What is "basemath"

Basemath, Bashemath, or Basmath (, Arabic: بسمة; "Sweet-smile") is a figure in the Book of Genesis. She was the daughter of Ishmael (or as Genesis 26:34-35 shows, Elon the Hittite), the niece of Isaac, and the third wife of Esau.

Before Esau married his third wife, he had named one of his Canaanite wives after Basemath, probably because he knew of her since they were cousins. The wife whom Esau named as Basemath, was Adah the Hittite, his first wife. So after he married his third wife, Esau changed Basemath the Ishmaelite's name to Mahalath. Esau sought this union with a non Canaanite, in an effort to reconcile his relationship with his parents, namely with his father Isaac whom he sought his blessings. However, there is no record of his parents' approval for the union of Esau and Basemath (Mahalath). She bore a son, Reuel, to Esau.