Esau's Spite

"Esau took his wives from the women of Canaan." It's easy to see this a simply part of the historical record, given its context in the history of the Edomites. However, looking back earlier in Genesis, it shows an act of spite on the part of Esau toward his fathers (Genesis 28:9). The Canaanites were cursed by Noah in Genesis 9, and Abraham went to great lengths to ensure that Isaac did not marry a Canaanite woman in Genesis 24. When Isaac sent Jacob off in order to save his life, he commanded him not to marry a Canaanite woman (Genesis 28:1). Looking forward, this spite that Esau had for his fathers foreshadows the troubles between the Edomites and God's chosen people (Obadiah 17-21).