Genesis 27 46

Genesis 27:46 kjv

And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

Genesis 27:46 nkjv

And Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, like these who are the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?"

Genesis 27:46 niv

Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I'm disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living."

Genesis 27:46 esv

Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?"

Genesis 27:46 nlt

Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I'm sick and tired of these local Hittite women! I would rather die than see Jacob marry one of them."

Genesis 27 verses

Genesis 27 46 meaning

Genesis 27:46 reveals Rebekah's deep anguish and weariness of spirit concerning her son Esau's marriage to Hittite women, and her proactive fear that Jacob might follow suit. Her lament is not merely an expression of personal fatigue but a strategic appeal to Isaac, designed to prompt him to send Jacob away, thereby safeguarding the lineage from further intermarriage with the pagan Canaanite daughters of the land. This action, rooted in her concern for the Abrahamic covenant, subtly hides her immediate agenda of protecting Jacob from Esau's wrath after the stolen blessing.

Genesis 27 46 Context

Genesis chapter 27 describes the pivotal event where Jacob, prompted by Rebekah, deceives his blind father Isaac into giving him the blessing intended for Esau, the firstborn. Following this deception, Esau discovers Jacob's act and vows to kill him once Isaac is dead (Gen 27:41). Rebekah learns of Esau's murderous intent (Gen 27:42) and, desiring to protect her favored son Jacob, devises a plan. This verse (Gen 27:46) is her cunning articulation of that plan to Isaac. She frames her concern in terms of the spiritual purity of the lineage, using Esau's previous regrettable marriages to Hittite women (Gen 26:34-35) as a compelling reason to send Jacob away, thereby secretly shielding him from Esau's vengeance and simultaneously directing him toward a more suitable, covenant-minded wife. The historical-cultural context for the original audience (ancient Israel) highlights the critical importance of lineage, endogamy (marriage within one's kin group), and avoidance of intermarriage with foreign peoples, particularly Canaanites, whose pagan practices threatened the integrity of the nascent monotheistic faith. This concern for marital purity and covenant fidelity was a foundational principle from Abraham's time (Gen 24). Rebekah's statement taps into this deeply held cultural and religious value, indirectly serving as a polemic against the prevalent polytheism and immoral practices of the surrounding peoples, implicitly reaffirming the need for the chosen seed to remain distinct and devoted to Yahweh.

Genesis 27 46 Word analysis

• And Rebekah said to Isaac:

  • Vatomer Rivkah el Yitzchak (וַתֹּאמֶר רִבְקָה אֶל־יִצְחָק). "Vatomer" (And she said) signifies a decisive, direct statement from Rebekah, indicating her initiative and strong will in shaping the family's immediate future. This reflects her dominant role in the prior deception.

• I am weary of my life:

  • Katzti b'chayyay (קַצְתִּי בְחַיָּי). The root קצץ (qatstí) means "to loathe," "to be disgusted," "to detest," "to abominate," not merely "to be tired." It conveys deep inner vexation, profound distress, or utter disgust. This is an emphatic declaration of spiritual and emotional exhaustion, signifying that her very existence is being negatively impacted.

• because of the daughters of Heth:

  • Mipp'ney b'not Chet (מִפְּנֵי בְּנוֹת־חֵת). "Mipp'ney" (from the face of, because of) points directly to the source of her profound distress: the Hittite women. "Heth" refers to the Hittites, descendants of Canaan, signifying foreign and pagan peoples (Gen 10:15). Esau's marriages to these women caused his parents grief (Gen 26:34-35), setting a precedent for Rebekah's alarm.

• If Jacob takes a wife:

  • Im-yikach Yaakov isha (אִם־יִקַּח יַעֲקֹב אִשָּׁה). This conditional clause expresses a grave fear. "Yikach" (takes) refers to marriage. It highlights the strategic nature of Rebekah's concern – preventing Jacob from making the same mistake as Esau.

