Genesis 27:46

46 Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am tired of living because * of 1the daughters of Heth; 2if 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?"

Genesis 27:46 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 27:46

And Rebekah said to Isaac
Not what she had told Jacob concerning the enmity of Esau to Jacob, and his intention to kill him, lest it should grieve him, and bring his gray hairs with sorrow to the grave; but what follows, as an excuse to get Isaac's leave for Jacob's departure, concealing the true reason of it: I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth;
whom Esau had married, ( Genesis 26:34 Genesis 26:35 ) ; who were continually vexing and teasing her by their impiety and idolatry, their irreligion and profaneness, their disobedience and contradiction, their froward temper and behaviour; if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth;
as his brother has done, and after his example, as the best are too apt to be led by bad examples: such as these [which are] of the daughters of the land:
like those Esau had married, of the same tribe, or of other of the tribes of the Canaanites, which were in religion and manners like unto them: what good shall my life do me?
I shall have no comfort in it; death would be more eligible than such a life: this she said with great vehemence and affection, to move and work upon Isaac to lay him commands on Jacob, and give him orders and directions to go to her family and friends, and there take him a wife; and the succeeded according to her wishes, as the following chapter shows.

Genesis 27:46 In-Context

44 "Stay with him a few days, until your brother's fury subsides,
45 until your brother's anger against you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I will send and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?"
46 Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am tired of living because of the daughters of Heth; 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?"

Cross References 2

  • 1. Genesis 26:34, 35; Genesis 28:8
  • 2. Genesis 24:3

Footnotes 1

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