Genesis 38:10

Brenton's Septuagint

And his doing this appeared evil before God; and he slew him also.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The thing which he did was evil in the sight of the LORD, and he killed him also.

King James Version
And the thing which he did displeased the Lord : wherefore he slew him also.

Lexham English Bible
And what he did was evil in the sight of Yahweh, so he killed him also.

New Century Version
The Lord was displeased by this wicked thing Onan had done, so the Lord killed Onan also.

New English Translation
What he did was evil in the Lord 's sight, so the Lord killed him too.

Amplified Bible
But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; therefore He killed him also [in judgment].

New American Standard Bible
But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; so He took his life also.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And it was wicked in the eyes of the Lord, which he did: wherefore he slewe him also.

Legacy Standard Bible
But what he did was displeasing in the sight of Yahweh; so He put him to death also.

Contemporary English Version
The Lord wasn't pleased with Onan and took his life too.

Complete Jewish Bible
What he did was evil from Adonai 's perspective, so he killed him too.

Darby Translation
And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and he slew him also.

Easy-to-Read Version
This made the Lord angry. So he killed Onan also.

English Standard Version
And what he did was wicked in the sight of the Lord , and he put him to death also.

George Lamsa Translation
And the thing which he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; wherefore he slew him also.

Good News Translation
What he did displeased the Lord , and the Lord killed him also.

Christian Standard Bible®
What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so he put him to death also.

Literal Translation
And what he did was evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and He also killed him.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
This thinge that he dyd displeased the LORDE sore, and he slewe him also.

American Standard Version
And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah: and he slew him also.

Bible in Basic English
And what he did was evil in the eyes of the Lord, so that he put him to death, like his brother.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the thyng which he dyd, displeased the Lorde: wherfore he slewe hym also.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of the LORD; and He slew him also.

King James Version (1611)
And the thing which he did, displeased the LORD: wherefore hee slew him also.

English Revised Version
And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of the LORD: and he slew him also.

Berean Standard Bible
What he did was evil in the LORD's sight, so He put Onan to death as well.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and therfor the Lord smoot hym, for he dide abhomynable thing.

Young's Literal Translation
and that which he hath done is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and He putteth him also to death.

Update Bible Version
And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Yahweh: and he slew him also.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.

World English Bible
The thing which he did was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and he killed him also.

New King James Version
And the thing which he did displeased the LORD; therefore He killed him also.

New Living Translation
But the Lord considered it evil for Onan to deny a child to his dead brother. So the Lord took Onan's life, too.

New Life Bible
What he did was sinful in the eyes of the Lord. So the Lord took his life also.

New Revised Standard
What he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord , and he put him to death also.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And it was displeasing, in the eyes of Yahweh what he had done, - so he put, him also, to death,

Douay-Rheims Bible
And therefore the Lord slew him, because he did a detestable thing:

Revised Standard Version
And what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD, and he slew him also.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the LORD; so He took his life also.

Contextual Overview

¹ And it came to pass at that time that Judas went down from his brethren, and came as far as to a certain man of Odollam, whose name was Iras. ² And Judas saw there the daughter of a Chananitish man, whose name was Sava; and he took her, and went in to her. ³ And she conceived and bore a son, and called his name, Er. ⁴ And she conceived and bore a son again; and called his name, Aunan. ⁵ And she again bore a son; and called his name, Selom: and she was in Chasbi when she bore them. ⁶ And Judas took a wife for Er his first-born, whose name was Thamar. ⁷ And Er, the first-born of Judas, was wicked before the Lord; and God killed him. ⁸ And Judas said to Aunan, Go in to thy brother’s wife, and marry her as her brother-in-law, and raise up seed to thy brother. ⁹ And Aunan, knowing that the seed should not be his—it came to pass when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he spilled it upon the ground, so that he should not give seed to his brother’s wife. ¹⁰ And his doing this appeared evil before God; and he slew him also.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

displeased: Heb. was evil in the eyes of, Numbers 11:1, Numbers 22:34, 2 Samuel 11:27, 1 Chronicles 21:7, Proverbs 14:32, Proverbs 24:18, Jeremiah 44:4, Haggai 1:13

him also: Genesis 46:12, Numbers 26:19

Reciprocal: Genesis 48:17 - displeased him Isaiah 59:15 - displeased him Romans 5:13 - until

Cross-References

Genesis 46:12
And the sons of Judas; Er, and Aunan, and Selom, and Phares, and Zara: and Er and Aunan died in the land of Chanaan.

Numbers 11:1
And the people murmured sinfully before the Lord; and the Lord heard them and was very angry; and fire was kindled among them from the Lord, and devoured a part of the camp.

Numbers 22:34
And Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, I have sinned, for I did not know that thou wert standing opposite in the way to meet me; and now if it shall not be pleasing to thee for me to go on, I will return.

