Genesis 38
NASB1995
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New American Standard Bible 1995

Genesis 38:8-30

8Then JudahH3063 saidH559 to OnanH209, “1GoH935 in to your brother’sH251 wifeH802, and performH2992 your dutyH2992 as a brother-in-lawH2992 to her, and raiseH6965 up 2offspringH2233 for your brotherH251.” 9OnanH209 knewH3045 that the 34offspringH2233 would not be his; so whenH518 he wentH935 in to his brother’sH251 wifeH802, he 5wastedH7843 his seed on the groundH776 in order not to giveH5414 6offspringH2233 to his brotherH251. 10But whatH834 he didH6213 was displeasingH7489 in the sightH5869 of the LordH3068; so He 7tookH4191 his lifeH4191 alsoH1571. 11Then JudahH3063 saidH559 to his daughter-in-lawH3618 TamarH8559, “8RemainH3427 a widowH490 in your father’sH1 houseH1004 untilH5704 my sonH1121 ShelahH7956 growsH1431 up”; for he 9thoughtH559, “I am afraid that he tooH1571 may dieH4191 like his brothersH251.” So TamarH8559 wentH1980 and livedH3427 in her father’sH1 houseH1004.

12Now 10after a considerableH7235 timeH3117 Shua’sH7770 daughterH1323, the wifeH802 of JudahH3063, diedH4191; and when 11the timeH5162 of mourningH5162 was endedH5162, JudahH3063 wentH5927 up to his sheepshearersH6629H1494 at 12TimnahH8553, he and his friendH7453 HirahH2437 the AdullamiteH5726. 13It was toldH5046 to TamarH8559, “13BeholdH2009, your father-in-lawH2524 is goingH5927 up to 14TimnahH8553 to shearH1494 his sheepH6629.” 14So she 15removedH5493 her widow’sH491 garmentsH899 and 16coveredH3680 herself with a 17veilH6809, and wrappedH5968 herself, and satH3427 in the gatewayH6607 of 18EnaimH5879, whichH834 is on the roadH1870 to TimnahH8553; for she sawH7200 that ShelahH7956 had grownH1431 up, and 19she had not been givenH5414 to him as a wifeH802. 15When JudahH3063 sawH7200 her, he thoughtH2803 she was a harlotH2181, for she had coveredH3680 her faceH6440. 16So he turnedH5186 asideH5186 to her by the roadH1870, and saidH559, “20HereH3051 nowH4994, let me comeH935 in to you”; for he did not knowH3045 that she was his daughter-in-lawH3618. And she saidH559, “WhatH4100 will you giveH5414 me, that you may comeH935 in to me?” 17He saidH559, therefore, “I will sendH7971 you a 21youngH1423H5795 goatH1423H5795 from the flockH6629.” She saidH559, moreover, “Will you giveH5414 a pledgeH6162 untilH5704 you sendH7971 it?” 18He saidH559, “WhatH4100 pledgeH6162 shall I giveH5414 you?” And she saidH559, “22Your sealH2368 and your cordH6616, and your staffH4294 that is in your handH3027.” So he gaveH5414 them to her and wentH935 in to her, and she conceivedH2029 by him. 19Then she aroseH6965 and departedH1980, and 23removedH5493 her 24veilH6809 and putH3847 on her widow’sH491 garmentsH899.

20When JudahH3063 sentH7971 the 25youngH1423H5795 goatH1423H5795 by his friendH7453 the AdullamiteH5726, to receiveH3947 the pledgeH6162 from the woman’sH802 handH3027, he did not findH4672 her. 21He askedH7592 the menH376 of her placeH4725, sayingH559, “WhereH346 is the templeH6945 prostituteH6945 whoH1931 was by the roadH1870 at EnaimH5879?” But they saidH559, “There has beenH1961 noH3808 templeH6945 prostituteH6945 hereH2088.” 22So he returnedH7725 to JudahH3063, and saidH559, “I did not findH4672 her; and furthermoreH1571, the menH376 of the placeH4725 saidH559, ‘There has beenH1961 noH3808 templeH6945 prostituteH6945 hereH2088.’” 23Then JudahH3063 saidH559, “Let her 26keepH3947 them, otherwiseH6435 we will becomeH1961 a laughingstockH937. 27AfterH2009 allH2009, I sentH7971 thisH2088 youngH1423 goatH1423, but you did not findH4672 her.”

