Genesis 38:16

Genesis 38:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?
• New International Version (NIV)Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “And what will you give me to sleep with you?” she asked.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He turned to her at the roadside and said, "Come, let me come in to you," for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then he turned to her by the way, and said, “Please let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. So she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”

Context of Genesis 38:16

14she took off her widow’s clothes, covered her face with a veil, and disguised herself. Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. (She did this because she realized that Shelah was grown up now, and she hadn’t been given to him in marriage.) 15When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face. Since he didn’t know she was his daughter-in-law, he approached her by the roadside and said, “Come on, let’s sleep together!” She asked, “What will you pay to sleep with me?” 17“I’ll send you a young goat from the flock,” he answered. She said, “First give me something as a deposit until you send it.” 18“What should I give you as a deposit?” he asked. “Your signet ring, its cord, and the shepherd’s staff that’s in your hand,” she answered. So he gave them to her. Then he slept with her, and she became pregnant.

Genesis 38:16 word by word

וַיֵּ֨ט אֵלֶ֜יהָ אֶל־הַדֶּ֗רֶךְ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הָֽבָה־נָּא֙ אָב֣וֹא אֵלַ֔יִךְ כִּ֚י לֹ֣א יָדַ֔ע כִּ֥י כַלָּת֖וֹ הִ֑וא וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מַה־תִּתֶּן־לִּ֔י כִּ֥י תָב֖וֹא אֵלָֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he turnedנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
• unto her by the wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: roadH1870
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Go toיָהַבyâhab · to giveH3051
• I pray thee, let me come inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• unto thee; (for he knewיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• his daughter in lawכַּלָּהkallâh · daughter-in-lawH3618
• What wilt thou giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414

Cross-references for Genesis 38:16

• 2 Samuel 13:11When she handed it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, “Come to bed with me, Tamar!”
• Deuteronomy 23:18Never bring gifts or money earned by prostitution into the house of the Lord your God as an offering you vowed to give. These earnings are disgusting to the Lord your God.
• Ezekiel 16:33All prostitutes get paid. But you give gifts to all your lovers and bribe them to come to you from all directions to have sex with you.
• Matthew 26:15He asked, “What will you pay me if I hand him over to you?” They offered him 30 silver coins.
• 1 Timothy 6:10Certainly, the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people who have set their hearts on getting rich have wandered away from the Christian faith and have caused themselves a lot of grief.

Commentaries on Genesis 38:16

• 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. 14-19Tamar understood she needed to act to secure her family's future. Following the levirate custom (see study note on 38:8), she remained loyal to her dead husband. She had a legal right to have a child with Judah's son or Judah himself. So she tricked her father-in-law into having sexual relations with her. Again, Jacob’s family experiences deception, this time by a Canaanite daughter-in-law.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 38:16

• Adultery
• Incest
• Judah
• Lasciviousness
• Sheep
• Tamar
• Women

In the dictionaries

• Daughter-in-Law
• Lay
• Remain
• Abraham
• Archaeology; Archaeology and Criticism
• Ben-Ammi
• Genealogy
• Genesis
• Go
• Harlot

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