The Wife of Esau and Daughter of Ishmael
The Identity: A Marriage of Political Utility
Bashemath (sometimes spelled Basmath in the KJV) is known primarily through her connection to two central figures in the Old Testament: she became one of the wives of Esau, the son of Isaac, and was the daughter of Ishmael, the son of Abraham by Hagar.
The narrative of Bashemath illustrates the complex web of family and tribal alliances that shaped the early history of the Patriarchs, particularly the strained relationship between the descendants of Isaac and the descendants of Ishmael.
The Problem: A Source of Grief
Esau initially married two Canaanite women, which caused great distress to his parents, Isaac and Rebekah, because these women did not share the covenant faith and brought the spiritual influence of their native lands into the family:
“Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.” (Genesis 26:35, KJV)
In an apparent attempt to appease his parents and imitate his brother Jacob, who had gone to Haran to seek a wife from the family of his mother, Esau sought a third wife. However, instead of choosing someone from his mother’s family, he chose a closer relative—Bashemath, the daughter of his uncle Ishmael:
“And Esau went unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Bashemath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham’s son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.” (Genesis 28:9, KJV)
While this marriage corrected the mistake of marrying a non-relative, it still represented a choice made outside of the clear directive and intention of the covenant family. Esau’s pattern of choosing wives demonstrated a lack of spiritual discernment, prioritizing emotional satisfaction or familial connection over the purity of the faith line.
The Genealogy: Confusion in the Records
It is important to note a point of confusion in the King James Version text regarding the names of Esau’s wives:
- Genesis 26:34 names two wives: Judith (daughter of Beeri the Hittite) and Bashemath (daughter of Elon the Hittite).
- Genesis 28:9 records Esau marrying Bashemath (daughter of Ishmael).
- Genesis 36:2-3 records three wives: Adah (daughter of Elon the Hittite), Aholibamah (daughter of Anah), and Bashemath (daughter of Ishmael).
Most modern translations and commentators reconcile this by noting that Esau’s wives likely had multiple names (perhaps one given and one acquired), and the Bashemath of Ishmael is the same individual referenced in Genesis 28 and 36. She is clearly distinguished as a descendant of Abraham through Ishmael, making her a relative, but not a member of the direct covenant line chosen for Jacob.
Bashemath’s primary legacy is as a participant in a marriage that, while potentially intended to bring peace to the family, ultimately highlighted Esau’s consistent disregard for his spiritual inheritance and the standards of the covenant faith.