Genesis

Genesis 38:17–20

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. 19Then Tamar got up and departed. And she removed her veil and put on her widow’s garments again.

20Now when Judah sent his friend Hirah the Adullamite with the young goat to collect the items he had left with the woman, he could not find her.

Read all of Genesis 38

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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 38:17

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Iאָנֹכִ֛י’ā·nō·ḵîPronoun - first person common singularH595 I
will send youאֲשַׁלַּ֥ח’ă·šal·laḥVerb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singularH7971 send
a young goatגְּדִֽי־gə·ḏî-Noun - masculine singular constructH1423 kid
fromמִן־min-PrepositionH4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
my flockהַצֹּ֑אןhaṣ·ṣōnArticle; Noun - common singularH6629 small cattle, sheep and goats, flock, flocks
answeredוַיֹּ֕אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
But she repliedוַתֹּ֕אמֶרwat·tō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH559 utter, say
Only ifאִם־’im-ConjunctionH518 if
you leave meתִּתֵּ֥ןtit·tênVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularH5414 give, put, set
something as a pledgeעֵרָב֖וֹן‘ê·rā·ḇō·wnNoun - masculine singularH6162 pledge
untilעַ֥ד‘aḏPrepositionH5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
you send itשָׁלְחֶֽךָ׃šā·lə·ḥe·ḵāVerb - Qal - Infinitive construct; second person masculine singularH7971 send

Genesis 38:18

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Whatמָ֣הmāhInterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
pledgeהָֽעֵרָבוֹן֮hā·‘ê·rā·ḇō·wnArticle; Noun - masculine singularH6162 pledge
should I giveאֶתֶּן־’et·ten-Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singularH5414 give, put, set
youלָּךְ֒lāḵPreposition; second person feminine singular
he askedוַיֹּ֗אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
She answeredוַתֹּ֗אמֶרwat·tō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH559 utter, say
Your sealחֹתָֽמְךָ֙ḥō·ṯā·mə·ḵāNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH2368 seal, signet-ring
and your cordוּפְתִילֶ֔ךָū·p̄ə·ṯî·le·ḵāConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH6616 cord, thread
and the staffוּמַטְּךָ֖ū·maṭ·ṭə·ḵāConjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH4294 staff, rod, shaft
in your handבְּיָדֶ֑ךָbə·yā·ḏe·ḵāPreposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singularH3027 hand
So he gave themוַיִּתֶּן־way·yit·ten-Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH5414 give, put, set
to herלָּ֛הּlāhPreposition; third person feminine singular
and slept withוַיָּבֹ֥אway·yā·ḇōConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH935 come in, come, go in, go
herאֵלֶ֖יהָ’ê·le·hāPreposition; third person feminine singularH413 motion to
and she became pregnantוַתַּ֥הַרwat·ta·harConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH2029 conceive, become pregnant
by himלֽוֹ׃lōwPreposition; third person masculine singular

Genesis 38:19

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Then Tamar got upוַתָּ֣קָםwat·tā·qāmConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH6965 arise, stand up, stand
and departedוַתֵּ֔לֶךְwat·tê·leḵConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH1980 go, come, walk
And she removedוַתָּ֥סַרwat·tā·sarConjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH5493 turn aside
her veilצְעִיפָ֖הּṣə·‘î·p̄āhNoun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singularH6809 wrapper, shawl, or veil
and put on her widow’sאַלְמְנוּתָֽהּ׃’al·mə·nū·ṯāhNoun - feminine singular construct; third person feminine singularH491 widowhood
garmentsבִּגְדֵ֥יbiḡ·ḏêNoun - masculine plural constructH899 treachery
againוַתִּלְבַּ֖שׁwat·til·bašConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singularH3847 put on (a garment), wear, clothe, be clothed

Genesis 38:20

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Now when Judahיְהוּדָ֜הyə·hū·ḏāhNoun - proper - masculine singularH3063 Judah
sentוַיִּשְׁלַ֨חway·yiš·laḥConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH7971 send
his friendרֵעֵ֣הוּrê·‘ê·hūNoun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singularH7453 shouting, roar
the Adullamiteהָֽעֲדֻלָּמִ֔יhā·‘ă·ḏul·lā·mîArticle; Noun - proper - masculine singularH5726 Adullamite
withבְּיַד֙bə·yaḏPreposition-b; Noun - feminine singular constructH3027 hand
the young goatגְּדִ֣יgə·ḏîNoun - masculine singular constructH1423 kid
to collectלָקַ֥חַתlā·qa·ḥaṯPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH3947 take
the items he had left withהָעֵרָב֖וֹןhā·‘ê·rā·ḇō·wnArticle; Noun - masculine singularH6162 pledge
the womanהָאִשָּׁ֑הhā·’iš·šāhArticle; Noun - feminine singularH802 woman, wife, female
he could notוְלֹ֖אwə·lōConjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
find herמְצָאָֽהּ׃mə·ṣā·’āhVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular; third person feminine singularH4672 attain to, find

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

Genesis 38:19 Genesis 38:14

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.