Bashemath

בָּשְׂמַת/BASH-eh-math/

“Fragrant, pleasing”

Summary

A name borne by wives of Esau and by a daughter of Solomon, notable for the textual difficulties regarding Esau's wives' names in Genesis.

☩Esau's Wife

Bashemath was one of Esau's three wives, identified as Ishmael's daughter in the Edomite genealogy, from whose son Reuel four Edomite tribes descended. The same woman is called Mahalath in the earlier narrative account. A textual difficulty arises because another of Esau's wives, the daughter of Elon the Hittite, is also called Bashemath in one passage but Adah in the genealogy.

Key verses:Genesis 36:3-4Genesis 28:9Genesis 26:34

☩Solomon's Daughter

A later Bashemath was a daughter of Solomon married to Ahimaaz, one of the king's twelve district governors responsible for provisioning the royal household.

Key verses:1 Kings 4:15

Related Verses6 mentions

Genesis· 6 verses

26:34 36:3 36:4 36:10 36:13

References

1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Bashemath," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
2.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Bashemath," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Bashemath," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).