Genesis

Genesis 38:24–27

²⁴About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and now she is pregnant.”

“Bring her out!” Judah replied. “Let her be burned to death!”

²⁵As she was being brought out, Tamar sent a message to her father-in-law: “I am pregnant by the man to whom these items belong.” And she added, “Please examine them. Whose seal and cord and staff are these?”

²⁶Judah recognized the items and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not have relations with her again.

²⁷When the time came for Tamar to give birth, there were twins in her womb.

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 38:24

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
About	וַיְהִ֣י׀	way·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
three	כְּמִשְׁלֹ֣שׁ	kə·miš·lōš	Preposition-k, Preposition-m; Number - feminine singular construct	H7969 a three, triad
months later	חֳדָשִׁ֗ים	ḥo·ḏā·šîm	Noun - masculine plural	H2320 (newness), new moon, month
Judah	לִֽיהוּדָ֤ה	lî·hū·ḏāh	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
was told	וַיֻּגַּ֨ד	way·yug·gaḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hofal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5046 be conspicuous
Your daughter-in-law	כַּלָּתֶ֔ךָ	kal·lā·ṯe·ḵā	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H3618 daughter-in-law, bride
Tamar	תָּמָ֣ר	tā·mār	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H8559 Tamar
has prostituted herself	זָֽנְתָה֙	zā·nə·ṯāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H2181 commit fornication, be a harlot
and	וְגַ֛ם	wə·ḡam	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
now	הִנֵּ֥ה	hin·nêh	Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
she is pregnant	הָרָ֖ה	hā·rāh	Adjective - feminine singular	H2030 pregnant
Bring her out	הוֹצִיא֖וּהָ	hō·w·ṣî·’ū·hā	Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine plural; third person feminine singular	H3318 go or come out
Judah	יְהוּדָ֔ה	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
replied	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Let her be burned to death	וְתִשָּׂרֵֽף׃	wə·ṯiś·śā·rêp̄	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H8313 burn

Genesis 38:25

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
As she	הִ֣וא	hî	Pronoun - third person feminine singular	H1931 he, she
was being brought out	מוּצֵ֗את	mū·ṣêṯ	Verb - Hofal - Participle - feminine singular	H3318 go or come out
sent	שָׁלְחָ֤ה	šā·lə·ḥāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H7971 send
a message	לֵאמֹ֔ר	lê·mōr	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H559 utter, say
to her	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
father-in-law	חָמִ֙יהָ֙	ḥā·mî·hā	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H2524 husband's father
I am	אָנֹכִ֖י	’ā·nō·ḵî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H595 I
pregnant	הָרָ֑ה	hā·rāh	Adjective - feminine singular	H2030 pregnant
by the man to whom	אֲשֶׁר־	’ă·šer-	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
these items	אֵ֣לֶּה	’êl·leh	Pronoun - common plural	H428 these
belong	לּ֔וֹ	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
And she added	וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙	wat·tō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular	H559 utter, say
Please	נָ֔א	nā	Interjection	H4994 I (we) pray, now
examine them	הַכֶּר־	hak·ker-	Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular	H5234 regard, recognize
Whose	לְמִ֞י	lə·mî	Preposition-l; Interrogative	H4310 who?
seal	הַחֹתֶ֧מֶת	ha·ḥō·ṯe·meṯ	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H2858 signet-ring
and cord	וְהַפְּתִילִ֛ים	wə·hap·pə·ṯî·lîm	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine plural	H6616 cord, thread
and staff	וְהַמַּטֶּ֖ה	wə·ham·maṭ·ṭeh	Conjunctive waw, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4294 staff, rod, shaft
are these	הָאֵֽלֶּה׃	hā·’êl·leh	Article; Pronoun - common plural	H428 these

Genesis 38:26

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Judah	יְהוּדָ֗ה	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
recognized	וַיַּכֵּ֣ר	way·yak·kêr	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5234 regard, recognize
and said	וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
She is more righteous	צָֽדְקָ֣ה	ṣā·ḏə·qāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H6663 be just, righteous
than I	מִמֶּ֔נִּי	mim·men·nî	Preposition; first person common singular	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
since	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
I did not	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
give her	נְתַתִּ֖יהָ	nə·ṯat·tî·hā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular; third person feminine singular	H5414 give, put, set
to my son	בְנִ֑י	ḇə·nî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1121 son
Shelah	לְשֵׁלָ֣ה	lə·šê·lāh	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7956 Shelah
And he did not	וְלֹֽא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
have relations with her	לְדַעְתָּֽה׃	lə·ḏaʿ·tå̄h	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person feminine singular	H3045 know
again	יָסַ֥ף	yā·sap̄	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H3254 add

Genesis 38:27

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When the time	בְּעֵ֣ת	bə·‘êṯ	Preposition-b; Noun - common singular construct	H6256 time
came	וַיְהִ֖י	way·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
for	לִדְתָּ֑הּ	liḏ·tāh	Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person feminine singular	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
there	וְהִנֵּ֥ה	wə·hin·nêh	Conjunctive waw; Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
were twins	תְאוֹמִ֖ים	ṯə·’ō·w·mîm	Noun - masculine plural	H8380 twin
in her womb	בְּבִטְנָֽהּ׃	bə·ḇiṭ·nāh	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H990 belly, body, womb