Genesis 27:46
in Genesis 27Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a Hittite wife from among them, what good is my life?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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, of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?
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?
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This verse in Genesis 27
Commentary
5 notes on this verseI am weary of my life - It is very likely that Rebekah kept many of the circumstances related above from the knowledge of Isaac; but as Jacob could not go to Padan-aram without his knowledge, she appears here quite in her own character, framing an excuse for his departure, and concealing the true cause. Abraham had been solicitous to get a wife for his son Isaac from a branch of his own family; hence she was brought from Syria.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Notice how she found a plausible excuse. You see, whenever help from on high comes to support us, problems become simple and difficulties easy. So, since she too had the Lord of all seconding her intention, he put into her mind everything capable of bringing to realization the plan in process for her son's survival. "I am disgusted with life on account of the daughters of the Hittites. If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of this land, what meaning would life have for me?" Here there seems to be a reference to the immorality of Esau's wives and the fact that they proved a source of great disgust to Isaac and Rebekah. Sacred Scripture narrated to us previously, you remember, that Esau took wives from the Hittites and Hivites: "They were at odds with Isaac and Rebekah." So, wishing to remind him of this, she more or less says to him, "You know how Esau's wives made life unpleasant for me, and how, on account of their hostility, I am now alienated from all the daughters of the Hittites and hate the lot of them on their account. So if it happens that Jacob takes a wife from among them, what hope of survival would then be left for me? What meaning would life have for me?" I mean, "if we can't put up with them, if even Jacob goes so far as to marry one of the daughters of this land, life is over for us."
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth - As Esau has done. This was not the thing she was afraid of. But if we use guile once, we shall be very ready to use it again.
And Rebekah said to Isaac,....
Isaac saw as uneasy as he was to Esau's being unequally yoked with Hittites; and therefore, with a very good colour of reason, she moves to have Jacob married to one that was better principled. Note, One miscarriage should serve as a warning to prevent another; those are careless indeed that stumble twice at the same stone.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּ֤אמֶר | vatomer | and she said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| רִבְקָה֙ | rivkah | Rebekah | H7259 → | 30 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יִצְחָ֔ק | yitzchak | Isaac | H3327 → | 108 times |
| קַ֣צְתִּי | katzti | I loathe | H6973 → | |
| בְחַיַּ֔י | vechaiyai | <in> life my | H2416 → | 498 times |
| מִפְּנֵ֖י | mipenei | <from> because of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| בְּנ֣וֹת | benot | [the] daughters of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| חֵ֑ת | chet | Heth | H2845 → | 14 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| לֹקֵ֣חַ | lokeach | [is] taking | H3947 → | 966 times |
| יַ֠עֲקֹב | yaako | Jacob | H3290 → | 350 times |
| אִשָּׁ֨ה | ʾishah | a wife | H802 → | 781 times |
| מִבְּנֽוֹת־ | mibenot- | from [the] daughters of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| חֵ֤ת | chet | Heth | H2845 → | 14 times |
| כָּאֵ֙לֶּה֙ | kaeleh | like these | H428 → | 746 times |
| מִבְּנ֣וֹת | mibenot | from [the] daughters of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| הָאָ֔רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| לָ֥מָּה | lamah | <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| לִּ֖י | li | [belongs] to <the> me | ||
| חַיִּֽים׃ | chaiyim | life | H2416 → | 498 times |
וַתֹּ֤אמֶרand she said
vatomerH559 →5305 times
רִבְקָה֙Rebekah
rivkahH7259 →30 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יִצְחָ֔קIsaac
yitzchakH3327 →108 times
קַ֣צְתִּיI loathe
katztiH6973 →
בְחַיַּ֔י<in> life my
vechaiyaiH2416 →498 times
מִפְּנֵ֖י<from> because of
mipeneiH6440 →2123 times
בְּנ֣וֹת[the] daughters of
benotH1323 →588 times
חֵ֑תHeth
chetH2845 →14 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
לֹקֵ֣חַ[is] taking
lokeachH3947 →966 times
יַ֠עֲקֹבJacob
yaakoH3290 →350 times
אִשָּׁ֨הa wife
ʾishahH802 →781 times
מִבְּנֽוֹת־from [the] daughters of
mibenot-H1323 →588 times
חֵ֤תHeth
chetH2845 →14 times
כָּאֵ֙לֶּה֙like these
kaelehH428 →746 times
מִבְּנ֣וֹתfrom [the] daughters of
mibenotH1323 →588 times
הָאָ֔רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
לָ֥מָּה<to> why?
lamahH4100 →752 times
לִּ֖י[belongs] to <the> me
li
חַיִּֽים׃life
chaiyimH2416 →498 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 24:3and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites…
it leads to
- Genesis 26:34–35
When Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite and Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Corinthians 6:14–17
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?
- Deuteronomy 7:3–4
Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons,
- Genesis 28:8
And seeing that his father Isaac disapproved of the Canaanite women,
- Nehemiah 13:25
I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not…
- Genesis 26:34–35
Through
Genesis 28:8And seeing that his father Isaac disapproved of the Canaanite women,
it leads to
- Genesis 24:3
and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites…
- Genesis 24:3
Through
Numbers 11:15If this is how You are going to treat me, please kill me right now—if I have found favor in Your eyes—and let me not see my own wretchedness.”
it leads to
- Jonah 4:3
And now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
- Jeremiah 20:18
Why did I come out of the womb to see only trouble and sorrow, and to end my days in shame?
- Jonah 4:3
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsRebekahIsaac's bride, drawn from Abraham's kindred by providence (ch. 24); mother of the twins, who receives the oracle “the elder shall…
- PersonPatriarchsIsaacThe son of promise and of laughter — bound on Moriah, the quiet inheritor of the covenant.
- PersonPatriarchsJacobThe heel-grasping supplanter reshaped at Peniel into 'Israel, he who strives with God' — father of the twelve tribes.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 54.13; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.