Numbers 26:19
And the sons of Issachar according to their families: to Thola, the family of the Tholaites; to Phua, the family of the Phuaites.

2 Samuel 11:27
And the time of mourning expired, and David sent and took her into his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son: but the thing which David did was evil in the eyes of the Lord.

1 Chronicles 21:7
And there was evil in the sight of the Lord respecting this thing; and he smote Israel.

Proverbs 14:32
The ungodly shall be driven away in his wickedness: but he who is secure in his own holiness is just.

Proverbs 24:18
For the Lord will see it, and it will not please him, and he will turn away his wrath from him.

Jeremiah 44:4
Now Jeremias came and went through the midst of the city: for they had not put him into the house of the prison.

Haggai 1:13
And Aggaeus the Lord’s messenger spoke among the messengers of the Lord to the people, saying, I am with you, saith the Lord.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the thing which he did displeased the Lord,.... Being done out of envy to his brother, and through want of affection to the memory of his name; and it may be out of covetousness to get his estate into his own hands, and especially as it frustrated the end of such an usage of marrying a brother's wife; which appears to be according to the will of God, since it afterwards became a known law of his; and it was the more displeasing, as it was not only a check upon the multiplication of Abraham's seed as promised, but since the Messiah was to come from Judah. This was doing all to hinder it that lay in his power:

wherefore he slew him also; in like manner as he had slain his brother, Genesis 38:7.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

- The Family of Judah

1. עדלם ‛ǎdûllâm, ‘Adullam, “righteousness.” חירה chı̂yrâh Chirah, “nobility?”

2. שׁוּע shûa‛, Shua‘, “luck, riches, cry.”

3. ער ‛êr, ‘Er, “watching.”

4. אונן 'ônân, Onan, “strong.”

5. שׁלה shēlâh, Shelah, “request? rest.” כזיב k^ezı̂yb Kezib, “falsehood.”

6. תמר tāmār, Tamar, “palm.”

12. תמנה tı̂mnâh, Timnah, “counted or assigned.”

14. עינים 'êynayı̂m, ‘Enaim, “two fountains.”

29. פרץ perets, Perets, “breach.”

This strange narrative is an episode in the history of Joseph; but an integral part of the “generations” of Jacob. It is loosely dated with the phrase “at that time.” This does not indicate a sequel to the preceding record, the proper phrase for which is “after these things” (האלה חדברים אחר 'achar had^ebārı̂ym hâ'ēleh Genesis 22:1). It implies rather a train of events that commenced at least in the past, some time before the closing incident of the previous narrative Genesis 21:22. But the sale of Joseph, which alone is recorded in the last chapter, only occupied some few weeks or months of a year. Hence, the circumstances contained in this memoir of Judah’s family must have taken their rise before that event. The date “at that time,” is rendered indefinite also by being attached to the phrase, “And it came to pass,” which covers at least all the events in the first eleven verses of the chapter.

All this is in accordance with the customary mode of arranging parallel lines of events in Hebrew narrative. We shall see reason afterward for placing the birth of Er at as early a date as possible in the life of Judah Genesis 46:12. Now Judah, we conceive, was born when his father was eighty-seven, and Joseph when he was ninety-one, and hence, there is a difference about four years in their ages. We suppose Er to have been born in Judah’s fourteenth year, when Joseph and Dinah were in their tenth, and therefore, about three years before the rape of Dinah, and shortly after Jacob arrived at the town of Shekem. The dishonor of Dinah, and the cruel treatment of Joseph, being of essential moment in the process of things, had to be recorded in the main line of events. The commencement of Judah’s family, having no particular influence on the current of the history, is fitly reserved until the whole of the circumstances could be brought together into a connected narrative. And the private history of Judah’s line is given, while that of the others is omitted, simply because from him the promised seed is descended. As soon as Jacob is settled in the promised land, the contact with Hebron and its neighborhood seems to have commenced. A clear proof of this is the presence of Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse, in Jacob’s family Genesis 35:8. The great thoroughfare from Damascus to Egypt runs through Shekem and Hebron, and we know that when Jacob was residing at Hebron, his sons fed their flocks at Shekem and Dothan, and the youthful Joseph was sent to inquire after their welfare.

Genesis 38:1-11

Judah marries and has three sons. “Went down from brethren.” This seems to have been an act of willful indiscretion in Judah. His separation from his brethren, however, extends only to the matter of his new connection. In regard to property and employment there seems to have been no long or entire separation until they went down into Egypt. He went down from the high grounds about Shekem to the lowlands in which Adullam was situated Joshua 15:33-35. “A certain Adullamite.” He may have become acquainted with this Hirah, when visiting his grandfather, or in some of the caravans which were constantly passing Shekem, or even in the ordinary wanderings of the pastoral life. Adullam was in the Shephelah or lowland of Judah bordering on Philistia proper. “A certain Kenaanite.” This connection with Shua’s daughter was contrary to the will of God and the example of his fathers. Onan was born, we conceive, in Judah’s fifteenth year, and Shelah in his sixteenth.

At Kezib. - This appears the same as Akzib, which is associated with Keilah and Mareshah Joshua 15:44, and therefore, lay in the south of the lowland of Judah. This note of place indicates a change of residence since her other children were born. In the year after this birth the dishonor of Dinah takes place. “Took a wife for Er.” Judah chose a wife for himself at an early age, and now he chooses for his first-born at the same age. “Was evil in the eyes of the Lord.” The God of covenant is obliged to cut off Er for his wickedness in the prime of life. We are not made acquainted with his crime; but it could scarcely be more vile and unnatural than that for which his brother Onan is also visited with death. “And be a husband to her.” The original word means to act as a husband to the widow of a deceased brother who has left no issue. Onan seems to have been prompted to commit his crime by the low motive of turning the whole inheritance to his own house. At the time of Er’s death Judah must have been in his twenty-seventh year; Joseph was consequently in his twenty-third, and Jacob had for ten years past had his headquarters at Hebron. Hence, the contact with Timnah, Adullam, and Enaim was easy.

Genesis 38:12-23

Judah now comes into criminal, and, though unknown to him, incestuous sexual intercourse with Tamar. “And many were the days,” a year or somewhat more. “To Timnah.” This town is about twenty miles northwest of Hebron. There is another, however, in the hills about seven miles south of Hebron. “Put on a veil;” to conceal her face from Judah, or any other beholder. “The qate of Enaim.” This is supposed to be the same as Enam Joshua 15:34. “And thy lace.” This is the cord by which the signet was suspended round his neck. “Courtesan.” The original word קדשׁה q^edêshâh means one consecrated to the worship of Ashtoreth, in which chastity is sacrificed.

Genesis 38:24-30

Tamar bears Perez and Zerah to Judah. After three months her pregnancy was manifest. “Let her be burnt.” It is manifest Judah had the power to execute this punishment. The life of the widow of his son was in his hands. Stoning was the mode of punishment by the law of Moses Deuteronomy 22:20-24; burning, only in aggravated cases Leviticus 20:14; Leviticus 21:9. He is a severe judge in a case where he is equally criminal. “She hath been more righteous than I. Tamar was less culpable in this matter than Judah. For he was moved by lust to commit fornication, and was the indirect occasion of Tamar’s conduct by withholding Selah. But Tamar, though wronged, was not free from blame in her mode of righting herself. The youthful indiscretion of Judah in forming an intermarriage with a Canaanitish family, without the concurrence of his brothers or his father, has been fruitful of crime. If this immorality goes on, the chosen family will be speedily absorbed in the surrounding paganism. Hence, we begin to see the necessity of an immediate removal to another land, where they may be kept more distinct from the native superstition. By the disclosure of Tamar Judah is brought to acknowledgment of his fault, and, we may infer, to repentance. His abstaining from all further sexual intercourse with her may be accepted as a proof of this. “A scarlet thread.” The right of primogeniture here manifests its importance. “Perez” - a breach. Slight incidents become the foundation of names, and are often the hinges on which great events turn. The minutest circumstances connected with the progenitors of the promised seed have a lasting interest.

Judah was at the close of his twenty-ninth year when Perez and Zerah were born. The dates in his family history may be arranged as underneath, on the supposition that the first child was born when the father was in his fourteenth year. This hypothesis is fairly allowable when we take into consideration not only other cases, but the early willfulness of Judah, and the example he gave to his children. The command also to be fruitful and multiply Genesis 35:11, which was given especially to Jacob, may have had a tendency to encourage early marriages. It is certain that the Jewish rabbis considered a man to have transgressed a divine precept who passed the age of twenty without being married. They also fixed the marriageable age for males at thirteen years and a day. King Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah when he was not more than twelve 2 Kings 16:2; 2 Kings 18:2; and King Josiah the father of Jehoiakim, when fourteen years of age 2 Kings 22:1; 2 Kings 23:36.

Judah 13 years 6 months when Er was born.

Judah 14 years 4 12 months when Onan was born.

Judah 15 years 3 months when Shelah was born.

Judah 28 years 9 months when Perez was born.

Judah 42 years 3 months when Hezron was born to Perez.

Judah 43 years 2 months when Hamul was born.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Genesis 38:10. Wherefore he slew him also. — The sin of Onan has generally been supposed to be self-pollution; but this is certainly a mistake; his crime was his refusal to raise up seed to his brother, and rather than do it, by the act mentioned above, he rendered himself incapable of it. We find from this history that long be fore the Mosaic law it was an established custom, probably founded on a Divine precept, that if a man died childless his brother was to take his wife, and the children produced by this second marriage were considered as the children of the first husband, and in consequence inherited his possessions.