THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
Let us today continue from where we left off yesterday and, to the best of our ability, elucidate the words of Scripture so that we may depart from here enriched. Thus, let us focus on the opening of the passage we just heard. The Scripture states that “Esau was forty years old, and took to himself Jehuditha the daughter of Beer the Hittite, and Wasematha the daughter of Elon the Hittite, to be his wife; and they were a burden to Isaac and Rebekah.” Consider the depth of wisdom contained within these few verses. Why does Scripture relay Esau's age to us? Not without significance, but rather to inform us of Isaac's advanced years. It is clear that he had entered old age.
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Remember that Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, and sixty years old when his children were born, which means he was now well into his hundredth year. Since the writer intends to reveal how the aging process has affected Isaac's eyesight, he mentions Esau's age to provide a clearer understanding of the duration of Isaac's life. Thus, it is stated: “Esau was forty years old.”
Furthermore, to illustrate the folly of this son, who chose wives from people he should have avoided, Scripture informs us that one of his wives was from the Hittite tribe and the other from the Hivite tribe. This was not a suitable choice, especially considering the careful manner in which his father Abraham sought a wife for Isaac from his own kin, noting that their mother Rebekah came from Haran. Yet in his haste to marry, Esau demonstrated from the outset the recklessness of his ways.