But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that Er was "wicked in the sight of the LORD," a phrase that often signifies a deep, public, or notorious sin, not just a private failing. This implies his wickedness was so evident and offensive that it drew God's direct judgment, leading to his immediate death.
But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage occurs within a detour from the main story of Joseph, focusing instead on Judah's family and his interactions with his Canaanite wife and daughter-in-law, Tamar. Judah's first son, Er, dies shortly after marrying Tamar, and the subsequent narrative details the flawed attempt by Judah's second son, Onan, to avoid his duty to Tamar, leading to his own death as well. This sets the stage for Tamar's later desperate measures to secure a lineage.
Why was Er's sin so severe that God directly intervened with death? What does this tell us about God's view of sin, especially in the lineage of His chosen people?
The verse states plainly that Er, Judah's firstborn, was 'wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death.' This isn't just a minor offense; the text emphasizes it was 'wicked in the sight of the LORD.' This phrase often highlights sins that are not only morally wrong but deeply offensive to God's character and His covenant plans.
While the specific sin isn't detailed, commentators suggest it was likely something profoundly unnatural or destructive, possibly relating to sexual perversion or extreme self-indulgence that defied God's created order. The immediate consequence – God 'slew him' – underscores the gravity of his actions. This wasn't just a natural death; it was a divine judgment, a stark display that God holds individuals accountable, especially those within the lineage destined for His redemptive plan. It serves as a potent reminder that no sin, however hidden, escapes God's notice or His righteous justice.
This story unfolds in the lineage of Judah, from whom the Messiah would come. How does Er's death fit into God's grander, redemptive purpose?
It's easy to get sidetracked by the sin and judgment in Genesis 38. However, we must remember this chapter is strategically placed within the larger narrative of Genesis, specifically within the lineage of Judah.
Despite Er's wickedness and subsequent death, God's redemptive plan continues. The narrative moves to Judah's next son, Onan, and then to Shelah. Even when human choices derail God's immediate purposes (as seen with Onan's refusal to fulfill the levirate marriage), God's faithfulness to His promises, particularly the promise of a Redeemer through Judah's line, remains unbroken. Tamar, though acting deceitfully later in the chapter, ultimately becomes part of the lineage of Christ, and through her son Perez, the line of David and eventually Jesus is preserved.
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This highlights a crucial theological truth: God's purposes are sovereign and cannot be ultimately thwarted by human sin or failure. Even in moments of profound human brokenness and divine judgment, God works to bring about His ultimate plan of salvation.
Understand the original words
ra' · Hebrew Adjective
A general term in the Old Testament for those who act contrary to God's character, moral laws, or covenantal expectations, often implying a state of being morally depraved or intentionally evil in God's eyes.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God in the Old Testament, representing His self-existence, holiness, and active involvement in the lives of His people and the affairs of the world.
muwth · Hebrew Verb
To kill, execute, or bring an end to life; often used in Scripture to denote divine judgment or the administration of justice where life is taken as a consequence of transgression.
The immediate context of Genesis 38 reveals a family steeped in sin and divine judgment. Er's death isn't an isolated event but the first in a series of tragic consequences stemming from Judah's family's moral failures, highlighting God's intolerance for wickedness even within a chosen lineage.
c. 1700 BC
Judah Settles in Canaan
Judah, one of Jacob's sons, moves away from his brothers and settles among Canaanites, eventually marrying a Canaanite woman. This decision itself was a departure from the covenant community.
c. 1700 BC
Birth of Er and Onan
Judah's first two sons, Er and Onan, are born to his Canaanite wife. Their names are later associated with significant sin.
c. 1700 BC— this verse
Er's Wickedness and Death
Er, Judah's firstborn, lives a life deemed wicked before the Lord, leading to his premature death by God's direct judgment. The exact nature of his sin is not detailed but implied to be grave.
c. 1700 BC
Onan's Sin and Death
Onan, Er's brother, is then obligated by custom to marry Tamar, Er's widow, to provide an heir. He refuses to fulfill this duty, practicing a sinful act that also results in his death by the Lord.
c. 1700 BC
Judah withholds Shelah
After the deaths of Er and Onan, Judah instructs Tamar to remain a widow, promising her his youngest son, Shelah, when he grows up. He fears Shelah will also die.
c. 1700 BC
Tamar's Deception and Birth of Twins
When Judah fails to give Shelah to Tamar, she deceptively conceives twins, Perez and Zerah, with Judah himself, disguised as a prostitute.
This passage serves as a warning, highlighting that the events in Genesis, including the judgment on Er, were recorded as examples for future generations to learn from and avoid sin.
Hebrews 12:6This verse echoes the sentiment of Genesis 38:7 by stating that the Lord disciplines those He loves, and scourges every son whom He receives, suggesting Er's death was a severe act of divine discipline.
Romans 9:11-13This passage from Romans discusses God's sovereign choices, referencing Jacob and Esau as an example of God's will working independent of human merit, which provides a backdrop for understanding God's judgment on Er regardless of his lineage.
1 Peter 4:17This verse emphasizes that judgment begins with the household of God, aligning with the idea that even within Judah's family, wickedness was met with divine reckoning.
calvinGenesis 38:1-30: "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."
Then 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.
Et dixit Jehudah ad Thamar nurum suam, Mane vidua in domo patris tui, donec crescat Selah filius meus: dicebat…
pooleGenesis 38:7: "And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him."
Wicked in the sight of the Lord, i.e. notoriously wicked. Compare Genesis 10:9 13:13 . The Lord slew him, in some extraordinary and remarkable manner, as Genesis 38:10 .
The verse highlights that Er was "wicked in the sight of the LORD," a phrase that often signifies a deep, public, or notorious sin, not just a private failing. This implies his wickedness was so evident and offensive that it drew God's direct judgment, leading to his immediate death.
This passage occurs within a detour from the main story of Joseph, focusing instead on Judah's family and his interactions with his Canaanite wife and daughter-in-law, Tamar. Judah's first son, Er, dies shortly after marrying Tamar, and the subsequent narrative details the flawed attempt by Judah's second son, Onan, to avoid his duty to Tamar, leading to his own death as well. This sets the stage for Tamar's later desperate measures to secure a lineage.
This passage occurs within a detour from the main story of Joseph, focusing instead on Judah's family and his interactions with his Canaanite wife and daughter-in-law, Tamar. Judah's first son, Er, dies shortly after marrying Tamar, and the subsequent narrative details the flawed attempt by Judah's second son, Onan, to avoid his duty to Tamar, leading to his own death as well. This sets the stage for Tamar's later desperate measures to secure a lineage.
"But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD put him to death." — The verse highlights that Er was "wicked in the sight of the LORD," a phrase that often signifies a deep, public, or notorious sin, not just a private failing. This implies his wickedness was so evid…
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Last reviewed October 2026