Genesis 38:7

Genesis 38:7 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him.
• New International Version (NIV)But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord put him to death.
• New King James Version (NKJV)But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him.

Context of Genesis 38:7

5Again she conceived and gave birth to still another son and named him Shelah. It was at Chezib that she gave birth to him. 6Now Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him [in judgment]. 8Then Judah told Onan, “Go in to your brother’s widow, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law [under the levirate marriage custom]; [be her husband and] raise children for [the name of] your brother.” 9Onan knew that the child (heir) would not be his [but his dead brother’s]; so whenever he lay with his brother’s widow, he spilled his seed on the ground [to prevent conception], so that he would not give a child to his brother.

Genesis 38:7 word by word

וַיְהִ֗י עֵ֚ר בְּכ֣וֹר יְהוּדָ֔ה רַ֖ע בְּעֵינֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיְמִתֵ֖הוּ יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Erעֵר‛êr · ErH6147
• Judah’sיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
• firstbornבְּכוֹרbekôr · firstbornH1060
• was wickedרַעra‛ râ‛âh · bad: evilH7451
• in the sightעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: seeingH5869
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• slewמוּתmûth · to dieH4191

Cross-references for Genesis 38:7

• Genesis 46:12The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah—but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
• Numbers 26:19The sons of Judah were Er and Onan, but Er and Onan [were judged by God and] died in the land of Canaan.
• Genesis 6:8But Noah found favor and grace in the eyes of the Lord.
• Genesis 13:13But the men of Sodom were extremely wicked and sinful against the Lord [unashamed in their open sin before Him].
• Genesis 19:13for we are destroying this place, because the outcry [for judgment] against them has grown so great before the Lord that the Lord has sent us to destroy and ruin it.”
• 2 Chronicles 33:6He made his sons pass through the fire [as an offering to his gods] in the Valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, and practiced sorcery, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger.
• 1 Chronicles 2:3The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah; the three were born to him by Shua’s daughter the Canaanitess. Er, Judah’s eldest, was evil in the Lord’s sight, and He put him to death.
• Psalms 55:23But You, O God, will bring down the wicked to the pit of destruction; Men of blood and treachery will not live out half their days. But I will [boldly and unwaveringly] trust in You.

Commentaries on Genesis 38:7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7Er - was wicked in the sight of the Lord - What this wickedness consisted in we are not told; but the phrase sight of the Lord being added, proves that it was some very great evil. It is worthy of remark that the Hebrew word used to express Er's wickedness is his own name, the letters reversed. Er ער wicked, רע ra . As if the inspired writer had said, "Er was altogether wicked, a completely abandoned character."Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-30Verses 1-30 - 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 kezı̂yb 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7That Er was a wicked man is not surprising, since his mother was a Canaanite and his father a rebellious Israelite.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-301. at that time--a formula frequently used by the sacred writers, not to describe any precise period, but an interval near about it.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 38:7

• Adultery
• Er
• Inheritance
• Tamar

In the dictionaries

• Lay
• Onan
• Remain
• Archaeology; Archaeology and Criticism
• Ben-Ammi
• Er
• Genealogy
• Genesis
• Harlot
• Husband's Brother

Commentaries on Genesis 38

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings