Genesis

Genesis 38:16–18

¹⁶Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.”

“What will you give me for sleeping with you?” she inquired.

¹⁷“I will send you a young goat from my flock,” Judah answered.

But she replied, “Only if you leave me something as a pledge until you send it.”

¹⁸“What pledge should I give you?” he asked.

She answered, “Your seal and your cord, and the staff in your hand.” So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.

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 38:16

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Not	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
realizing	יָדַ֔ע	yā·ḏa‘	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H3045 know
that	כִּ֥י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
she	הִ֑וא	hî	Pronoun - third person feminine singular	H1931 he, she
was his daughter-in-law	כַלָּת֖וֹ	ḵal·lā·ṯōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3618 daughter-in-law, bride
he went over	וַיֵּ֨ט	way·yêṭ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
to her	אֵלֶ֜יהָ	’ê·le·hā	Preposition; third person feminine singular	H413 motion to
and said	וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Come	הָֽבָה־	hā·ḇāh-	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular; third person feminine singular	H3051 give
now	נָּא֙	nā	Interjection	H4994 I (we) pray, now
let me sleep with	אָב֣וֹא	’ā·ḇō·w	Verb - Qal - Imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
you	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
What	מַה־	mah-	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
will you give	תִּתֶּן־	tit·ten-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
me	לִּ֔י	lī	Preposition; first person common singular
for	כִּ֥י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
sleeping with	תָב֖וֹא	ṯā·ḇō·w	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
you	אֵלַ֔יִךְ	’ê·la·yiḵ	Preposition; second person feminine singular	H413 motion to
she inquired	וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙	wat·tō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H559 utter, say

Genesis 38:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
I	אָנֹכִ֛י	’ā·nō·ḵî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H595 I
will send you	אֲשַׁלַּ֥ח	’ă·šal·laḥ	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular	H7971 send
a young goat	גְּדִֽי־	gə·ḏî-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1423 kid
from	מִן־	min-	Preposition	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
my flock	הַצֹּ֑אן	haṣ·ṣōn	Article; Noun - common singular	H6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
answered	וַיֹּ֕אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
But she replied	וַתֹּ֕אמֶר	wat·tō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H559 utter, say
Only if	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
you leave me	תִּתֵּ֥ן	tit·tên	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
something as a pledge	עֵרָב֖וֹן	‘ê·rā·ḇō·wn	Noun - masculine singular	H6162 pledge
until	עַ֥ד	‘aḏ	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
you send it	שָׁלְחֶֽךָ׃	šā·lə·ḥe·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; second person masculine singular	H7971 send

Genesis 38:18

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
What	מָ֣ה	māh	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
pledge	הָֽעֵרָבוֹן֮	hā·‘ê·rā·ḇō·wn	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H6162 pledge
should I give	אֶתֶּן־	’et·ten-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H5414 give, put, set
you	לָּךְ֒	lāḵ	Preposition; second person feminine singular
he asked	וַיֹּ֗אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
She answered	וַתֹּ֗אמֶר	wat·tō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H559 utter, say
Your seal	חֹתָֽמְךָ֙	ḥō·ṯā·mə·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H2368 seal, signet-ring
and your cord	וּפְתִילֶ֔ךָ	ū·p̄ə·ṯî·le·ḵā	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H6616 cord, thread
and the staff	וּמַטְּךָ֖	ū·maṭ·ṭə·ḵā	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H4294 staff, rod, shaft
in your hand	בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ	bə·yā·ḏe·ḵā	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H3027 hand
So he gave them	וַיִּתֶּן־	way·yit·ten-	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
to her	לָּ֛הּ	lāh	Preposition; third person feminine singular
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	אֵלֶ֖יהָ	’ê·le·hā	Preposition; third person feminine singular	H413 motion to
and she became pregnant	וַתַּ֥הַר	wat·ta·har	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H2029 conceive, become pregnant
by him	לֽוֹ׃	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular

Cross-references

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

Genesis 38:17 Genesis 38:20 · Ezekiel 16:33

Genesis 38:18 Genesis 38:25–26

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.