1 Chronicles 2:3

3 The sons of Judah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah, which three were born unto him by the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and He slew him.

1 Chronicles 2:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 2:3

The sons of Judah
The genealogy begins with him, though the fourth son of Jacob; because, as Kimchi says, this book treats chiefly of the kings of Judah; but rather not only because Jesse and David sprang from him, but also the King Messiah:

Er, and Onan, and Shelah, which three were born unto him of the
daughter of Shua the Canaanitess;
see ( Genesis 38:2 Genesis 38:12 ) ,

and Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the Lord;
because he did that which was evil:

and he slew him;
he died by the immediate hand of God, and so his brother Onan, being wicked also, ( Genesis 38:7 Genesis 38:10 ) .

1 Chronicles 2:3 In-Context

1 These are the sons of Israel [or, Jacob]: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun,

2 Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

3 The sons of Judah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah, which three were born unto him by the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and He slew him.

4 And Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Perez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.

5 The sons of Perez: Hezron, and Hamul.