Genesis 38:4

4 And she conceaued agayne and bare a sonne 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 there he sawe the doughter of a man called Sua a Canaanyte. And he toke her ad went in vnto her.

3 And she conceaued and bare a sonne and called his name Er.

4 And she conceaued agayne and bare a sonne and called him Onan.

5 And she conceaued the thyrde tyme and bare a sonne whom she called Scla: and he was at Chesyb when she bare hem.

6 And Iudas gaue Er his eldest sonne a wife whose name was Thamar.