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Genesis 38:9

in Genesis 38

But 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.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And Onan knew that the seed would 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 he should give seed to his brother.

KJV

And 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.

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This verse in Genesis 38

Commentary

4 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Onan knew that the seed should not be his - That is, that the child begotten of his brother’s widow should be reckoned as the child of his deceased brother, and his name, though the real father of it, should not appear in the genealogical tables.

This site's exposition

raise up offspring for your brother

on Genesis 38:8-10

Judah tells Onan to raise up offspring for his dead brother, the duty of a brother-in-law. That duty is levirate marriage, where a man fathers a son for his brother's widow and the first child counts as the dead brother's. Onan takes the wife and spills his seed on the ground so no offspring will be his brother's. The LORD puts him to death as well.

This site's exposition

the offspring would not belong to him

The Hebrew marks the act as repeated, each time he went in to her. A son counted to Er would inherit the firstborn's share of Judah's estate, and with Er's line empty that share would pass to Onan. He took the marriage and refused its purpose.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And Onan knew that the seed should not be his,....

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

On the verses either side of this one

גם אותו. According to our sages Er also died for this same type of sin, as he deliberately wasted his semen by ejaculating prematurely to prevent his wife from becoming pregnant. He wanted to preserve her physical beauty.
Rashbam: France, c. 1085–1158 · Rashbam on Genesis 38:10:1, via Sefaria, Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
What he did was evil in the eyes of [ before ] Adonoy, and He also put him to death.
Targum · Onkelos Genesis 38:10, via Sefaria, Metsudah Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009 [with Onkelos translation]

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 1 further source is cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

19 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וַיֵּ֣דַעand he knew

    vaiyeda'H3045 →945 times

  • אוֹנָ֔ןOnan

    ʾonanH209 →8 times

  • כִּ֛יthat

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • לֹּ֥אnot

    lo'H3808 →5168 times

  • ל֖וֹto <the> him

    lo

  • יִהְיֶ֣הit will belong

    yihyehH1961 →3559 times

  • הַזָּ֑רַעthe offspring

    hazara'H2233 →229 times

  • וְהָיָ֞הand it was

    vehayahH1961 →3559 times

  • אִם־if

    ʾim-H518 →1069 times

  • בָּ֨אhe went

    ba'H935 →2568 times

  • אֶל־into

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • אֵ֤שֶׁת[the] wife of

    ʾeshetH802 →781 times

  • אָחִיו֙brother his

    ʾachivH251 →630 times

  • וְשִׁחֵ֣תand he spoiled

    veshichetH7843 →146 times

  • אַ֔רְצָה[the] ground towards

    ʾartzahH776 →2504 times

  • לְבִלְתִּ֥יto not

    leviltiH1115 →112 times

  • נְתָן־to give

    neton-H5414 →2011 times

  • זֶ֖רַעoffspring

    zera'H2233 →229 times

  • לְאָחִֽיו׃to brother his

    leachivH251 →630 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

9 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

James 4:5Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy?3 worksJames 3:16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.3 worksDeuteronomy 25:6The first son she bears will carry on the name of the dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.3 worksTitus 3:3For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.3 worksJob 5:2For resentment kills a fool, and envy slays the simple.2 worksJames 3:14But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth.2 works
The other 3 cross-references, with their words ▾
Ruth 4:10Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to raise up the name of the deceased through his inheritance, so that his name will not disappear from among his brothers or from the gate of his home. You are witnesses today.”2 worksProverbs 27:4Wrath is cruel and anger is like a flood, but who can withstand jealousy?2 worksRuth 1:11But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb to become your husbands?1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    James 3:16

    For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice.

    it leads to

    • James 3:14

      But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth.

    • 1 Corinthians 3:3

      for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?

  • Through

    James 4:5

    Or do you think the Scripture says without reason that the Spirit He caused to dwell in us yearns with envy?

    it leads to

    • 2 Corinthians 6:16

      What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and…

    • 1 Corinthians 6:19

      Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

    • Numbers 11:29

      But Moses replied, “Are you jealous on my account? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would place His Spirit on them!”

  • Through

    Titus 3:3

    For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

    it leads to

    • Ephesians 2:1–3

      And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

    • Colossians 1:21

      Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds.

    • Romans 6:17

      But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed.

Where this verse is studied

About Genesis

The Tower of Babel, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, 1563. Public domain.
The Tower of Babel, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, 1563. Public domain.
Genesis: the study guide →Read Genesis 38 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament.

Read on in Genesis 38 →