Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Judah's command to Onan isn't just about duty; it's about ensuring the continuation of his own lineage, a vital concern in ancient Israel. This isn't a Mosaic law yet, but a deep-seated custom meant to keep the family name and inheritance alive, highlighting the immense pressure to produce heirs.
Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Judah's firstborn son, Er, died for his wickedness. His wife, Tamar, was left a childless widow. Judah then instructed his second son, Onan, to marry Tamar and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law, which was to produce an heir for Er, continuing his name and lineage. This custom, later codified in the law of Moses, highlights the importance of family lines and inheritance in ancient Israel.
Why was it so important for a brother to marry his deceased brother's widow?
The ancient Near East placed immense value on lineage and continuation.
What was so wrong with Onan's actions, and why did God strike him dead?
Onan's refusal to fulfill the Levirate duty wasn't just disobedience; it was a profound act of selfishness with deadly consequences.
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How could such a morally compromised story lead to the lineage of Jesus?
This tangled, sinful narrative in Genesis 38 is a powerful testament to God's sovereign hand at work, even through human failure.
Understand the original words
yabam · Hebrew Noun
In the ancient Near Eastern context, this term refers to the familial obligation (later codified in the Levirate law) of a brother to marry his deceased brother's widow to provide an heir and preserve the deceased's name and inheritance.
zera' · Hebrew Noun
Descendants or seed; in a biblical context, it frequently refers to the biological line of descent that carries forward a promise, name, or covenantal inheritance.
This passage reveals the existence of the levirate marriage custom, later codified in Mosaic law, which aimed to preserve family lines and inheritance in ancient Near Eastern societies.
c. 1800 BC
Judah's marriage to a Canaanite woman
Judah, son of Jacob, marries Shuah, a Canaanite woman, breaking with the patriarchal tradition of seeking wives from their own kin.
c. 1780 BC
Birth and death of Er and Onan
Judah's first two sons, Er and Onan, die under mysterious circumstances, with Er's death apparently due to wickedness and Onan's for refusing the levirate duty.
c. 1779 BC— this verse
Judah instructs Onan to marry Tamar
Judah commands his third son, Onan, to marry his deceased brother Er's widow, Tamar, and father an heir to carry on Er's name and inheritance.
c. 1778 BC
Tamar's deception of Judah
After Onan's death, Tamar, fearing Judah will not give her his youngest son Shelah, disguises herself as a prostitute and conceives twins with Judah.
c. 1775 BC
Birth of Perez and Zerah
Tamar gives birth to twins, Perez and Zerah, a sign of Judah's sin and Tamar's determination, from whom the lineage of David and ultimately Jesus would descend.
This passage records the Mosaic Law that formalized the practice of the levirate marriage, directly referencing the obligation to raise up offspring for a deceased brother, which is the duty Judah is assigning to Onan here.
Ruth 1:11-13This shows Naomi instructing her daughters-in-law to return to their homes, as she could no longer provide sons for them to marry, highlighting the societal expectation and importance of continuing a family line through such unions.
Matthew 22:24-28The Sadducees questioned Jesus about the resurrection, using a levirate marriage scenario to test him, which demonstrates that this custom was well-known and a point of discussion even in New Testament times.
1 Corinthians 10:11This verse states that the events in Israel's history, including those in Genesis, were written down as examples for believers, suggesting that the story of Judah and Onan serves as a cautionary tale about duty, selfishness, and God's judgment.
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 38:8: "And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother."
This, as also divers other things, was now instituted and observed amongst God’s people, and afterwards was expressed in a written law, Deu 25:5,6 . See also Numbers 36:6,7 Rth 1:11 Matthew 22:24 . Raise up seed to thy brother; beget a child which may have thy brother’s name and inheritance, and may be reputed as his child. So it was with the first child, but the rest were r…
Judah's command to Onan isn't just about duty; it's about ensuring the continuation of his own lineage, a vital concern in ancient Israel. This isn't a Mosaic law yet, but a deep-seated custom meant to keep the family name and inheritance alive, highlighting the immense pressure to produce heirs.
Judah's firstborn son, Er, died for his wickedness. His wife, Tamar, was left a childless widow. Judah then instructed his second son, Onan, to marry Tamar and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law, which was to produce an heir for Er, continuing his name and lineage. This custom, later codified in the law of Moses, highlights the importance of family lines and inheritance in ancient Israel.
Judah's firstborn son, Er, died for his wickedness. His wife, Tamar, was left a childless widow. Judah then instructed his second son, Onan, to marry Tamar and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law, which was to produce an heir for Er, continuing his name and lineage. This custom, later codified in the law of Moses, highlights the importance of family lines and inheritance in ancient Israel.
"Then Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.”" — Judah's command to Onan isn't just about duty; it's about ensuring the continuation of his own lineage, a vital concern in ancient Israel. This isn't a Mosaic law yet, but a deep-seated custom meant…
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Last reviewed October 2026