New American Standard Bible 2020

Genesis 38:12-23

12Nowafter a considerableוַיִּרְבּוּ֙vai.yir.BuH7235timeהַיָּמִ֔יםhai.ya.MimH3117Shua’sשׁ֣וּעַShu.a'H7770daughterבַּת־bat-H1323,the wifeאֵֽשֶׁת־'e.shet-H802of Judahיְהוּדָ֑הye.hu.DahH3063,diedוַתָּ֖מָתva.Ta.motH4191; and whenthe timeH5162ofH5162mourningH5162was endedH5162,Judahיְהוּדָ֗הye.hu.DahH3063wentH5927upH5927to his sheepshearersגֹּֽזֲזֵ֤י צֹאנוֹ֙go.za.Zei tzo.NoH6629 H1494atTimnahתִּמְנָֽתָה׃tim.Na.tahH8553,he and his friendרֵעֵ֥הוּre.'E.huH7453Hirahוְחִירָ֛הve.chi.RahH2437the Adullamiteהָעֲדֻלָּמִ֖יha.'a.du.la.MiH5726.

13And Tamarלְתָמָ֖רle.ta.MarH8559was toldוַיֻּגַּ֥דvai.yu.GadH5046, “Beholdהִנֵּ֥הhi.NehH2009,your father-in-lawחָמִ֛יךְcha.MikhH2524is goingH5927upH5927toTimnahתִמְנָ֖תָהtim.Na.tahH8553to shearלָגֹ֥זla.GozH1494his sheepצֹאנֽוֹ׃tzo.NoH6629.”

14So sheremovedוַתָּסַר֩va.ta.SarH5493her widow’sאַלְמְנוּתָ֜הּ'al.me.nu.TahH491garmentsבִּגְדֵ֨יbig.DeiH899andcoveredוַתְּכַ֤סva.te.KhasH3680herself with aveilבַּצָּעִיף֙ba.tza.'IfH6809,and wrappedוַתִּתְעַלָּ֔ףva.tit.'a.LafH5968herself, and satוַתֵּ֙שֶׁב֙va.Te.shevH3427in the gatewayבְּפֶ֣תַחbe.Fe.tachH6607ofEnaimעֵינַ֔יִם'ei.Na.yimH5879,whichאֲשֶׁ֖ר'a.SherH834is on the roadדֶּ֣רֶךְDe.rekhH1870to Timnahתִּמְנָ֑תָהtim.Na.tahH8553;for she sawרָאֲתָה֙ra.'a.TahH7200that Shelahשֵׁלָ֔הshe.LahH7956had grownH1431upH1431, andshe had not been givenנִתְּנָ֥הni.te.NahH5414to him as a wifeלְאִשָּֽׁה׃le.'i.ShahH802.

15When Judahיְהוּדָ֔הye.hu.DahH3063sawוַיִּרְאֶ֣הָvai.yir.'E.haH7200her, he assumedוַֽיַּחְשְׁבֶ֖הָvai.yach.she.Ve.haH2803she wasa prostituteלְזוֹנָ֑הle.zo.NahH2181,for she had coveredכִסְּתָ֖הkhi.se.TahH3680her faceפָּנֶֽיהָ׃pa.Nei.haH6440.

16So he turnedH5186asideוַיֵּ֨טvai.YetH5186to her by the roadהַדֶּ֗רֶךְha.De.rekhH1870,and saidוַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙vai.Yo.merH559, “Hereהָֽבָה־ha.vah-H3051nowנָּא֙na'H4994,let me haveH935relationsH935withH935you”; for he did not knowיָדַ֔עya.Da'H3045that she was his daughter-in-lawכַלָּת֖וֹkha.la.ToH3618.And she saidוַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙va.To.merH559, “Whatמַה־mah-H4100will you giveתִּתֶּן־ti.ten-H5414me, that you may haveH935relationsH935withH935me?”

17He saidוַיֹּ֕אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559,therefore, “I will sendאֲשַׁלַּ֥ח'a.sha.LachH7971you ayoungH1423 H5795goatעִזִּ֖ים'i.ZimH1423 H5795from the flockהַצֹּ֑אןha.TzonH6629.”She then saidוַתֹּ֕אמֶרva.To.merH559, “Will you giveתִּתֵּ֥ןti.TenH5414a pledgeעֵרָב֖וֹןe.ra.VonH6162untilעַ֥ד'adH5704you sendשָׁלְחֶֽךָ׃shal.Che.khaH7971it?”