• from the daughters of Heth:

  • Mib'not Chet (מִבְּנוֹת־חֵת). Repetition emphasizes the specific, problematic origin of wives. The covenant people were expected to marry within their own believing kin to preserve their unique spiritual identity and avoid assimilation into pagan practices (Gen 24).

• like these, from the daughters of the land:

  • Ka'elleh mib'not ha'aretz (כָּאֵלֶּה מִבְּנוֹת הָאָרֶץ). "Ka'elleh" (like these) directly points to Esau's existing Hittite wives. "Ha'aretz" (the land) refers to Canaan, the land occupied by peoples hostile to Yahweh. This phrase underscores the foreignness and potential spiritual defilement.

• what good will my life be to me?

  • Lamah li chayyim? (לָמָּה לִּי חַיִּים?). A rhetorical question conveying absolute despair. It literally means "Why to me life?" or "For what purpose my life?" It's a statement of ultimate futility and loss of purpose if such a situation were to occur. This deep emotional appeal is meant to sway Isaac.

• "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth": This phrase links Rebekah's profound emotional suffering directly to the marital choices of her son Esau. It paints a picture of constant sorrow and burden resulting from spiritual misalignment within the family, using an extreme emotional declaration to evoke sympathy and prompt action from Isaac.

• "If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?": This complete conditional statement reveals Rebekah's forward-looking concern for Jacob's marital destiny, extrapolating from Esau's negative example. It showcases her strategic acumen, connecting Jacob's potential choice of a non-covenant wife to her utter despair and loss of all hope, thus presenting Isaac with a stark choice for the continuation of their sacred lineage. The double mention of "daughters of Heth" and "daughters of the land" highlights the critical distinction between the Abrahamic lineage and the surrounding pagan cultures.

Genesis 27 46 Bonus section

This verse subtly showcases the tension between human will and divine purpose. Rebekah's personal ambition for Jacob to receive the blessing, followed by her clever strategy to protect him and send him to Haran for a wife, ultimately aligns with God's already declared choice of Jacob over Esau. This is a common motif in Genesis, where human actors make flawed choices or implement devious plans, yet God's sovereign will is invariably achieved. The Hittites (the sons of Heth) were significant powers in the ancient Near East, renowned for their metallurgical skills and powerful empire, though in Genesis, they often represent the alien peoples of Canaan, embodying a threat to Israelite distinctiveness. Rebekah's deep "weariness" also hints at the significant stress and burden mothers bore in a patriarchal society, especially concerning the future and spiritual alignment of their children. Her words are not just about marriage but about the legacy and destiny of a family line entrusted with a divine covenant.

Genesis 27 46 Commentary

Rebekah's passionate declaration in Genesis 27:46 is a multi-layered statement, deeply rooted in the narrative of the patriarchal family and the overarching theme of covenant preservation. On the surface, it reflects a genuine and profound distress over the implications of marrying outside the covenant family, a concern inherited from Abraham who ensured Isaac did not take a Canaanite wife. Esau's existing marriages had indeed brought "grief of mind" (Gen 26:35) to his parents, making Rebekah's words resonate with a palpable truth for Isaac. Her use of "weary of my life" is not a mere exaggeration but expresses a spiritual loathing for the pagan influence that such unions introduced, threatening the purity of the Abrahamic seed through whom the promises would continue. This deep concern for the covenant lineage—ensuring that the heir, Jacob, chose a partner from their own people—is presented as the primary driver. However, beneath this spiritual lament lies Rebekah's immediate, more pragmatic agenda: to protect Jacob from Esau's murderous revenge (Gen 27:41-45). By framing the departure as a quest for a suitable wife, she provides Isaac with a legitimate, pious reason to send Jacob away, unknowingly fulfilling her own design while serving the divine purpose for Jacob to go to Haran and eventually establish the twelve tribes. Her emotional plea, therefore, serves as both a sincere expression of covenantal fidelity and a calculated maneuver to save her favored son and facilitate the unfolding of God's plan, albeit through human strategizing.