1 Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἐκείνῳ, κατέβη Ἰούδας ἀπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀφίκετο ἕως πρὸς ἄνθρωπον τινὰ Ὀδολλαμίτην, ᾧ ὄνομα Εἰράς. 2 Καὶ εἶδεν ἐκεῖ Ἰούδας θυγατέρα ἀνθρώπου Χαναναίου, ᾗ ὄνομα Σαυά· καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτὴν, καὶ εἰσῆλθε πρὸς αὐτήν. 3 Καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκεν υἱὸν, καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, Ἤρ. 4 Καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκεν υἱὸν ἔτι, καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, Αὐνάν. 5 Καὶ προσθεῖσα ἔτεκεν υἱὸν, καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, Σηλώμ· αὕτη δὲ ἦν ἐν Χασβὶ, ἡνίκα ἔτεκεν αὐτούς. 6 Καὶ ἔλαβεν Ἰούδας γυναῖκα Ἢρ τῷ πρωτοτόκῳ αὐτοῦ, ᾗ ὄνομα Θάμαρ. 7 Ἐγένετο δὲ Ἢρ πρωτότοκος Ἰούδα πονηρὸς ἔναντι Κυρίου· καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεός. 8 Εἶπε δὲ Ἰούδας τῷ Αὐνάν· εἴσελθε πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου, καὶ ἐπιγάμβρευσαι αὐτὴν, καὶ ἀνάστησον σπέρμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου. 9 Γνοὺς δὲ Αὐνὰν, ὅτι οὐκ αὐτῷ ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα, ἐγένετο ὅταν εἰσήρχετο πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτου, ἐξέχεεν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, τοῦ μὴ δοῦναι σπέρμα τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ. 10 Πονηρὸν δὲ ἐφάνη ἐναντίον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι ἐποίησε τοῦτο· καὶ ἐθανάτωσε καὶ τοῦτον. 11 Εἶπε δὲ Ἰούδας Θάμαρ τῇ νύμφῃ αὐτοῦ, κάθου χήρα ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρός σου, ἕως μέγας γένηται Σηλὼμ ὁ υἱός μου· εἶπε γάρ, μή ποτε ἀποθάνῃ καὶ οὗτος, ὥσπερ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ. Ἀπελθοῦσα δὲ Θάμαρ ἐκάθητο ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῆς. 12 Ἐπληθύνθησαν δὲ αἱ ἡμέραι, καὶ ἀπέθανε Σαυὰ ἡ γυνὴ Ἰούδα· καὶ παρακληθεὶς Ἰούδας ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τοὺς κείροντας τὰ πρόβατα αὐτοῦ, αὐτὸς καὶ Εἰρὰς ὁ ποιμὴν αὐτοῦ ὁ Ὀδολλαμίτης εἰς Θαμνά. 13 Καὶ ἀπηγγέλε Θάμαρ τῇ νύμφῃ αὐτοῦ, λέγοντες, ἰδοὺ ὁ πενθερός σου ἀναβαίνει εἰς Θαμνὰ, κεῖραι τὰ πρόβατα αὐτοῦ. 14 Καὶ περιελομένη τὰ ἱμάτια τῆς χηρεύσεως ἀφʼ ἑαυτῆς, περιέβαλε τὸ θέριστρον, καὶ ἐκαλλωπίσατο, καὶ ἐκάθισε πρὸς ταῖς πύλαις Αἰνὰν, ἥ ἐστιν ἐν παρόδῳ Θαμνά· ἴδε γὰρ ὅτι μέγας γέγονε Σηλὼμ, αὐτὸς δὲ οὐκ ἔδωκεν αὐτὴν αὐτῷ γυναῖκα. 15 Καὶ ἰδὼν αὐτὴν Ἰούδας ἔδοξεν αὐτὴν πόρνην εἶναι· κατεκαλύψατο γὰρ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς καὶ οὐκ ἐπέγνω αὐτήν. 16 Ἐξέκλινε δὲ πρὸς αὐτὴν τὴν ὁδόν· καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ, ἔασόν με εἰσελθεῖν πρός σε· οὐ γὰρ ἔγνω, ὅτι νύμφη αὐτοῦ ἐστίν· ἡ δὲ εἶπε, τί μοι δώσεις, ἐὰν εἰσέλθῃς πρός με; 17 Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, ἐγώ σοι ἀποστελλῶ ἔριφον αἰγῶν ἐκ τῶν προβάτων μον· ἡ δὲ εἶπεν, ἐὰν δῷς μοι ἀῤῥαβῶνα, ἕως τοῦ ἀποστεῖλαί σε. 18 Ὁ δὲ εἶπε, τίνα τὸν ἀῤῥαβῶνά σοι δώσω; ἡ δὲ εἶπε, τὸν δακτύλιόν σου, καὶ τὸν ὁρμίσκον, καὶ τὴν ῥάβδον τὴν ἐν τῇ χειρίσου. Καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῇ, καὶ εἰσῆλθε πρὸς αὐτήν· καὶ ἐν γαστρὶ ἔλαβεν ἐξ αὐτοῦ. 