Women in the Bible – Basemath – Daughter of Elon, the Hittite, One of the Wives of Esau

Women in the Bible – Basemath – Daughter of Elon, the Hittite, One of the Wives of Esau

Genesis 26:34-35 (ESV)

When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.

Genesis 36:9-10 (ESV)

These are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in the hill country of Seir. These are the names of Esau’s sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau.

Esau had many wives. We have already looked at some of them. Today’s Women in the Bible was apparently his second wife, or at least second on the list. Esau married Basemath when he was forty. This was not long after leaving his father’s home and settling in Edom. He may have even been married to her and Judith before leaving, because it is said that these two “made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.

Basemath comes from the Hebrew word bāśemat, and means “fragrance.” She gave birth to one son. There may have been other daughters but they are not mentioned in the lineage. We don’t know much more about her than this. Neither Basemath or her son are ever mentioned again in scripture.