24Now it was about threeH7969 monthsH2320 later that JudahH3063 was informedH5046, “28Your daughter-in-lawH3618 TamarH8559 has playedH2181 the harlotH2181, and beholdH2009, she is alsoH1571 with childH2030 by harlotryH2183.” Then JudahH3063 saidH559, “BringH3318 her out and 29let her be burnedH8313!” 25It was while she was being broughtH3318 out that she sentH7971 to her father-in-lawH2524, sayingH559, “I am with childH2030 by the manH376 to whomH834 theseH428 thingsH428 belong.” And she saidH559, “30PleaseH4994 examineH5234 and seeH5234, whoseH4310 signetH2368 ringH2858 and cordsH6616 and staffH4294 are theseH428?” 26JudahH3063 recognizedH5234 them, and saidH559, “31She is moreH4480 righteousH6663 thanH4480 I, inasmuchH3588H5921H3651 as 32I did not giveH5414 her to my sonH1121 ShelahH7956.” And he did not 33haveH3045 relationsH3045 with her againH3254H5750.

27It cameH1961 about at the timeH6256 she was givingH3205 birthH3205, that beholdH2009, there were 34twinsH8420 in her wombH990. 28Moreover, it tookH1961 placeH1961 while she was givingH3205 birthH3205, one putH5414 out a handH3027, and the midwifeH3205 tookH3947 and tiedH7194 a scarletH8144 thread on his handH3027, sayingH559, “ThisH2088 oneH2088 cameH3318 out firstH7223.” 29But it cameH1961 about as he drewH7725 backH7725 his handH3027, that beholdH2009, his brotherH251 cameH3318 out. Then she saidH559, “WhatH4100 a breachH6556 you have madeH6555 for yourself!” So he was namedH7121H8034 3536PerezH6557. 30AfterwardH310 his brotherH251 cameH3318 out whoH834 had the scarletH8144 thread on his handH3027; and he was namedH7121H8034 3738ZerahH2226.

Read all of Genesis 38

Notes

  1. 1. Genesis 38:8 Deut 25:5, 6; Matt 22:24 ↩
  2. 2. Genesis 38:8 Lit seed ↩
  3. 3. Genesis 38:9 Lit seed ↩
  4. 4. Genesis 38:9 Deut 25:6 ↩
  5. 5. Genesis 38:9 Lit spilled on the ground ↩
  6. 6. Genesis 38:9 Lit seed ↩
  7. 7. Genesis 38:10 Gen 46:12; Num 26:19 ↩
  8. 8. Genesis 38:11 Ruth 1:12, 13 ↩
  9. 9. Genesis 38:11 Lit said ↩
  10. 10. Genesis 38:12 Lit the days became many and ↩
  11. 11. Genesis 38:12 Lit Judah was comforted, he ↩
  12. 12. Genesis 38:12 Josh 15:10, 57 ↩
  13. 13. Genesis 38:13 Lit saying, Behold ↩
  14. 14. Genesis 38:13 Josh 15:10, 57; Judg 14:1 ↩
  15. 15. Genesis 38:14 Lit removed from herself ↩
  16. 16. Genesis 38:14 Gen 24:65 ↩
  17. 17. Genesis 38:14 Or shawl ↩
  18. 18. Genesis 38:14 In Josh 15:34, Enam ↩
  19. 19. Genesis 38:14 Gen 38:11, 26 ↩
  20. 20. Genesis 38:16 Or Come, now ↩
  21. 21. Genesis 38:17 Lit kid of goats ↩
  22. 22. Genesis 38:18 Gen 38:25; 41:42 ↩
  23. 23. Genesis 38:19 Lit removed from herself ↩
  24. 24. Genesis 38:19 Or shawl ↩
  25. 25. Genesis 38:20 Lit kid of goats by the hand of ↩
  26. 26. Genesis 38:23 Lit take for herself ↩
  27. 27. Genesis 38:23 Lit Behold ↩
  28. 28. Genesis 38:24 Lit saying, Your ↩
  29. 29. Genesis 38:24 Lev 21:9 ↩
  30. 30. Genesis 38:25 Gen 37:32 ↩
  31. 31. Genesis 38:26 1 Sam 24:17 ↩
  32. 32. Genesis 38:26 Gen 38:14 ↩
  33. 33. Genesis 38:26 Lit know her yet again ↩
  34. 34. Genesis 38:27 Gen 25:24-26 ↩
  35. 35. Genesis 38:29 I.e. a breach ↩
  36. 36. Genesis 38:29 Gen 46:12; Ruth 4:12 ↩
  37. 37. Genesis 38:30 I.e. a dawning or brightness ↩
  38. 38. Genesis 38:30 1 Chr 2:4 ↩

Commentaries on Genesis 38

New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.