Genesis 38:3-13

3 And she conceiveth, and beareth a son, and he calleth his name Er;
4 and she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Onan;
5 and she addeth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Shelah; and he was in Chezib in her bearing him.
6 And Judah taketh a wife for Er, his first-born, and her name [is] Tamar;
7 and Er, Judah's first-born, is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth put him to death.
8 And Judah saith to Onan, `Go in unto the wife of thy brother, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother;'
9 and Onan knoweth that the seed is not [reckoned] his; and it hath come to pass, if he hath gone in unto his brother's wife, that he hath destroyed [it] to the earth, so as not to give seed to his brother;
10 and that which he hath done is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and He putteth him also to death.
11 And Judah saith to Tamar his daughter-in-law, `Abide a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son groweth up;' for he said, `Lest he die -- even he -- like his brethren;' and Tamar goeth and dwelleth at her father's house.
12 And the days are multiplied, and the daughter of Shuah, Judah's wife, dieth; and Judah is comforted, and goeth up unto his sheep-shearers, he and Hirah his friend the Adullamite, to Timnath.
13 And it is declared to Tamar, saying, `Lo, thy husband's father is going up to Timnath to shear his flock;'

Genesis 38:3-13 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.

Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.