Genesis
Genesis 38:12–14
12After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah. 13When Tamar was told, “Your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep,” 14she removed her widow’s garments, covered her face with a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that although Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.
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 38:12
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| After a long | וַיִּרְבּוּ֙ | way·yir·bū | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural | H7235 be, or become, much, many, great |
| time | הַיָּמִ֔ים | hay·yā·mîm | Article; Noun - masculine plural | H3117 day |
| Judah’s | יְהוּדָ֑ה | yə·hū·ḏāh | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3063 Judah |
| wife | אֵֽשֶׁת־ | ’ê·šeṯ- | Noun - feminine singular construct | H802 woman, wife, female |
| the daughter | בַּת־ | baṯ- | Noun - feminine singular construct | H1323 daughter |
| of Shua | שׁ֣וּעַ | šū·a‘ | Noun - proper - feminine singular | H7770 Shua |
| died | וַתָּ֖מָת | wat·tā·māṯ | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular | H4191 die |
| When Judah | יְהוּדָ֗ה | yə·hū·ḏāh | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H3063 Judah |
| had finished mourning | וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם | way·yin·nā·ḥem | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H5162 be sorry, console |
| he | ה֗וּא | hū | Pronoun - third person masculine singular | H1931 he, she |
| and his friend | רֵעֵ֥הוּ | rê·‘ê·hū | Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular | H7453 shouting, roar |
| Hirah | וְחִירָ֛ה | wə·ḥî·rāh | Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular | H2437 Chirah |
| the Adullamite | הָעֲדֻלָּמִ֖י | hā·‘ă·ḏul·lā·mî | Article; Noun - proper - masculine singular | H5726 Adullamite |
| went up | וַיַּ֜עַל | way·ya·‘al | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H5927 go up, ascend, climb |
| to | עַל־ | ‘al- | Preposition | H5921 height |
| his sheepshearers | גֹּֽזֲזֵ֤י | gō·ză·zê | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | H1494 shear |
| at Timnah | תִּמְנָֽתָה׃ | tim·nā·ṯāh | Noun - proper - feminine singular; third person feminine singular | H8553 Timnah |
Genesis 38:13
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| When Tamar | לְתָמָ֖ר | lə·ṯā·mār | Preposition-l; Noun - proper - feminine singular | H8559 Tamar |
| was told | וַיֻּגַּ֥ד | way·yug·gaḏ | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hofal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | H5046 be conspicuous |
| Your father-in-law | חָמִ֛יךְ | ḥā·mîḵ | Noun - masculine singular construct; second person feminine singular | H2524 husband's father |
| is going up | עֹלֶ֥ה | ‘ō·leh | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular | H5927 go up, ascend, climb |
| to Timnah | תִמְנָ֖תָה | ṯim·nā·ṯāh | Noun - proper - feminine singular; third person feminine singular | H8553 Timnah |
| to shear | לָגֹ֥ז | lā·ḡōz | Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | H1494 shear |
| his sheep | צֹאנֽוֹ׃ | ṣō·nōw | Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular | H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks |
Genesis 38:14
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| she removed | וַתָּסַר֩ | wat·tā·sar | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular | H5493 turn aside |
| her | מֵֽעָלֶ֗יהָ | mê·‘ā·le·hā | Preposition-m; third person feminine singular | H5921 height |
| widow’s | אַלְמְנוּתָ֜הּ | ’al·mə·nū·ṯāh | Noun - feminine singular construct; third person feminine singular | H491 widowhood |
| garments | בִּגְדֵ֨י | biḡ·ḏê | Noun - masculine plural construct | H899 treachery |
| covered her face | וַתִּתְעַלָּ֔ף | wat·tiṯ·‘al·lāp̄ | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hitpael - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular | H5968 cover |
| with a veil | בַּצָּעִיף֙ | baṣ·ṣā·‘îp̄ | Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular | H6809 wrapper, shawl, or veil |
| to disguise herself | וַתְּכַ֤ס | wat·tə·ḵas | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular | H3680 cover |
| and sat | וַתֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ | wat·tê·šeḇ | Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular | H3427 sit, remain, dwell |
| at the entrance | בְּפֶ֣תַח | bə·p̄e·ṯaḥ | Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct | H6607 opening, doorway, entrance |
| to Enaim | עֵינַ֔יִם | ‘ê·na·yim | Noun - proper - feminine singular | H5879 Enajim, Enam |
| which | אֲשֶׁ֖ר | ’ă·šer | Pronoun - relative | H834 particle of relation |
| is on | עַל־ | ‘al- | Preposition | H5921 height |
| the way | דֶּ֣רֶךְ | de·reḵ | Noun - common singular construct | H1870 way, road, distance, journey, manner |
| to Timnah | תִּמְנָ֑תָה | tim·nā·ṯāh | Noun - proper - feminine singular; third person feminine singular | H8553 Timnah |
| For | כִּ֤י | kî | Conjunction | H3588 burning, branding |
| she saw | רָאֲתָה֙ | rā·’ă·ṯāh | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular | H7200 see |
| that | כִּֽי־ | kî- | Conjunction | H3588 burning, branding |
| although Shelah | שֵׁלָ֔ה | šê·lāh | Noun - proper - masculine singular | H7956 Shelah |
| had grown up | גָדַ֣ל | ḡā·ḏal | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | H1431 grow up, become great |
| she | וְהִ֕וא | wə·hi·w | Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - third person feminine singular | H1931 he, she |
| had not | לֹֽא־ | lō- | Adverb - Negative particle | H3808 not |
| been given | נִתְּנָ֥ה | nit·tə·nāh | Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person feminine singular | H5414 give, put, set |
| to him | ל֖וֹ | lōw | Preposition; third person masculine singular | |
| as a wife | לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ | lə·’iš·šāh | Preposition-l; Noun - feminine singular | H802 woman, wife, female |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
Genesis 38:12 Joshua 15:10 · 2 Samuel 13:39 · Judges 14:1 · Genesis 24:67
Genesis 38:14 Genesis 38:26
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.