Basemath
Basemath (Hebrew: בָּשְׂמַת, Basmṯ), also spelled Basmath or Bashemath, is a feminine name appearing in the Hebrew Bible to denote three distinct women connected to prominent patriarchal and royal figures.[1] The name, derived from the Hebrew root bśm meaning "fragrance" or "spice," evokes connotations of aromatic plants or pleasant scents in ancient Near Eastern contexts. These biblical references highlight Basemath's roles in familial alliances, particularly through marriages that influenced Israelite and Edomite lineages. The first Basemath mentioned is the daughter of Elon the Hittite, whom Esau, son of Isaac and Rebekah, married at age forty alongside Judith, daughter of Beeri the Hittite.[1] This union, occurring in the land of Canaan, grieved Esau's parents due to the foreign Canaanite heritage of the brides, underscoring tensions over endogamy in the patriarchal narratives.[2] A second Bashemath, identified as daughter of Ishmael (Abraham's son) and sister of Nebaioth, is listed among Esau's wives and bore him a son named Reuel, whose descendants—Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah—became chiefs in Edom.[3] Biblical scholars note potential textual variants or conflations between these two figures, with some traditions equating the Ishmaelite Bashemath with Mahalath (another name for Esau's wife in Genesis 28:9), reflecting diverse source materials in the Pentateuch.[4] A third Basemath appears in the United Monarchy period as the daughter of King Solomon and wife of Ahimaaz, one of Solomon's twelve district officers responsible for provisioning the royal court from Naphtali.[5] This marriage linked the royal family to administrative elites, illustrating Solomon's strategy of consolidating power through dynastic ties during his reign circa 970–931 BCE.[6] Collectively, these mentions of Basemath portray women integral to biblical genealogy and politics, though details about their lives remain sparse beyond matrimonial and progeny records.Biblical References
Esau's Wives
In the Book of Genesis, Basemath is first mentioned as one of Esau's wives in the context of his marriages to Canaanite women, which occur when he reaches the age of forty. According to Genesis 26:34–35, Esau married Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite; these unions are described as causing bitterness of spirit to Esau's parents, Isaac and Rebekah, likely due to the intermarriage with local Canaanite peoples outside the family's kinship lines.[7] Following these initial marriages, Esau took an additional wife from within the extended family to address his parents' displeasure with the Canaanite unions. In Genesis 28:8–9, Esau recognizes that the daughters of Canaan do not please his father Isaac and subsequently marries Mahalath, the daughter of Abraham's son Ishmael and sister of Nebaioth, as a third wife alongside his existing ones.[8] This marriage represents Esau's attempt to align more closely with familial expectations by choosing a wife from Ishmael's line, Abraham's firstborn son. The fuller genealogy of Esau's family in Genesis 36 provides further references related to Basemath (often spelled Bashemath in some translations), distinguishing between the Canaanite and Ishmaelite figures. Genesis 36:2–3 lists Esau's three wives as Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite, and Bashemath, Ishmael's daughter and sister of Nebaioth (note that the wife called Basemath daughter of Elon in Genesis 26:34 is identified in scholarly tradition with Adah here, and the Ishmaelite Bashemath with Mahalath from Genesis 28:9).[9][10] This account consolidates Esau's marital history, emphasizing the sequence from his earlier Canaanite marriages to this later one. The narrative here shifts focus to Esau's settlement in the land of Seir and the establishment of his household, with the wives serving as progenitors of his descendants who form the basis of the Edomite clans. From the Ishmaelite Bashemath (also known as Mahalath), Esau fathered a son named Reuel, as detailed in Genesis 36:4 and reiterated in 36:10. Reuel, in turn, became the father of four sons—Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah—who are identified as the sons of Bashemath, Esau's wife, in Genesis 36:13. These grandsons of Esau through Bashemath are further noted in Genesis 36:17 as chiefs (or clan heads) in the land of Edom, contributing to the tribal structure of Esau's lineage alongside descendants from his other wives.[11]Solomon's Daughter
In 1 Kings 4:15, Basemath is identified as a daughter of King Solomon, married to Ahimaaz, who served as the district officer for Naphtali.[12] This reference notes that Ahimaaz's responsibilities included providing provisions for Solomon's royal household for one month each year.[12] This marriage is situated within Solomon's broader administrative framework outlined in 1 Kings 4:7–19, where twelve officers were appointed to oversee the food supply across Israel's districts, ensuring the king's household was sustained through a rotational system.[13] Ahimaaz, as one of these officials, managed Naphtali's contributions, reflecting the efficient bureaucracy that supported Solomon's prosperous reign.[14] The union between Basemath and Ahimaaz exemplifies Solomon's use of royal intermarriages to forge alliances with key administrative figures, thereby consolidating power and promoting loyalty within the kingdom's governance structure.[15] Such strategic familial ties helped integrate the royal family into the operational core of the administration, enhancing stability during Solomon's rule.[16] Beyond this single verse, the Bible provides no additional details about Basemath's life, any children she may have had, or her personal involvement in royal affairs.[17]Etymology and Variations
Hebrew Origin and Meaning
The name Basemath derives from the Hebrew noun בֶּשֶׂם (beśem), meaning "fragrance," "spice," or "sweet odor," which is itself connected to an unused root implying aromatic sweetness.[](https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h1314/kjv/wlc/0-1/) This etymological foundation leads to common interpretations of Basemath as "fragrance," "spice," or "sweet-smelling," reflecting a direct feminine form of the root associated with pleasant scents. [](https://www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Basemath.html)
In Strong's Concordance, Basemath is designated as H1315, appearing seven times in the Hebrew Bible, with all instances serving as proper names for female figures. [](https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h1315/kjv/wlc/0-1/) These occurrences are confined to designations of three distinct women, without any broader metaphorical or symbolic extensions in the text. [](http://biblehub.com/hebrew/1315.htm)
The cultural connotations of the name in ancient Near Eastern contexts, particularly within Israelite traditions, link it to aromatic substances like balsam (also rendered as beśem), which were prized for their rarity and utility in perfumery, healing, and sacred rituals such as anointing oils. [](https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/balsam/) Such associations evoked attributes of preciousness, purity, and desirability, often attributed to women in biblical naming practices to signify beauty and value. [](https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/hebrew/1314.html)