A SOURCE OF GRIEF TO ISAAC AND REBEKAH / GENESIS 26:34-35

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) Genesis 26:34-35

And Esau was forty years old when he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite: ³⁵ Which were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

When Esau was forty years old, he took as wives Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. And they were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah. This brief but poignant passage from Genesis 26:34-35 opens a window into a painful chapter for the foundational family of Israel’s covenant. It reveals how individual choices driven by immediate desire can ripple outward, creating deep heartbreak within a family and fracturing a spiritual legacy.

Esau’s decision to marry these two Hittite women was much more than a simple disagreement over family traditions. It was a direct reflection of his heart’s alignment. In the ancient world, and specifically within the family of Abraham, marriage was intimately tied to the preservation of God’s covenant promise. By choosing wives from the surrounding Canaanite cultures—peoples who did not acknowledge or follow the true God—Esau demonstrated a profound lack of respect for the righteous standards his parents labored to uphold.

Furthermore, this choice exposed how little value Esau placed on the covenant blessing itself. He looked at the spiritual heritage passed down from Abraham to Isaac and saw something expendable. Instead of seeking a partner who would help him honor God and build a godly household, he chose immediate compatibility and worldly convenience. For Isaac and Rebekah, the grief was not just emotional; it was the heavy sorrow of watching a son willingly walk away from the presence and purposes of God.

For us today, Esau’s story serves as a sobering reminder of the weight of our choices. It invites us to examine what we value. Are we protecting the spiritual investments made by those who walked before us? Are we making daily decisions that honor God’s standards, or are we letting the culture around us dictate our paths? When we prioritize worldly desires over spiritual legacy, we risk bringing grief not only to those who love us but also missing out on the fullness of God’s intentions for our lives. Let us be a people who hold fast to the true God, honoring our legacy and walking intentionally in His truth.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, we come before You acknowledging that our choices matter deeply to You and to the people You have placed in our lives. Forgive us for the times we have pursued our own desires at the expense of Your righteous standards. Guard our hearts against the apathy that Esau showed toward Your sacred blessings. We pray for our families, asking for healing where choices have caused grief, and for unity in seeking Your will. Grant us the wisdom and discernment to honor the spiritual legacies we have been given, and help us to live lives that bring joy, honor, and glory to Your holy name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Bible Study Tools I Use

• NIV Bible
• King James Bible
• www. biblegateway.com
• www.biblestudytools.com
• Map Pencils
• College Ruled Spiral Notebook
• Ballpoint Pens
• Some links may be affiliated. By purchasing an item from an affiliate link, I receive a small commission – but you are not charged more or less by clicking or purchasing through the link. Thank you for supporting me!

Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

1. THE LORD BLESSED HIM / GENESIS 26:12
2. BECAUSE ABRAHAM OBEYED / GENESIS 26:5-6
3. I WILL BE WITH YOU / GENESIS 26:2-4
4. BIRTHRIGHT / GENESIS 25:31
5. ISAAC WAS SIXTY YEARS OLD / GENESIS 25:26
6. TWO NATIONS – OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER / GENESIS 25:22-23
7. ISAAC PRAYED TO THE LORD / GENESIS 25:21
8. ISHMAEL … WAS GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE / GENESIS 25:17
9. THEN ABRAHAM … WAS GATHERED TO HIS PEOPLE / GENESIS 25:8
10. GIFTS / GENESIS 25:6
11. ABRAHAM LEFT EVERYTHING HE OWNED TO ISAAC / GENESIS 25:5
12. WILL SEND HIS ANGEL WITH YOU AND MAKE YOUR JOURNEY A SUCCESS / GENESIS 24:40
13. THE LORD HAD LED ME / GENESIS 24:26-27
14. I’LL WATER YOUR CAMELS TOO / GENESIS 24:13-14
15. HE PRAYED O LORD / GENESIS 24:12
16. NOT GET A WIFE / GENESIS 24:2-4
17. THE FIELD … AS A BURIAL SITE / GENESIS 23:20
18. BECAUSE YOU HAVE OBEYED ME / GENESIS 22:15-18
19. YAHWEH-YIREH / GENESIS 22:14
20. NOW I KNOW THAT YOU FEAR GOD / GENESIS 22:11-13
21. HE REACHED OUT HIS HAND / GENESIS 22:10
22. BOUND HIS SON ISAAC / GENESIS 22:9
23. GOD HIMSELF WILL PROVIDE / GENESIS 22:8
24. I AND THE BOY … WILL COME BACK / GENESIS 22:5
25. TAKE YOUR SON / GENESIS 22:2
26. GOD TESTED ABRAHAM / GENESIS 22:1
27. GOD HAS HEARD / GENESIS 21:17
28. HIS SON ISAAC WAS BORN / GENESIS 21:5
29. SAID OF HIS WIFE SARAH SHE IS MY SISTER / GENESIS 20:1-2
30. THEY GOT THEIR FATHER TO DRINK WINE / GENESIS 19:33
31. SMOKE FROM A FURNACE / GENESIS 19:28
32. LOT’S WIFE LOOKED BACK, AND SHE BECAME A PILLAR OF SALET / GENESIS 19:26
33. I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS / GENESIS 19:8
34. HOSPITALITY JUSTICE AND THE HARD TRUTHS / GENESIS 19:5
35. LOT WAS SITTING IN THE GATEWAY / GENESIS 19:1-2
36. ABRAHAM REMAINED STANDING BEFORE THE LORD / GENESIS 18:22
37. THEIR SIN IS SO GRIEVOUS / GENESIS 18:20-21
38. HE WILL DIRECT HIS CHILDREN … KEEP THE WAY OF THE LORD / GENESIS 18:19
39. IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD? / GENESIS 18:13-14
40. THREE MEN / GENESIS 18:2
41. LAUGHED / GENESIS 17:17
42. SARAH /GENESIS 17:15
43. THE SIGN AND THE SEAL / GENESIS 7:11
44. EVERLASTING POSSESSION / GENESIS 17:8
45. TO BE YOUR GOD / GENESIS 17:6-7
46. ABRAM … ABRAHAM / GENESIS 17:5
47. MY COVENANT / GENESIS 17:2
48. NINETY-NINE YEARS OLD / GENESIS 17:1
49. AGAINST EVERYONE / GENESIS 16:12
50. ISHMAEL / GENESIS 16:11
51. THE ANGEL OF THE LORD / GENESIS 16:7
52. THE LORD HAS KEPT ME FROM HAVING CHILDREN / GENESIS 16:1-2
53. THE LORD MADE A COVENANT WITH ABRAM / GENESIS 15:17-21
54. A COUNTRY NOT THEIR OWN / GENESIS 15:13
55. HE BELIEVED … HE CREDITED IT TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS /GENESIS 15:6
56. YOUR SHIELD, YOUR VERY GREAT REWARD / GENESIS 15:1
57. I WILL ACCEPT NOTHING BELONGING TO YOU /GENESIS 14:22-23
58. GAVE HIM A TENTH OF EVERYTHING / GENESIS 14:20
59. MELCHIZEDEK KING OF SALEM / GENESIS 14:18
60. CALLED OUT THE 318 TRAINED MEN / GENESIS 14:14
61. ABRAM THE HEBREWS / GENESIS 14:13
62. PITCHED HIS TENTS NEAR SODOM / GENESIS 13:12
63. LOT LOOKED UP AND SAW / GENESIS 13:10
64. SAY YOU ARE MY SISTER / GENESIS 12:11-13
65. A FAMINE IN THE LAND / GENESIS 12:10
66. THE LORD APPEARED TO ABRAM / GENESIS 12:7
67. ABRAM LEFT, AS THE LORD HAD TOLD HIM / GENESIS 12:4
68. ALL PEOPLES ON EARTH WILL BE BLESSED THROUGH YOU / GENESIS 12:3
69. LEAVE YOUR COUNTRY / GENESIS 12:1-2
70. HIS SON ABRAM / GENESIS 11:31
71. UR OF THE CHALDEANS / GENESIS 11:28
72. LET US BUILD … THAT WE MAY MAKE A NAME / GENESIS 11:4
73. A PLAIN IN SHINAR / GENESIS 11:1-2
74. BORN TO SHEM / GENESIS 10:21-31
75. THE SONS OF HAM / GENESIS 10:6-20
76. THE SONS OF JEPHETH / GENESIS 10:2-5
77. THE ACCOUNT OF SHEM, HAM AND JAPHETH / GENESIS 10:1
78. CURSED BE CANAAN / GENESIS 9:24-25
79. HAM / GENESIS 9:22
80. DRANK SOME OF ITS WINE, HE BECAME DRUNK / GENESIS 9:21
81. MY RAINBOW IN THE CLOUDS / GENESIS 9:13
82. I NOW ESTABLISH MY COVENANT / GENESIS 9:9-17
83. WHOEVER SHEDS THE BLOOD OF MAN BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED / GENESIS 9:6
84. HEART IS EVIL FROM CHILDHOOD / GENESIS 8:21
85. BUT GOD REMEMBERED NOAH / GENESIS 8:1
86. EVERY LIVING THING WAS WIPED OUT ONLY NOAH WAS LEFT / GENESIS 7:23
87. THE GREAT DEEP BURST FORTH / GENESIS 7:11-12
88. THE FLOODWATERS CAME ON THE EARTH / GENESIS 7:6
89. I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT WITH YOU / GENESIS 6:18
90. AN ARK / GENESIS 6:14
91. NOAH WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN BLAMELESS AMONG THE PEOPLE / GENESIS 6:9
92. THE LORD WAS GRIEVED / GENESIS 6:6
93. HOW GREAT MAN’S WICKEDNESS / GENESIS 6:5
94. THE SONS OF GOD / GENESIS 6:1-2
95. GOD TOOK HIM/ GENESIS 5:24
96. ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD / GENESIS 5:22
97. SETH … FATHER OF ENOSH / GENESIS 5:6
98. ADAM LIVED 930 YEARS / GENESIS 5:5
99. WRITTEN ACCOUNT OF ADAM’S LINE / GENESIS 5:1
100. CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD / GENESIS 4:26
101. MARRIED TWO WOMEN / GENESIS 4:19
102. CAIN … HIS WIFE / GENESIS 4:17
103. CAIN WENT OUT FROM THE LORD’S PRESENCE / GENESIS 4:16
104. A MARK ON CAIN / GENESIS 4:15
105. NOW YOU ARE UNDER A CURSE / GENENSIS 4:11-12
106. YOUR BROTHER’S BLOOD CRIES OUT TO ME / GENESIS 4:10
107. IT DESIRES TO HAVE YOU / GENESIS 4:6-7
108. AN OFFERING TO THE LORD / GENESIS 4:3-5
109. ADAM LAY WITH HIS WIFE / GENESIS 4:1
110. HE DROVE THE MAN OUT / GENESIS 3:24
111. KNOWING GOOD AND EVIL / GENESIS 3:22
112. I WILL GREATLY INCREASE YOUR PAINS / GENESIS 3:16-19
113. HE WILL CRUSH YOUR HEAD, AND YOU WILL STRIKE HIS HEEL / GENESIS 3:14-15
114. THE SERPENT DECEIVED ME / GENESIS 3:13
115. THEY HID / GENESIS 3:8
116. THEY REALIZED THEY WERE NAKED / GENESIS 3:7
117. THE WOMAN … ATE IT … HER HUSBAND … WITH HER / GENESIS 3:6
118. YOU WILL BE LIKE GOD / GENESIS 3:5
119. YOU WILL NOT SURELY DIE / GENESIS 3:4
120. THE SERPENT / GENESIS 3:1
121. LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER / GENESIS 2:24
122. HELPER SUITABLE FOR HIM / GENESIS 2:18
123. THE LORD GOD COMMANDED THE MAN / GENESIS 2:16-17
124. PUT HIM IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN / GENESIS 2:15
125. TREE OF LIFE / GENESIS 2:9
126. GARDEN IN THE EAST, IN EDEN / GENESIS 2:8
127. A LIVING BEING / GENESIS 2:7
128. THE ACCOUNT – THE LORD GOD / GENESIS 2:4-6
129. GOD BLESSED THE SEVENTH DAY / GENESIS 2:3
130. BE FRUITFUL AND INCREASE / GENESIS 1:28
131. GOD SAID LET US – LET US MAKE MAN / GENESIS 1:26
132. SERVE AS SIGNS / GENESIS 1:14-15
133. IT WAS GOOD / GENESIS 1:10
134. THERE WAS EVENING, AND THERE WAS MORNING – THE FIRST DAY / GENESIS 1:5
135. LET THERE BE LIGHT / GENESIS 1:3
136. EARTH WAS FORMLESS AND EMPTY / GENESIS 1:2
137. IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED / GENESIS 1:1
138. CREWS N AWAY: ANCHORED IN GRACE

Thanks for stopping by the blog today! I love having you here. If this post resonated with you, please drop a comment below and share your thoughts. See you in the next post!

Blessings, Margarita & Stace