Genesis

Genesis 38:7–10

⁷But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so the LORD put him to death. ⁸Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and raise up offspring for your brother.”

⁹But Onan knew that the offspring would not belong to him; so whenever he would sleep with his brother’s wife, he would spill his seed on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother. ¹⁰What he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put Onan to death as well.

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 38:7

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But	וַיְהִ֗י	way·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
Er	עֵ֚ר	‘êr	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6147 Er
Judah’s	יְהוּדָ֔ה	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
firstborn	בְּכ֣וֹר	bə·ḵō·wr	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1060 first-born
was wicked	רַ֖ע	ra‘	Adjective - masculine singular	H7451 bad, evil
in the sight	בְּעֵינֵ֣י	bə·‘ê·nê	Preposition-b; Noun - cdc	H5869 eye
of the LORD	יְהוָ֑ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
so the LORD	יְהוָֽה׃	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
put him to death	וַיְמִתֵ֖הוּ	way·mi·ṯê·hū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H4191 die

Genesis 38:8

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then Judah	יְהוּדָה֙	yə·hū·ḏāh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3063 Judah
said	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to Onan	לְאוֹנָ֔ן	lə·’ō·w·nān	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H209 Onan
Sleep with	בֹּ֛א	bō	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
your brother’s	אָחִ֖יךָ	’ā·ḥî·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H251 brother
wife	אֵ֥שֶׁת	’ê·šeṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H802 woman, wife, female
Perform your duty as her brother-in-law	וְיַבֵּ֣ם	wə·yab·bêm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular	H2992 marry
and raise up	וְהָקֵ֥ם	wə·hā·qêm	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular	H6965 arise, stand up, stand
offspring	זֶ֖רַע	ze·ra‘	Noun - masculine singular	H2233 sowing, seed, offspring
for your brother	לְאָחִֽיךָ׃	lə·’ā·ḥî·ḵā	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H251 brother

Genesis 38:9

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But Onan	אוֹנָ֔ן	’ō·w·nān	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H209 Onan
knew	וַיֵּ֣דַע	way·yê·ḏa‘	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3045 know
that	כִּ֛י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the offspring	הַזָּ֑רַע	haz·zā·ra‘	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H2233 sowing, seed, offspring
would not	לֹּ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
belong	יִהְיֶ֣ה	yih·yeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
to him	ל֖וֹ	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
so whenever	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
he would sleep with	בָּ֨א	bā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go
his brother’s	אָחִיו֙	’ā·ḥîw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H251 brother
wife	אֵ֤שֶׁת	’ê·šeṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H802 woman, wife, female
he would spill his seed	וְשִׁחֵ֣ת	wə·ši·ḥêṯ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H7843 go to ruin (?)
on the ground	אַ֔רְצָה	’ar·ṣāh	Noun - feminine singular; third person feminine singular	H776 earth, land
so that he would not	לְבִלְתִּ֥י	lə·ḇil·tî	Preposition-l	H1115 not, except
produce	נְתָן־	nə·ṯān-	Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H5414 give, put, set
offspring	זֶ֖רַע	ze·ra‘	Noun - masculine singular	H2233 sowing, seed, offspring
for his brother	לְאָחִֽיו׃	lə·’ā·ḥîw	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H251 brother

Genesis 38:10

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
What	אֲשֶׁ֣ר	’ă·šer	Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
he did	עָשָׂ֑ה	‘ā·śāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
was wicked	וַיֵּ֛רַע	way·yê·ra‘	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7489 be evil, bad
in the sight	בְּעֵינֵ֥י	bə·‘ê·nê	Preposition-b; Noun - cdc	H5869 eye
of the LORD	יְהוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
so He put	וַיָּ֖מֶת	way·yā·meṯ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H4191 die
as well	גַּם־	gam-	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea