English Standard Version
Genesis 38:24
24About three months later Judah was told, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality." And Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned."
Genesis 38:24 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
- New International Version (NIV)About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.” Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!”
- New King James Version (NKJV)And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; furthermore she is with child by harlotry.” So Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”
- New Living Translation (NLT)About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has acted like a prostitute. And now, because of this, she’s pregnant.” “Bring her out, and let her be burned!” Judah demanded.
Context of Genesis 38:24
22So he returned to Judah and said, "I have not found her. Also, the men of the place said, 'No cult prostitute has been here.'" 23And Judah replied, "Let her keep the things as her own, or we shall be laughed at. You see, I sent this young goat, and you did not find her." About three months later Judah was told, "Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral. Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality." And Judah said, "Bring her out, and let her be burned." 25As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, "By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant." And she said, "Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff." 26Then Judah identified them and said, "She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah." And he did not know her again.
Read all of Genesis 38Genesis 38:24 word by word
וַיְהִ֣י׀ כְּמִשְׁלֹ֣שׁ חֳדָשִׁ֗ים וַיֻּגַּ֨ד לִֽיהוּדָ֤ה לֵֽאמֹר֙ זָֽנְתָה֙ תָּמָ֣ר כַּלָּתֶ֔ךָ וְגַ֛ם הִנֵּ֥ה הָרָ֖ה לִזְנוּנִ֑ים וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוּדָ֔ה הוֹצִיא֖וּהָ וְתִשָּׂרֵֽף׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And it came to pass about threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
- monthsחֹ֫דֶשׁchôdesh · monthH2320
- after, that it was toldנָגַדnâgad · to tellH5046
- Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Tamarתָּמָרtâmâr · TamarH8559
- thy daughter in lawכַּלָּהkallâh · daughter-in-lawH3618
- hath played the harlotזָנָהzânâh · to fornicateH2181
- with childהָרָהhâreh hârîy · pregnantH2030
- by whoredomזְנוּנִיםzânûn · fornicationH2183
- Bring her forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: sendH3318
- and let her be burntשָׂרַףώâraph · to burnH8313
Cross-references for Genesis 38:24
- Genesis 34:31But they said, "Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?"
- Judges 19:2And his concubine was unfaithful to him, and she went away from him to her father's house at Bethlehem in Judah, and was there some four months.
- Ecclesiastes 7:26And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her.
- Jeremiah 2:20"For long ago I broke your yoke and burst your bonds; but you said, 'I will not serve.' Yes, on every high hill and under every green tree you bowed down like a whore.
- Jeremiah 3:1"If a man divorces his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man's wife, will he return to her? Would not that land be greatly polluted? You have played the whore with many lovers; and would you return to me? declares the Lord.
- Ezekiel 16:15"But you trusted in your beauty and played the whore because of your renown and lavished your whorings on any passerby; your beauty became his.
- Ezekiel 23:5"Oholah played the whore while she was mine, and she lusted after her lovers the Assyrians, warriors
- Hosea 2:5For their mother has played the whore; she who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, 'I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.'
- Hosea 3:3And I said to her, "You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you."
- Hosea 4:15Though you play the whore, O Israel, let not Judah become guilty. Enter not into Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, and swear not, "As the Lord lives."
- Genesis 20:3But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, "Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife."
- Leviticus 20:10"If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
- Leviticus 21:9And the daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by whoring, profanes her father; she shall be burned with fire.
- Deuteronomy 22:21then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done an outrageous thing in Israel by whoring in her father's house. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
- Deuteronomy 24:16"Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.
- 2 Samuel 12:5Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die,
Commentaries on Genesis 38:24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24Bring her forth, and let her be burnt - As he had ordered Tamar to live as a widow in her own father's house till his son Shelah should be marriageable, he considers her therefore as the wife of his son; and as Shelah was not yet given to her, and she is found with child, she is reputed by him as an adulteress, and burning, it seems, was anciently the punishment of this crime. Judah, being a patriarch or head of a family, had, according to the custom of…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. 24-26Judah acted hypocritically by condemning Tamar to death for adultery. When Tamar showed his seal, cord, and walking stick, it proved Judah was the father. He then withdrew the condemnation.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2424. Bring her forth, and let her be burnt--In patriarchal times fathers seem to have possessed the power of life and death over the members of their families. The crime of adultery was anciently punished in many places by burning (Le 21:9; Jud 15:6; Jr 29:22). This chapter contains details, which probably would never have obtained a place in the inspired record, had it not been to exhibit the full links of the chain that connects the genealogy of the…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 38:24
In the dictionaries
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
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