Genesis 38 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a man of Adullam whose name was Hirah.
1 At that time, Judah went down from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
2 And Judah saw there the daughter of a Canaanitish man whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in to her.
2 There, Judah saw the daughter of a certain Canaanite man named Shua. He took her, and went in to her.
3 And she conceived and bore a son; and he called his name Er.
3 She conceived, and bore a son; and he named him Er.
4 And she again conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.
4 She conceived again, and bore a son; and she named him Onan.
5 And again she bore a son, and she called his name Shelah; and he was at Chezib when she bore him.
5 She yet again bore a son, and named him Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.
6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
6 Judah took a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.
7 And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah, and Jehovah slew him.
7 Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in Yahweh’s sight. So Yahweh killed him.
8 Then Judah said to Onan, Go in to thy brother's wife, and fulfil to her the brother-in-law's duty, and raise up seed to thy brother.
8 Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.”
9 But when Onan knew that the seed should not be his own, it came to pass when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled [it] on the ground, in order to give no seed to his brother.
9 Onan knew that the offspring wouldn’t be his; and when he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground, lest he should give offspring to his brother.
10 And the thing which he did was evil in the sight of Jehovah, and he slew him also.
10 The thing which he did was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and he killed him also.
11 And Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, Remain a widow in thy father's house, until Shelah my son is grown; for he said, Lest he die also, as his brethren. And Tamar went and remained in her father's house.
11 Then Judah said to Tamar, his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house, until Shelah, my son, is grown up;” for he said, “Lest he also die, like his brothers.” Tamar went and lived in her father’s house.
12 And as the days were multiplied, Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. And Judah was comforted, and he went up to his sheep-shearers, to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
12 After many days, Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died. Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheep shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah, the Adullamite.
13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.
13 Tamar was told, “Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.”
14 And she put the garments of her widowhood off from her, and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entry of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as wife.
14 She took off the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she wasn’t given to him as a wife.
15 And Judah saw her, and took her for a harlot; because she had covered her face.
15 When Judah saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face.
16 And he turned aside to her by the way, and said, Come, I pray thee, let me go in to thee; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in to me?
16 He turned to her by the way, and said, “Please come, let me come in to you,” for he didn’t know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”
17 And he said, I will send [thee] a kid of the goats from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give [me] a pledge, until thou send it?
17 He said, “I will send you a young goat from the flock.” She said, “Will you give me a pledge, until you send it?”
18 And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy lace, and thy staff which is in thy hand. And he gave [it] her, and went in to her; and she conceived by him.
18 He said, “What pledge will I give you?” She said, “Your signet and your cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” He gave them to her, and came in to her, and she conceived by him.
19 And she arose and went away; and she laid by her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
19 She arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20 And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand; but he found her not.
20 Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend, the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, but he didn’t find her.
21 And he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the prostitute that was at Enaim, by the way-side? And they said, There was no prostitute here.
21 Then he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the road?” They said, “There has been no prostitute here.”
22 And he returned to Judah, and said, I have not found her; and also the men of the place said, No prostitute has been here.
22 He returned to Judah, and said, “I haven’t found her; and also the men of the place said, ‘There has been no prostitute here.’”
23 Then Judah said, Let her take [it] for herself, lest we be put to shame. Behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
23 Judah said, “Let her keep it, lest we be shamed. Behold, I sent this young goat, and you haven’t found her.”
24 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter-in-law has committed fornication, and behold, she is also with child by fornication. And Judah said, Bring her forth, that she may be burned.
24 About three months later, Judah was told, “Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has played the prostitute. Moreover, behold, she is with child by prostitution.” Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.”
25 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, By the man to whom these [belong] am I with child; and she said, Acknowledge, I pray thee, whose are this signet, and this lace, and this staff.
25 When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man who owns these.” She also said, “Please discern whose these are—the signet, and the cords, and the staff.”
26 And Judah acknowledged [them], and said, She is more righteous than I, because I have not given her to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.
26 Judah acknowledged them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, because I didn’t give her to Shelah, my son.” He knew her again no more.
27 And it came to pass at the time of her delivery, that behold, twins were in her womb.
27 In the time of her travail, behold, twins were in her womb.
28 And it came to pass when she brought forth, that one stretched out [his] hand, and the midwife took it and bound round his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.
28 When she travailed, one put out a hand, and the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, “This came out first.”
29 And it came to pass as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out; and she said, How hast thou broken forth! on thee be the breach! And they called his name Pherez.
