Genesis

Genesis 38:1–6

¹About that time, Judah left his brothers and settled near a man named Hirah, an Adullamite. ²There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua, and he took her as a wife and slept with her. ³So she conceived and gave birth to a son, and Judah named him Er. ⁴Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Onan. ⁵Then she gave birth to another son and named him Shelah; it was at Chezib that she gave birth to him.

⁶Now Judah acquired a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

Read all of Genesis 38

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Genesis 38:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
About	וַֽיְהִי֙	way·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
that	הַהִ֔וא	ha·hi·w	Article; Pronoun - third person feminine singular	H1931 he, she
time	בָּעֵ֣ת	bā·‘êṯ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - common singular	H6256 time
Judah	יְהוּדָ֖ה	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
left	וַיֵּ֥רֶד	way·yê·reḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3381 come or go down, descend
his brothers	אֶחָ֑יו	’e·ḥāw	Noun - masculine plural construct; third person masculine singular	H251 brother
and settled	וַיֵּ֛ט	way·yêṭ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
near	עַד־	‘aḏ-	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
a man	אִ֥ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular construct	H376 man
named	וּשְׁמ֥וֹ	ū·šə·mōw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H8034 name
Hirah	חִירָֽה׃	ḥî·rāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H2437 Chirah
an Adullamite	עֲדֻלָּמִ֖י	‘ă·ḏul·lā·mî	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H5726 Adullamite

Genesis 38:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
There	שָׁ֧ם	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither
Judah	יְהוּדָ֛ה	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
saw	וַיַּרְא־	way·yar-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7200 see
the daughter	בַּת־	baṯ-	Noun - feminine singular construct	H1323 daughter
of a Canaanite	כְּנַעֲנִ֖י	kə·na·‘ă·nî	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3669 trader, merchant
man	אִ֥ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
named	וּשְׁמ֣וֹ	ū·šə·mōw	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H8034 name
Shua	שׁ֑וּעַ	šū·a‘	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H7770 Shua
and he took her as a wife	וַיִּקָּחֶ֖הָ	way·yiq·qā·ḥe·hā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H3947 take
and slept with	וַיָּבֹ֥א	way·yā·ḇō	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
her	אֵלֶֽיהָ׃	’ê·le·hā	Preposition; third person feminine singular	H413 motion to

Genesis 38:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So she conceived	וַתַּ֖הַר	wat·ta·har	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H2029 conceive, become pregnant
and gave birth to	וַתֵּ֣לֶד	wat·tê·leḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
a son	בֵּ֑ן	bên	Noun - masculine singular	H1121 son
and	וַיִּקְרָ֥א	way·yiq·rā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
him	שְׁמ֖וֹ	šə·mōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H8034 name
Er	עֵֽר׃	‘êr	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6147 Er

Genesis 38:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Again	ע֖וֹד	‘ō·wḏ	Adverb	H5750 a going round, continuance
she conceived	וַתַּ֥הַר	wat·ta·har	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H2029 conceive, become pregnant
and gave birth to	וַתֵּ֣לֶד	wat·tê·leḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
a son	בֵּ֑ן	bên	Noun - masculine singular	H1121 son
and she named	וַתִּקְרָ֥א	wat·tiq·rā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
him	שְׁמ֖וֹ	šə·mōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H8034 name
Onan	אוֹנָֽן׃	’ō·w·nān	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H209 Onan

Genesis 38:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then she gave birth to	וַתֵּ֣לֶד	wat·tê·leḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
another	וַתֹּ֤סֶף	wat·tō·sep̄	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H3254 add
son	בֵּ֔ן	bên	Noun - masculine singular	H1121 son
and named	וַתִּקְרָ֥א	wat·tiq·rā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
him	שְׁמ֖וֹ	šə·mōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H8034 name
Shelah	שֵׁלָ֑ה	šê·lāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7956 Shelah
it was	וְהָיָ֥ה	wə·hā·yāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
at Chezib	בִכְזִ֖יב	ḇiḵ·zîḇ	Preposition-b; Noun - proper - feminine singular	H3580 Kezib
that she gave birth to him	בְּלִדְתָּ֥הּ	bə·liḏ·tāh	Preposition-b; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person feminine singular	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget

Genesis 38:6

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Now Judah	יְהוּדָ֛ה	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
acquired	וַיִּקַּ֧ח	way·yiq·qaḥ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3947 take
a wife	אִשָּׁ֖ה	’iš·šāh	Noun - feminine singular	H802 woman, wife, female
for Er	לְעֵ֣ר	lə·‘êr	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6147 Er
his firstborn	בְּכוֹר֑וֹ	bə·ḵō·w·rōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1060 first-born
and her name	וּשְׁמָ֖הּ	ū·šə·māh	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H8034 name
was Tamar	תָּמָֽר׃	tā·mār	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8559 Tamar

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Genesis 38:1 2 Kings 4:8 · 1 Samuel 22:1 · Micah 1:15 · Joshua 15:35 · Genesis 19:2–3 · Proverbs 13:20

Genesis 38:2 1 Chronicles 2:3 · Genesis 24:3

Genesis 38:3 Numbers 26:19 · Genesis 46:12

Genesis 38:4 Genesis 46:12

Genesis 38:5 Numbers 26:20

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.