28:9 unto Ishmael. Esau, finally realizing his troubles were of his own doing, and realizing that his father no longer supported his position, was belatedly trying to help matters by marrying an Ishmaelite woman. Even Ishmael, however, was outside the scope of God’s promises regarding the Seed.

28:9 Mahalath. There is an apparent contradiction between the names of Esau’s wives in Genesis 26:34 and 28:9. The probable resolution of this problem is discussed in the note on Genesis 36:3.