Question
Why was it important for Isaac and Jacob not to marry women from Canaan, but not important for Jacob’s sons? Did the Canaanites change?
Answer
Isaac and Jacob both had brothers who didn’t follow in their fathers’ footsteps, so it was important that they choose their wives carefully. Jacob’s sons could get moral support from one another, so it was safer for them to marry wives from Canaan. The Canaanites weren’t different, but evidently they had the potential of becoming acceptable spouses if they were brought into the right environment.