18He saidוַיֹּ֗אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559, “Whatמָ֣הmahH4100pledgeהָֽעֵרָבוֹן֮ha.'e.ra.VonH6162shall I giveאֶתֶּן־'e.ten-H5414you?” And she saidוַתֹּ֗אמֶרva.To.merH559, “Your sealחֹתָֽמְךָ֙cho.ta.me.KhaH2368and your cordוּפְתִילֶ֔ךָu.fe.ti.Le.khaH6616,and your staffוּמַטְּךָ֖u.ma.te.KhaH4294that is in your handבְּיָדֶ֑ךָbe.ya.De.khaH3027.”So he gaveוַיִּתֶּן־vai.yi.ten-H5414themto her and hadH935relationsH935withH935her, and she conceivedוַתַּ֥הַרva.Ta.harH2029by him.

19Then she gotH6965upH6965and departedוַתֵּ֔לֶךְva.Te.lekhH1980, andremovedוַתָּ֥סַרva.Ta.sarH5493herveilצְעִיפָ֖הּtze.'i.FahH6809and putוַתִּלְבַּ֖שׁva.til.BashH3847onH3847her widow’sאַלְמְנוּתָֽהּ׃'al.me.nu.TahH491garmentsבִּגְדֵ֥יbig.DeiH899.

20When Judahיְהוּדָ֜הye.hu.DahH3063sentוַיִּשְׁלַ֨חvai.yish.LachH7971theyoungH1423 H5795goatהָֽעִזִּ֗יםha.'i.ZimH1423 H5795by his friendרֵעֵ֣הוּre.'E.huH7453the Adullamiteהָֽעֲדֻלָּמִ֔יha.'a.du.la.MiH5726,to receiveלָקַ֥חַתla.Ka.chatH3947the pledgeהָעֵרָב֖וֹןha.'e.ra.VonH6162from the woman’sהָאִשָּׁ֑הha.'i.ShahH802handH3027,he did not findמְצָאָֽהּ׃me.tza.'AhH4672her.

21He askedוַיִּשְׁאַ֞לvai.yish.'AlH7592the peopleH376of her placeמְקֹמָהּ֙me.ko.MahH4725,sayingלֵאמֹ֔רle.MorH559, “Whereאַיֵּ֧ה'ai.YehH346is the templeH6945prostituteH6945whoהִ֥ואhi'H1931was by the roadהַדָּ֑רֶךְha.Da.rekhH1870at Enaimבָעֵינַ֖יִםva.'ei.Na.yimH5879?”But they saidוַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּvai.Yo.me.RuH559, “There has beenהָיְתָ֥הha.ye.TahH1961noלֹא־lo'-H3808templeH6945prostituteH6945hereבָזֶ֖הva.ZehH2088.”

22So he returnedוַיָּ֙שָׁב֙vai.Ya.shovH7725to Judahיְהוּדָ֔הye.hu.DahH3063,and saidוַיֹּ֖אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559, “I did not findמְצָאתִ֑יהָme.tza.Ti.haH4672her; and furthermoreוְגַ֨םve.GamH1571,the peopleH376of the placeהַמָּקוֹם֙ha.ma.kOmH4725saidאָֽמְר֔וּ'a.me.RuH559, ‘There has beenהָיְתָ֥הha.ye.TahH1961noH3808templeH6945prostituteH6945hereבָזֶ֖הva.ZehH2088.’”

23Then Judahיְהוּדָה֙ye.hu.DahH3063saidוַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559, “Let herkeepתִּֽקַּֽח־ti.kach-H3947them, otherwiseפֶּ֖ןpenH6435we will becomeנִהְיֶ֣הnih.YehH1961a laughingstockלָב֑וּזla.VuzH937.AfterH2009allH2009,I sentשָׁלַ֙חְתִּי֙sha.Lach.tiH7971thisהַזֶּ֔הha.ZehH2088youngH1423goatH1423,but you did not findמְצָאתָֽהּ׃me.tza.TahH4672her.”

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Commentaries on Genesis 38