Whoever enters upon the study of the genealogies of the Old Testament finds many difficulties in Moses. I shall not now cite all, contenting myself with merely this one example, since Paul, I. Tim. i., 4,[12] has taught that genealogies are useless, and the study of them unprofitable, nay, to be avoided. Of what use were so many separate, nay, so oft times repeated, genealogies? And there is a remarkable example to arouse suspicion at least of the corruption of the text or of the carelessness of compilers, in the case of the wives of Esau and the different things said of them.
WIVES OF ESAU.
Judith, daughter of Berit, the Hittite.
Basnath, daughter of Elon, the Hittite.
Mahalaad, daughter of Ishmael, sister of Nabajoth, who is mentioned after the two former.
Ada, daughter of Elon, the Hittite.
Akalibama, C. I.
Basnath, daughter of Ishmael, sister of Nabajoth.
The one who is called Ada in [Genesis xxxvi], is called Basnath in Gen. xxvi, namely, the daughter of Elon, the Hittite, and the one who is called Basnath in [Gen. xxxvi], is called Mahalaad in [Gen. xxviii], namely, the sister of Nabajoth, although, nevertheless, Mahalaad, in the passage cited in [Gen. xxviii], is said to have been married after Judith and Basnath, previously mentioned in [Gen. xxvi].