Mahalath Summary
STEPBible TIPNR
Mahalath, also known as Basemath, was one of Esau's wives, a daughter of Ishmael.
daughter of Ishmael, sister of Nebaioth, and wife of Esau (GEN 28:9)
Lineage: God › Adam › Seth › Enos › Cainan › Mahalaleel › Jared › Enoch › Methuselah › Lamech › Noah › Shem › Arphaxad › Cainan › Salah › Eber › Peleg › Reu › Serug › Nahor › Terah › Abraham › Ishmael › Bashemath
Names
-
en
Bashemath
perfumed; confusion of death; in desolation
- en Mahalath
- en Mahalath · Also called
-
en
Basemath
· Also called · H1315 · GEN 36:3 fragrant
- en Bashemath · Also called
-
he
מָחֲלַת
machalat · H4258 · GEN 28:9 suffering of affliction NIV; sickness or suffering poem JB
-
he
בָּ֣שְׂמַ֔ת
basəmat · H1315 · GEN 36:3 fragrant
- he מַחֲלַת · H4258G
- he בָּֽשְׂמַת · H1315I
- el Μαελεθ Maeleth · GEN 28:9
- el Βασεμμαθ Basemmath · GEN 36:3
- bg Васемата
SDA Books
Awaiting permission to publishLinked through an explicitly cited Bible passage
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Conditional birth estimate
Conditional birth bounds under generation assumptions; not attested parental ages, biological limits or a lifespan.
The anchors give incompatible conditional intervals. This calculation establishes no birth year.
Below are relatives with a selected birth year, the generations separating them, and the interval allowed by each anchor. Each relative’s page shows available dates and sources. The overall estimate uses the intersection of the allowed intervals.
| Relative / anchor year | Generations | Conditional interval |
|---|---|---|
| Ishmael · 1909 BC Ancestor |
1 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1889 BC – 1864 BC |
| Abraham · 1995 BC Ancestor |
2 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1955 BC – 1905 BC |
| Terah · 2125 BC Ancestor |
3 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2050 BC – 1735 BC |
| Nahor · 2156 BC Ancestor |
4 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2056 BC – 1636 BC |
| Serug · 2186 BC Ancestor |
5 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2061 BC – 1536 BC |
| Reu · 2218 BC Ancestor |
6 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2068 BC – 1438 BC |
| Peleg · 2248 BC Ancestor |
7 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2073 BC – 1338 BC |
| Eber · 2282 BC Ancestor |
8 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2082 BC – 1242 BC |
| Salah · 2312 BC Ancestor |
9 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2087 BC – 1142 BC |
| Arphaxad · 2347 BC Ancestor |
11 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2072 BC – 917 BC |
| Shem · 2447 BC Ancestor |
12 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2147 BC – 887 BC |
| Noah · 2948 BC Ancestor |
13 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2623 BC – 1258 BC |
| Lamech · 3130 BC Ancestor |
14 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2780 BC – 1310 BC |
| Methuselah · 3317 BC Ancestor |
15 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2942 BC – 1367 BC |
| Enoch · 3382 BC Ancestor |
16 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2982 BC – 1302 BC |
| Jared · 3544 BC Ancestor |
17 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3119 BC – 1334 BC |
| Mahalaleel · 3609 BC Ancestor |
18 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3159 BC – 1269 BC |
| Cainan · 3679 BC Ancestor |
19 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3204 BC – 1209 BC |
| Cain · 4004 BC Ancestor |
19 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3529 BC – 1534 BC |
| Enos · 3769 BC Ancestor |
20 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3269 BC – 1169 BC |
| Adam · 4004 BC Ancestor |
20 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3504 BC – 1404 BC |
| Eve · 4005 BC Ancestor |
20 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3505 BC – 1405 BC |
| Seth · 3874 BC Ancestor |
21 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3349 BC – 1144 BC |
Mahalath Article
STEPBible TIPNR
Mahalath, also referred to as Basemath, was one of the wives of Esau, the son of Isaac and the twin brother of Israel (or 'Jacob') (Gen 28:9; 36.3). She was the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son with Hagar, making her Esau's cousin (Gen 28:9). Esau married Mahalath in addition to his other wives, who were Hittite women (Gen 26:34; 28.8-9). This marriage likely strengthened the ties between Esau's descendants, the Edomites, and the Ishmaelites. Mahalath is mentioned in the genealogies of Esau, which list his wives, children, and descendants (Gen.36.4,10,13,17). These genealogies emphasize the importance of family lineage and the relationships between different people groups in the ancient Near East. The Bible does not provide further details about Mahalath's personal life or her role in the family dynamics of Esau's household. Her inclusion in the biblical record primarily serves to document Esau's marital alliances and the ancestry of the Edomites.
Bashemath 1 Dictionary
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
The daughter of Ishmael, the last of Esau’s three wives (Gen. 36:3, 4, 13), from whose son Reuel four tribes of the Edomites sprung. She is also called Mahalath (Gen. 28:9). It is noticeable that Esau’s three wives receive different names in the genealogical table of the Edomites (Gen. 36) from those given to them in the history (Gen. 26:34; 28:9).
Sources: BibleData (CC BY 4.0, Mahalath_1) · STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0, Mahalath@Gen.28.9-) · Theographic Bible Metadata (CC BY-SA 4.0, bashemath_1887)