19 Καὶ ἀναστᾶσα ἀπῆλθε, καὶ περιείλετο τὸ θέριστρον αὐτῆς ἀφʼ ἑαυτῆς, καὶ ἐνεδύσατο τὰ ἱμάτια τῆς χηρεύσεως αὐτῆς. 20 Ἀπέστειλε δὲ Ἰούδας τὸν ἔριφον ἐξ αἰγῶν ἐν χειρὶ τοῦ ποιμένος αὐτοῦ τοῦ Ὀδολλαμείτου, κομίσασθαι παρὰ τῆς γυναικὸς τὸν ἀῤῥαβῶνα· καὶ οὐχ εὗρεν αὐτήν. 21 Ἐπηρώτησε δὲ τοὺς ἄνδρας τοὺς ἐκ τοῦ τόπου, ποῦ ἐστιν ἡ πόρνη ἡ γενομένη ἐν Αἰνὰν ἐπὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ; καὶ εἶπαν, οὐκ ἦν ἐνταῦθα πόρνη. 22 Καὶ ἀπεστράφη πρὸς Ἰούδαν, καὶ εἶπεν, οὐχ εὗρον· καὶ οἱ ἄνθρωποι οἱ ἐκ τοῦ τόπου λέγουσι, μὴ εἶναι ὧδε πόρνην. 23 Εἶπε δὲ Ἰούδας, ἐχέτω αὐτά· ἀλλὰ μή ποτε καταγελασθῶμεν· ἐγὼ μὲν ἀπέσταλκα τὸν ἔριφον τοῦτον, σὺ δὲ οὐχ εὕρηκας. 24 Ἐγένετο δὲ μετὰ τρίμηνον ἀνηγγέλη τῷ Ἰούδα, λέγοντες, ἐκπεπόρνευκε Θάμαρ ἡ νύμφη σου, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχει ἐκ πορνείας· Εἶπε δὲ Ἰούδας, ἐξαγάγετε αὐτὴν, καὶ κατακαυθήτω. 25 Αὐτὴ δὲ ἀγομένη ἀπέστειλε πρὸς τὸν πενθερὸν αὐτὴς, λέγουσα, ἐκ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὕτινος ταῦτά ἐστιν, ἐγὼ ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχω· καὶ εἶπεν, ἐπίγνωθι τίνος ὁ δακτύλιος, καὶ ὁ ὁρμίσκος καὶ ἡ ῥάβδος αὕτη. 26 Ἐπέγνω δὲ Ἰούδας, καὶ εἶπε, δεδικαίωται Θάμαρ ἢ ἐγώ· οὗ ἕνεκεν οὐκ ἔδωκα αὐτὴν Σηλὼμ τῷ υἱῷ μου· Καὶ οὐ προσέθετο ἔτι τοῦ γνῶναι αὐτήν. 27 Ἐγένετο δὲ ἡνίκα ἔτικτε, καὶ τῇδε ἦν δίδυμα ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ αὐτῆς. 28 Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῷ τίκτειν αὐτὴν, ὁ εἷς προεξήνεγκεν τὴν χεῖρα· λαβοῦσα δὲ ἡ μαῖα, ἔδησεν ἐπὶ τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ κόκκινον, λέγουσα, οὗτος ἐξελεύσεται πρότερος. 29 Ὡς δὲ ἐπισυνήγαγε τὴν χεῖρα, καὶ εὐθὺς ἐξῆλθεν ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ· ἡ δὲ εἶπε, τί διεκόπη διὰ σὲ φραγμός; καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, Φαρές. 30 Καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο ἐξῆλθεν ὁ ἀδελφὸς αὐτοῦ, ἐφʼ ᾧ ἦν ἐπὶ τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ κόκκινον· καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, Ζαρά.
Genesis · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Genesis 38 Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Ezra and Nehemiah form one book (2 Esdras) in this edition; the reader shows them as Ezra 1–10 and Nehemiah 1–13.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Bath-shua
The Canaanite daughter of Shua whom Judah married and who bore Er, Onan and Shelah (unnamed in Genesis 38, where she dies after a long time; named Bath-shua in 1 Chronicles 2:3).
Cited in the guide: Genesis 38:12; 1 Chronicles 2:3
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
Perez
Born of Judah and Tamar, he became the head of the leading clan of Judah.
Cited in the guide: Gen. 38; Ruth 4:18; 1 Chron. 2:4-5; Matt. 1:3
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.