Genesis 38
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
1And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
2And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.
3And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.
4And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
5And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.
6And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.
7And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.
8And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.
9And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.
10And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.
11Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
12And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
13And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.
14And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.
15When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.
16And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee;(for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?
17And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?
18And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.
19And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.
21Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.
22And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.
23And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.
24And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
25When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.
26And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more.
27And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb.
28And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first.
29And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.
30And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- אָמַרʼâmarH55922× in this chapter
to say (used with great latitude)
- יְהוּדָהYᵉhûwdâhH306315× in this chapter
Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
- הָיָהhâyâhH196112× in this chapter
to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
- לֹאlôʼH380810× in this chapter
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
- אֵלʼêlH41310× in this chapter
near, with or among; often in general, to
- כִּיkîyH35889× in this chapter
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
- עַלʻalH59219× in this chapter
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
- הוּאhûwʼH19318× in this chapter
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or are
- אָחʼâchH2518× in this chapter
a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))
- נָתַןnâthanH54148× in this chapter
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
- שֵׁםshêmH80348× in this chapter
an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character
- אֵתʼêthH8538× in this chapter
properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)
- יָדyâdH30277× in this chapter
a hand (the open one (indicating power, means, direction, etc.),
- יָלַדyâladH32057× in this chapter
to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage
- אִשָּׁהʼishshâhH8026× in this chapter
a woman
- אֲשֶׁרʼăsherH8346× in this chapter
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
- בּוֹאbôwʼH9356× in this chapter
to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
- בֵּןbênH11215× in this chapter
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.)
- הִנֵּהhinnêhH20095× in this chapter
lo!
- יָצָאyâtsâʼH33185× in this chapter
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim.
- לָקַחlâqachH39475× in this chapter
to take (in the widest variety of applications)
- קָרָאqârâʼH71215× in this chapter
to call out to (i.e. properly, address by name, but used in a wide variety of applications)
- שָׁלַחshâlachH79715× in this chapter
to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications)
- תָּמָרTâmârH85595× in this chapter
Tamar, the name of three women and a place
- גַּםgamH15714× in this chapter
properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and
- זֶהzehH20884× in this chapter
the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that
- מוּתmûwthH41914× in this chapter
to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill
- שֵׁלָהShêlâhH79564× in this chapter
Shelah, the name of a postdiluvian patriarch and of an Israelite
- גְּדִיgᵉdîyH14233× in this chapter
a young goat (from browsing)
- דֶּרֶךְderekH18703× in this chapter
a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb
- הָרָהhârâhH20293× in this chapter
to be (or become) pregnant, conceive (literally or figuratively)
- אוֹנָןʼÔwnânH2093× in this chapter
Onan, a son of Judah
- זֶרַעzeraʻH22333× in this chapter
seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity
- יָדַעyâdaʻH30453× in this chapter
to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)
- יְהֹוָהYᵉhôvâhH30683× in this chapter
Jehovah, Jewish national name of God
- יָשַׁבyâshabH34273× in this chapter
properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry
- כַּלָּהkallâhH36183× in this chapter
a bride (as if perfect); hence, a son's wife
- אִישׁʼîyshH3763× in this chapter
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
- מָהmâhH41003× in this chapter
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses
- מָצָאmâtsâʼH46723× in this chapter
properly, to come forth to, i.e. appear or exist; transitively, to attain, i.e. find or acquire; figuratively, to occur, meet or be present