Revised Literal Translation

Genesis 38:1-12

1And it came to pass at that timeבָּעֵ֣תba.'EtH6256,that Judahיְהוּדָ֖הye.hu.DahH3063went downוַיֵּ֥רֶדvai.Ye.redH3381from his brethrenאֶחָ֑יו'e.ChavH251,and turnedוַיֵּ֛טvai.YetH5186in to a certainאִ֥ישׁ'ishH376Adullamiteעֲדֻלָּמִ֖י'a.du.la.MiH5726,whose nameוּשְׁמ֥וֹu.she.MoH8034wasHirahחִירָֽה׃chi.RahH2437.

2And Judahיְהוּדָ֛הye.hu.DahH3063sawוַיַּרְא־vai.yar'-H7200there a daughterבַּת־bat-H1323of a certainאִ֥ישׁ'ishH376Canaaniteכְּנַעֲנִ֖יke.na.'a.NiH3669,whose nameוּשְׁמ֣וֹu.she.MoH8034wasShuahשׁ֑וּעַShu.a'H7770;and he took herוַיִּקָּחֶ֖הָvai.yi.ka.Che.haH3947,and went inוַיָּבֹ֥אvai.ya.Vo'H935unto her.

3And she conceivedוַתַּ֖הַרva.Ta.harH2029,and bareוַתֵּ֣לֶדva.Te.ledH3205a sonבֵּ֑ןBenH1121;and he calledוַיִּקְרָ֥אvai.yik.Ra'H7121his nameשְׁמ֖וֹshe.MoH8034Erעֵֽר׃'ErH6147.

4And she conceivedוַתַּ֥הַרva.Ta.harH2029again, and bareוַתֵּ֣לֶדva.Te.ledH3205a sonבֵּ֑ןBenH1121;and she calledוַתִּקְרָ֥אva.tik.Ra'H7121his nameשְׁמ֖וֹshe.MoH8034Onanאוֹנָֽן׃'o.NanH209.

5And she yet again conceivedוַתֹּ֤סֶףva.To.sefH3254,and bareוַתֵּ֣לֶדva.Te.ledH3205a sonבֵּ֔ןBenH1121;and calledוַתִּקְרָ֥אva.tik.Ra'H7121his nameשְׁמ֖וֹshe.MoH8034Shelahשֵׁלָ֑הshe.LahH7956:and he was at Chezibבִכְזִ֖יבvikh.ZivH3580,when she bareבְּלִדְתָּ֥הּbe.lid.TahH3205him.

6And Judahיְהוּדָ֛הye.hu.DahH3063tookוַיִּקַּ֧חvai.yi.KachH3947a wifeאִשָּׁ֖ה'i.ShahH802for Erלְעֵ֣רle.'ErH6147his firstbornבְּכוֹר֑וֹbe.kho.RoH1060,whose nameוּשְׁמָ֖הּu.she.MahH8034wasTamarתָּמָֽר׃ta.MarH8559.

7And Erעֵ֚ר'erH6147,Judah’sיְהוּדָ֔הye.hu.DahH3063firstbornבְּכ֣וֹרbe.KhorH1060,was wickedרַ֖עra'H7451in the sightבְּעֵינֵ֣יbe.'ei.NeiH5869of Yhwhיְהוָ֑הYah.wehH3068;And Yhwhיְהוָֽה׃Yah.wehH3068slewוַיְמִתֵ֖הוּvay.mi.Te.huH4191him.

8And Judahיְהוּדָה֙ye.hu.DahH3063saidוַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559unto Onanלְאוֹנָ֔ןle.'o.NanH209,Go inבֹּ֛אbo'H935unto thy brother’sאָחִ֖יךָ'a.Chi.khaH251wifeאֵ֥שֶׁת'E.shetH802,and marryוְיַבֵּ֣םve.ya.BemH2992her, and raise upוְהָקֵ֥םve.ha.KemH6965seedזֶ֖רַעZe.ra'H2233to thy brotherלְאָחִֽיךָ׃le.'a.Chi.khaH251.

9And Onanאוֹנָ֔ן'o.NanH209knewוַיֵּ֣דַעvai.Ye.da'H3045that the seedהַזָּ֑רַעha.Za.ra'H2233should not be his; and it came to pass, whenאִם־'im-H518he went inבָּ֨אba'H935unto his brother’sאָחִיו֙'a.ChivH251wifeאֵ֤שֶׁת'E.shetH802,that he spilledוְשִׁחֵ֣תve.shi.ChetH7843iton the groundאַ֔רְצָה'Ar.tzahH776,lestלְבִלְתִּ֥יle.vil.TiH1115that he should giveנְתָן־ne.ton-H5414seedזֶ֖רַעZe.ra'H2233to his brotherלְאָחִֽיו׃le.'a.ChivH251.

10And the thing whichאֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherH834he didעָשָׂ֑ה'a.SahH6213displeasedבְּעֵינֵ֥יbe.'ei.NeiH5869 H3415Yhwhיְהוָ֖הYah.wehH3068:wherefore he slewוַיָּ֖מֶתvai.Ya.metH4191him also.

11Then saidוַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559Judahיְהוּדָה֩ye.hu.DahH3063to Tamarלְתָמָ֨רle.ta.MarH8559his daughter in lawכַּלָּת֜וֹka.la.ToH3618,Remainשְׁבִ֧יshe.ViH3427a widowאַלְמָנָ֣ה'al.ma.NahH490at thy father’sאָבִ֗יךְ'a.VikhH1houseבֵית־veit-H1004,till Shelahשֵׁלָ֣הshe.LahH7956my sonבְנִ֔יve.NiH1121be grownיִגְדַּל֙yig.DalH1431:for he saidאָמַ֔ר'a.MarH559,Lest peradventure he dieיָמ֥וּתya.MutH4191also, as his brethrenכְּאֶחָ֑יוke.'e.ChavH251did.And Tamarתָּמָ֔רta.MarH8559wentH3212and dweltוַתֵּ֖שֶׁבva.Te.shevH3427in her father’sאָבִֽיהָ׃'a.Vi.haH1houseבֵּ֥יתbeitH1004.

12And in processוַיִּרְבּוּ֙vai.yir.BuH7235of timeהַיָּמִ֔יםhai.ya.MimH3117the daughterבַּת־bat-H1323of Shuahשׁ֣וּעַShu.a'H7770Judah’sיְהוּדָ֑הye.hu.DahH3063wifeאֵֽשֶׁת־'e.shet-H802diedוַתָּ֖מָתva.Ta.motH4191;and Judahיְהוּדָ֗הye.hu.DahH3063was comfortedוַיִּנָּ֣חֶםvai.yi.Na.chemH5162,and went upוַיַּ֜עַלvai.Ya.'alH5927unto his sheepshearersגֹּֽזֲזֵ֤י צֹאנוֹ֙go.za.Zei tzo.NoH6629 H1494to Timnathתִּמְנָֽתָה׃tim.Na.tahH8553,he and his friendרֵעֵ֥הוּre.'E.huH7453Hirahוְחִירָ֛הve.chi.RahH2437the Adullamiteהָעֲדֻלָּמִ֖יha.'a.du.la.MiH5726.

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Commentaries on Genesis 38