Genesis 38:4

4 And conceiving again, she bore a son, and called him Onan.

Genesis 38:4 Meaning and Commentary

Genesis 38:4

And she conceived again, and bare a son
As soon as she well could: and she called his name Onan;
the first son Judah gave the name to, but his wife named this, so called from grief or sorrow; the reason of it, according to the above Targum, was,

``because his father would mourn for him;''

he was a Benoni, see ( Genesis 35:18 ) , whose sin and immature death caused sorrow.

Genesis 38:4 In-Context

2 And he saw there the daughter of a man of Chanaan, called Sue: and taking her to wife, he went in unto her.

3 And she conceived, and bore a son, and called his name Her.

4 And conceiving again, she bore a son, and called him Onan.

5 She bore also a third: whom she called Sela. After whose birth, she ceased to bear any more.

6 And Juda took a wife for Her, his first born, whose name was Thamar.