Genesis 26:35 kjv

Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

Genesis 26:35 nkjv

And they were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah.

Genesis 26:35 niv

They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.

Genesis 26:35 esv

and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.

Genesis 26:35 nlt

But Esau's wives made life miserable for Isaac and Rebekah.

Genesis 26 verses

Genesis 26 35 Meaning

Genesis 26:35 signifies that Esau's decision to marry two Hittite women, Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite, brought significant sorrow, irritation, and vexation to his parents, Isaac and Rebekah. Their marriages were a constant source of bitterness and distress within the covenant household.

Genesis 26 35 Context

Genesis chapter 26 largely focuses on Isaac's experiences and reaffirmation of the Abrahamic covenant. It details his interactions with the Philistines in Gerar, including the deception regarding Rebekah, the prosperity God grants him, the disputes over wells, and his eventual move to Beersheba. The chapter reaffirms Isaac's role as the inheritor of the promise. Within this narrative, verse 34 casually introduces Esau's marriage choices, noting that he took two Hittite wives at the age of forty. This seemingly brief detail immediately elicits the parental reaction in verse 35. Historically and culturally, endogamy (marriage within one's social or ethnic group) was common and often crucial for maintaining cultural and religious identity. For the nascent covenant family, marrying a Canaanite (like a Hittite) was problematic because it integrated individuals from a spiritually corrupt culture, threatening the unique holiness and distinctiveness of God's chosen lineage. This verse serves as a subtle, yet profound, marker of Esau's disregard for his spiritual heritage, laying the groundwork for why the divine blessing and covenant would ultimately pass through Jacob.

Genesis 26 35 Word Analysis

• and (וַ): Connects Esau's actions (taking wives) to the immediate parental reaction. It implies direct causality.
• they (הֵ֕נָּה - hennah): Refers to the two Hittite wives Esau took: Judith and Basemath (Gen 26:34). The implication is that their very presence and lifestyle caused the distress.
• were (הָי֖וּ - hayu): Indicates a continuous state, not a momentary feeling. The wives remained a problem.
• a grief of spirit (מֹרַ֣ת רוּחַ֒ - morat ruach): This is a crucial phrase.
  • מֹרַת (morat): From the root marar (מָרַר), meaning "to be bitter," "to be irritating," "to be strong" in a negative sense, "to grieve," "to vex." It conveys deep emotional pain, irritation, vexation, and resentment, more intense than mere sadness. It suggests an active, gnawing bitterness rather than passive sorrow.
  • רוּחַ (ruach): "Spirit," "breath," "wind." Here, it refers to the inner being, the deepest core of one's emotions and psychological state. So, "bitterness of spirit" signifies that the distress was profound, affecting their very inner essence and causing ongoing, persistent irritation and disappointment. It implies an internal conflict and weariness.
• unto (לְ - le): Indicates the direction or recipients of the grief.
• Isaac (יִצְחָ֖ק - Yitschak): The son of Abraham, inheritor of the covenant promise. His grief highlights the sanctity of the Abrahamic lineage and the potential threat to its spiritual purity.
• and (וְ - ve): Connects Isaac and Rebekah as sharing this joint distress.
• to (לְ - le): As above, the recipient of the grief.
• Rebekah (רִבְקָֽה - Rivkah): Isaac's wife and Jacob's mother. Her distress is often highlighted in the narrative (cf. Gen 27:46), underscoring the severity of Esau's choice from a parental and spiritual perspective. She bore the daily reality of these daughters-in-law.

Words-group Analysis:

• "and they were a grief of spirit": This phrase emphasizes the wives themselves, rather than merely Esau's action, as the persistent cause of the distress. It was their nature, their foreign ways, and likely their impact on the family environment that produced this deep-seated, ongoing vexation. It signifies a profound spiritual incompatibility.
• "unto Isaac and to Rebekah": The shared nature of the grief points to a unified concern for the spiritual future of their lineage. Both parents were keenly aware of the importance of covenant integrity and Esau's choices were a direct affront to that understanding. It highlights the familial unity in disappointment.

Genesis 26 35 Bonus Section

• Esau's Character Trait: This verse contributes to the developing portrait of Esau as a "profane person" (Heb 12:16), someone who holds sacred things lightly. His impulsive and worldly choices are consistently contrasted with the more considered (though not perfect) spiritual journey of Jacob, even before Jacob inherits the blessing.
• Literary Foreshadowing: The deep bitterness introduced here by Esau's marriage choices sets the emotional stage for the upcoming deception surrounding the blessing (Genesis 27) and Jacob's departure to Haran, as Rebekah directly leverages her "weariness" from these daughters-in-law to persuade Isaac to send Jacob away for a wife from their kin (Gen 27:46).
• Covenant Boundary: This verse, though simple, delineates a crucial covenant boundary. The land of Canaan was promised, but its inhabitants were a spiritual danger. Marriage outside the covenant family often led to assimilation, idolatry, and a dilution of the distinctive call to be a holy people set apart for God.
• Impact on Family Dynamics: The wives were not merely foreign; their behaviors, customs, and possibly their polytheistic beliefs likely introduced significant spiritual tension and discord into the otherwise covenant-focused household, leading to ongoing "bitterness" for Isaac and Rebekah.

Genesis 26 35 Commentary

Genesis 26:35 is a concise yet pivotal statement that encapsulates the deep-seated spiritual conflict emerging within the patriarchal family. Esau's choice of two Hittite women, against the implied custom and concern for lineage purity established by Abraham, was not merely a social misstep but a significant spiritual misalignment. The phrase "grief of spirit" (מֹרַת רוּחַ) is not merely sadness but denotes a bitter, irritating, and vexatious weariness of soul. It signifies a constant, nagging distress, demonstrating that these marriages were a profound and continuous source of friction and sorrow for Isaac and Rebekah.

This verse reveals several critical truths. Firstly, it exposes Esau's casual disregard for his spiritual heritage, already hinted at when he sold his birthright. His priorities were worldly, contrasting sharply with the covenant focus of his parents. Secondly, it underscores the parental anxiety for the preservation of the sacred lineage and its spiritual integrity, mirroring Abraham's meticulous efforts to secure Isaac a suitable wife (Gen 24). Finally, it foreshadows the deepening chasm between Esau and Jacob, and more broadly, the inherent tension between God's chosen people and the pagan cultures surrounding them, a theme that reverberates throughout the entire biblical narrative concerning Israel's temptation towards idolatry and assimilation. The sorrow of Isaac and Rebekah highlights the weighty responsibility of covenant faithfulness and the pain when it is compromised within the family.