Genesis 38:5
in Genesis 38Then she gave birth to another son and named him Shelah; it was at Chezib that she gave birth to him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And she yet again bare a son, and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.
KJV
And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.
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This verse in Genesis 38
Commentary
5 notes on this verse(Chapter 38—Verse 5) And she added, and gave birth to a son, and called his name Shelah; but she was in Chezib when she gave birth to him. The Hebrew word here is used in place of a geographical name, which Aquila translated as a thing, saying: And she called his name Shelah. And it came to pass that she lied in childbirth after she gave birth to Shelah. For after she gave birth to Shelah, her childbirth ceased. Therefore, Chezib is called not a place name, but a deception.
This site's exposition
she conceived and gave birth to a son
on Genesis 38:3-5
Three sons arrive in three verses, Er, Onan and Shelah. Judah names the first and their mother names the other two. Jerome reads Chezib as a word carrying the sense of deception, and Clarke ties the name instead to Achzib, a town that fell to Judah.
This site's exposition
another son and named him Shelah
Shelah is the son who lives, and his line lasts. Numbers 26:20 counts the Shelanites among the clans, and 1 Chronicles 4:21 names a son of his Er, the name of the brother who died. His descendants included the clans of linen workers at Beth-ashbea.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And she conceived, and bare a son,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
And he was at Chezib when she bare him - This town is supposed to be the same with Achzib, which fell to the tribe of Judah, Jos 15:44. “The name,” says Ainsworth, “has in Hebrew the signification of lying; and to it the prophet alludes, saying the houses of Achzib shall be (Achzab) a lie to the kings of Israel, Mic 1:14.”
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתֹּ֤סֶף | vatosef | and she repeated | H3254 → | 212 times |
| עוֹד֙ | ʾod | again | H5750 → | 490 times |
| וַתֵּ֣לֶד | vateled | and she bore | H3205 → | 496 times |
| בֵּ֔ן | ben | a son | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וַתִּקְרָ֥א | vatikra' | and she called | H7121 → | 733 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שְׁמ֖וֹ | shemo | name his | H8034 → | 864 times |
| שֵׁלָ֑ה | shelah | Shelah | H7956 → | 8 times |
| וְהָיָ֥ה | vehayah | and he was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| בִכְזִ֖יב | vikhziv | in Kezib | H3580 → | |
| בְּלִדְתָּ֥הּ | belidtah | when bore she | H3205 → | 496 times |
| אֹתֽוֹ׃ | ʾoto | <obj.> him | H853 → | 10935 times |
וַתֹּ֤סֶףand she repeated
vatosefH3254 →212 times
עוֹד֙again
ʾodH5750 →490 times
וַתֵּ֣לֶדand she bore
vateledH3205 →496 times
בֵּ֔ןa son
benH1121 →4930 times
וַתִּקְרָ֥אand she called
vatikra'H7121 →733 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שְׁמ֖וֹname his
shemoH8034 →864 times
שֵׁלָ֑הShelah
shelahH7956 →8 times
וְהָיָ֥הand he was
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
בִכְזִ֖יבin Kezib
vikhzivH3580 →
בְּלִדְתָּ֥הּwhen bore she
belidtahH3205 →496 times
אֹתֽוֹ׃<obj.> him
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
Numbers 26:20These were the descendants of Judah by their clans: The Shelanite clan from Shelah, the Perezite clan from Perez, and the Zerahite clan from Zerah.
it leads to
- Genesis 46:12
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Nehemiah 11:24
Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, a descendant of Zerah son of Judah, was the king’s agent in every matter concerning the people.
- Genesis 46:12
Through
Genesis 46:12The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 4:21
The sons of Shelah son of Judah:
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 29:35
And once more she conceived and gave birth to a son and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children.
- 1 Chronicles 4:21
Through
Genesis 38:26Judah recognized the items and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not have relations with her again.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 24:17
and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have rewarded me with good, though I have rewarded you with evil.
- 1 Samuel 24:17
Through
Genesis 38:11Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s house until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, like his brothers.” So Tamar went…
it leads to
- Leviticus 22:13
But if a priest’s daughter with no children becomes widowed or divorced and returns to her father’s house, she may share her father’s food as in her youth. But no outsider may share it.
- Leviticus 22:13
Through
1 Chronicles 4:21The sons of Shelah son of Judah:
it leads to
- Numbers 26:20
These were the descendants of Judah by their clans: The Shelanite clan from Shelah, the Perezite clan from Perez, and the Zerahite clan from Zerah.
- 1 Chronicles 2:3
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, who put him to death.
- Numbers 26:20
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jerome, Hebrew Questions on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament.