Genesis 38:1-9

1 About that time Judah left his brothers and went to stay with a man from Adullam whose name was Hirah.

2 There Judah met the daughter of a Canaanite man whose name was Shua. He married her and slept with her.

3 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son named Er.

4 She became pregnant again and gave birth to another son, whom she named Onan.

5 Then she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son, whom she named Shelah. He was born at Kezib.

6 Judah chose a wife for his firstborn son Er. Her name was Tamar.

7 Er angered the LORD. So the LORD took away his life.

8 Then Judah said to Onan, "Go sleep with your brother's widow. Do your duty for her as a brother-in-law, and produce a descendant for your brother."

9 But Onan knew that the descendant wouldn't belong to him, so whenever he slept with his brother's widow, he wasted his semen on the ground to avoid giving his brother a descendant.

Genesis 38:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 38

This chapter is wholly taken up with matters relating to Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, from whom the Jews have their name, and from whom Christ sprung: it treats of his marriage with a Canaanitess, his children by her, their character and end, Ge 38:1-11; of his incest with his daughter-in-law, though unknown by him, Ge 38:12-23; of his resentment against her, when he heard she was with child, and his confusion when he found it was by himself, Ge 38:24-26; and of the birth of twins by her, named Pharez and Zarah, Ge 38:27-30.