VERSE STUDY • KJV

Genesis 38:4-10

⁴ And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan. ⁵ And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him. ⁶ And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name [was] Tamar. ⁷ And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. ⁸ And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. ⁹ And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled [it] on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. ¹⁰ And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

⁴ And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan. ⁵ And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him. ⁶ And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name [was] Tamar. ⁷ And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. ⁸ And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. ⁹ And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled [it] on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother. ¹⁰ And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

⁴ Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Onan. ⁵ Then she gave birth to another son and named him Shelah; it was at Chezib that she gave birth to him. ⁶ Now Judah acquired a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. ⁷ But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so the LORD put him to death. ⁸ Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and raise up offspring for your brother.” ⁹ But Onan knew that the offspring would not belong to him; so whenever he would sleep with his brother’s wife, he would spill his seed on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother. ¹⁰ What he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put Onan to death as well.

WEB World English Bible

⁴ She conceived again, and bore a son; and she named him Onan. ⁵ She yet again bore a son, and named him Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bore him. ⁶ Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. ⁷ Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Yahweh. Yahweh killed him. ⁸ Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and raise up seed to your brother.” ⁹ Onan knew that the seed wouldn’t be his; and it happened, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother. ¹⁰ The thing which he did was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and he killed him also.

ASV American Standard Version

⁴ And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan. ⁵ And she yet again bare a son, and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him. ⁶ And Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, and her name was Tamar. ⁷ And Er, Judah’s first-born, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah slew him. ⁸ And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother unto her, and raise up seed to thy brother. ⁹ And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother. ¹⁰ And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and he slew him also.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

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.

Surrounding context — Genesis 38

1 And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name [was] Hirah.

2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name [was] Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.

3 And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.

4 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.

5 And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.

6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name [was] Tamar.

7 And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

9 And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled [it] on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.

10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.

11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren [did]. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

12 And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah’s wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.

Read the whole chapter → · About Genesis →

Topics connected to this verse

HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION

Compare classic commentaries on Genesis 38:4-10

Put Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, Calvin, Wesley, Barnes, Jamieson–Fausset–Brown, Aquinas’ Catena and other public-domain sources beside the passage.

Compare commentaries →