Interesting Facts

• According to Genesis, Mehetabel was the wife of Hadar, an Edomite king who reigned after Baalhanan.
• Jubilees states that Maitabith was the wife of ‘Adath, an Edomite king who reigned after Ba’elunan.
• Both sources explicitly name her maternal grandfather.
• The significance of Mehetabel/Maitabith in these texts lies primarily in her status as the queen consort of an Edomite ruler.

Genealogy

• According to Genesis, Mehetabel was the daughter of Matred, and the granddaughter of Mezahab.
• According to Jubilees, Maitabith was the daughter of Matarat, and the granddaughter of Metabedza’ab.
• Genesis identifies her husband as Hadar, who reigned in Edom.
• Jubilees identifies her husband as ‘Adath, who reigned in Edom.
• The provided sources do not offer any information regarding Mehetabel/Maitabith’s birth details, nor do they mention any offspring she might have had. Her genealogical significance is defined by her parentage and her marital connection to the Edomite king.

Historical Context

Mehetabel (in Genesis) and Maitabith (in Jubilees) exist within the historical context of the Edomite monarchy before the establishment of a monarchy in Israel. Their mention as the wives of Edomite kings places them within the societal framework where royal marriages served to solidify the ruling lineage and potentially influence the kingdom’s stability. The fact that their maternal ancestry is recorded suggests the potential importance of their lineage or connections within Edomite society. However, the provided excerpts offer no specific historical events or broader cultural dynamics directly pertaining to their lives or the specific circumstances of their marriages beyond their role in the succession of Edomite rulers.

Narrative

The narrative role of Mehetabel/Maitabith in these sources is primarily genealogical. They take no direct actions and no dialogues are attributed to them. Their inclusion in the narrative serves to provide a more complete account of the reign of Hadar (Genesis) and ‘Adath (Jubilees) by identifying their wives and, notably, their maternal lineage. This suggests that the compilers of these texts deemed their familial connections significant enough to record. While they are not active participants in the unfolding events, their presence in the royal genealogy contributes to the overall historical record of the Edomite kingship as presented in Genesis and Jubilees.