29 As he drew back his hand, behold, his brother came out, and she said, “Why have you made a breach for yourself?” Therefore his name was called Perez.
30 And afterwards came out his brother, round whose hand was the scarlet thread; and they called his name Zerah.
30 Afterward his brother came out, who had the scarlet thread on his hand, and his name was called Zerah.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Er
Judah's firstborn, who was wicked in the LORD's sight and died young; first husband of Tamar.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 38:3-7
Hirah
Judah's friend, an Adullamite near whom Judah settled, who went with Judah to the sheepshearing at Timnah and later took the young goat to Enaim but could not find the woman.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 38:1; Genesis 38:12; Genesis 38:20
Judah
The lion of the tribes, from whom kings and the Messiah would come.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 29:35; 38; 49:8–12
Onan
Judah's second son, who died for refusing to raise up offspring for his late brother.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 38:4-10
Shelah
Judah's third son, withheld from Tamar until she took matters into her own hands.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 38:5, 11; Numbers 26:20
Shua
A Canaanite man whose daughter Judah married; she bore Er, Onan and Shelah.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 38:2; Genesis 38:12
Tamar
Judah's daughter-in-law who, denied justice, became the mother of Perez.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 38; Matthew 1:3
Zerah
The twin brother of Perez, born to Judah and Tamar, whose hand first reached out at birth.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 38:29-30; 1 Chronicles 2:4
Cross references (25)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 2 Kings 4:8; 1 Samuel 22:1; Proverbs 13:20; Micah 1:15; Genesis 19:2–3
- 2 1 Chronicles 2:3; Genesis 24:3; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Judges 16:1; Genesis 3:6
- 3 Numbers 26:19; Genesis 46:12
- 4 Genesis 46:12; Numbers 26:19
- 5 Numbers 26:20; Genesis 46:12; Genesis 38:26; Genesis 38:11; 1 Chronicles 4:21
- 6 Genesis 21:21; Genesis 24:3; Matthew 1:3
- 7 1 Chronicles 2:3; Genesis 46:12; Numbers 26:19; Genesis 13:13; Genesis 19:13
- 8 Deuteronomy 25:5–10; Matthew 22:23–27; Ruth 4:5–11; Ruth 1:11; Leviticus 18:16
- 9 James 4:5; Deuteronomy 25:6; James 3:16; Titus 3:3; Job 5:2
- 10 Numbers 11:1; Genesis 46:12; Proverbs 14:32; 1 Chronicles 21:7; Numbers 26:19
- 11 Leviticus 22:13; Ruth 1:11–13
- 12 Joshua 15:10; 2 Samuel 13:39; Judges 14:1; Genesis 24:67; Genesis 31:19
- 14 Genesis 38:26; Genesis 38:11–13; Proverbs 7:12; Jeremiah 3:2; Genesis 24:65
- 16 1 Timothy 6:10; Matthew 26:15; 2 Samuel 13:11; Ezekiel 16:33; Deuteronomy 23:18
- 17 Genesis 38:20; Ezekiel 16:33; Luke 16:8; Proverbs 20:16; Genesis 38:24–25
- 18 Genesis 38:25–26; Luke 15:22; Jeremiah 22:24; Hosea 4:11
- 19 Genesis 38:14; 2 Samuel 14:2; 2 Samuel 14:5
- 20 Genesis 20:9; 2 Samuel 13:3; Luke 23:12; Leviticus 19:17; Judges 14:20
- 23 Ephesians 5:12; 2 Samuel 12:9; Proverbs 6:33; Romans 6:21; 2 Corinthians 4:2
- 24 Leviticus 21:9; Judges 19:2; Ezekiel 23:44; Hosea 2:5; Ezekiel 23:19
- 25 Genesis 37:32; Genesis 38:18; Psalm 50:21; Jeremiah 2:26; Revelation 20:12
- 26 1 Samuel 24:17; 1 Peter 4:2–3; John 8:9; Titus 2:11–12; 2 Samuel 24:17
- 27 Genesis 25:24
- 29 Genesis 46:12; Matthew 1:3; 1 Chronicles 2:4; Numbers 26:20; Nehemiah 11:6
- 30 1 Chronicles 9:6; 1 Chronicles 2:4; Matthew 1:3
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
This fact is indeed set forth by many other [occurrences], but typically by [the history of] Thamar, Judah's daughter-in-law. For when she had conceived twins, one of them put forth his hand first; and as the midwife supposed that he was the first-born, she bound a scarlet token on his hand.