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Genesis 38

1At that time Judah went down from his brothers and turned aside to an Adullamite man named Hirah. 2There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua. He took her as his wife and went in to her. 3She conceived and bore a son, and he named him Er. 4She conceived again and bore a son, and she named him Onan. 5She again bore a son and named him Shelah. Judah was at Kezib when she bore him. 6Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn; her name was Tamar. 7But Er, Judah's firstborn, was evil in Yahweh's eyes, and Yahweh put him to death. 8Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother's wife and perform a brother-in-law's duty for her, and raise up seed for your brother.” 9Onan knew that the seed would not be his. Whenever he went in to his brother's wife, he spilled his semen on the ground so that he would not give seed to his brother. 10What he did was evil in Yahweh's eyes, and he put him to death also. 11Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Remain a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “Otherwise he too may die like his brothers.” Tamar went and lived in her father's house.

12After many days, Shua's daughter, Judah's wife, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to his sheep shearers at Timnah with his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13Tamar was told, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14She took off her widow's clothes, covered herself with a veil, wrapped herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, on the road to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up, but she had not been given to him as a wife. 15Judah saw her and thought she was a prostitute, because she had covered her face. 16He turned aside to her by the road and said, “Please, let me come in to you.” He did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me if you come in to me?” 17He said, “I will send a young goat from the flock.” She said, “Will you give a pledge until you send it?” 18He said, “What pledge should I give you?” She said, “Your seal, your cord, and the staff in your hand.” He gave them to her, went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19She got up and left, took off her veil, and put on her widow's clothes.

20Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite to recover the pledge from the woman's hand, but he did not find her. 21He asked the men of her place, “Where is the consecrated woman who was at Enaim beside the road?” They said, “There has been no consecrated woman here.” 22He returned to Judah and said, “I did not find her. The men of the place also said, ‘There has been no consecrated woman here.’” 23Judah said, “Let her keep them, or we will become a laughingstock. Look, I sent this goat, but you did not find her.” 24About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has acted as a prostitute. Moreover, she is pregnant through prostitution.” Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” 25As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “I am pregnant by the man these belong to.” She said, “Please identify whose seal and cords and staff these are.” 26Judah identified them and said, “She is more in the right than I am, because I did not give her to my son Shelah.” He did not know her again.

27When the time came for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb. 28As she gave birth, one put out a hand. The midwife took a scarlet thread and tied it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29But as he drew his hand back, his brother came out. She said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he was named Perez. 30Afterward his brother came out, with the scarlet thread on his hand. He was named Zerah.

Translation notes 5

38:8–10 — A brother-in-law's duty. Onan is told to father a child who will continue his deceased brother's line. His repeated spilling of semen prevents that result. The account gives his refusal to provide his brother with offspring as the purpose of his action; it should not be turned into a statement about an unrelated sexual act.

38:14 — Enaim. The expression can mean the entrance to a place called Enaim, or more literally “the opening of the eyes.” The place-name is retained here rather than identifying the location more precisely than the text permits.

38:21–22 — Consecrated woman. Hirah uses qedeshah, a different word from the ordinary term for prostitute in verse 15. The NET Bible renders it “cult prostitute”; “shrine prostitute” is another familiar rendering. Its association with consecration is clear, but the exact social or religious role is disputed. The translation preserves the distinction without asserting a documented system of ritual prostitution.

38:24–26 — Judgment and recognition. Judah's accusation and burning order are retained as his words. His admission means that Tamar has the stronger claim in their situation, because he withheld Shelah. The repeated request to “identify” recalls the request made to Jacob about Joseph's robe in 37:32.

38:26–30 — Knowing and names. “Know her” is a sexual expression. Perez is linked with breaking through; Zerah with rising or shining. The translation preserves the birth sequence without importing later genealogical judgments.