. This passage comes in, in the midst of Jacobs story, to show the influence of good example. Esau now begins to think Jacob the better man, and disdains not to take him for his pattern in this particular instance of marrying a daughter of Abraham.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Esau’s further marriages 28:6-9
Esau sought to obtain his parents’ approval by marrying one of Abraham’s descendants.
However "he failed to consider that Ishmael had been separated from the house of Abraham and family of promise by the appointment of God; so that it only furnished another proof that he had no thought of the religious interests of the chosen family and was unfit to be the recipient of divine revelation." [Note: Keil and Delitzsch, 1:281.]
This great story teaches that when God’s people know His will they should not resort to deceptive, manipulative schemes to attain spiritual success but must pursue God’s will righteously. Every member of Isaac’s family behaved in a self-centered and unprincipled manner, yet God graciously overcame their sins. This reminds us that His mercy is the ultimate ground of salvation.