Genesis 38:8

Therefore Judah said to Onan, his son, Enter thou [in] to the wife of thy brother, and be thou fellowshipped to her, that thou raise seed to thy brother. (And so Judah said to his son Onan, Sleep with thy brother’s wife, and be fellowshipped to her, and so raise thou up seed, or some sons, for thy brother.)

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

In Context

7And Er, the first begotten son of Judah, was wayward in the sight of the Lord, and therefore he was slain of the Lord (or and so the Lord killed him).

9And he knew that sons should not be born to him; and he entered [in] to the wife of his brother, and shedded his seed into the earth, lest the free children should be born by the name of the dead brother; (But Onan knew that any sons who would be born would not be his; so he slept with his brother’s wife, but he poured out his seed onto the ground, so that no children would be born in the name of his dead brother;)

Read all of Genesis 38

Cross References

Leviticus 18:16Thou shalt not show the filth (hood) of thy brother’s wife, for it is the filthhood of thy brother. (Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife, for her nakedness is for thy brother alone.)

Deuteronomy 25:5When brethren dwell together, and one of them is dead without free children, the wife of the dead brother shall not be wedded to another man, but his brother shall take her, and he shall raise (up) the seed of his brother.

Ruth 1:11To whom she answered, My daughters, turn ye again, why come ye with me? I have no more sons in my womb, that ye may hope husbands of me; (To whom she answered, My daughters, return ye home, why come ye with me? I have no more sons in my womb, that ye may have any hope of husbands from me;)

Ruth 4:6And he answered, I forsake the right of nigh kin; for I ought not to do away the heritage of mine own family; use thou my privilege, the which I acknowledge me to want gladly. (And the man answered, If that be so, then I forsake the right of next of kin; for I ought not to take away any inheritance from my own family; use thou my privilege, though I acknowledge that I truly had wanted that land.)

Matthew Henry on Genesis 38:2-12

Judah's Profligacy. ( b. c. 1717.) 1 And 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. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her. 3 And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er. 4 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan. 5 And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 38:8