(38:2-4) "And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite ... and he took her, and went in unto
her." Judah has casual sex with a Canaanite woman which results in two sons, Er and Onan.
(38:7) "Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him."
(38:8-10) Onan spilled it on the ground (so the Lord killed him, too)
After God killed Er, Judah tells Onan to
"go in unto thy brother's wife." But "Onan knew that the seed
should not be his; and ... when he went in unto his brother's wife ... he
spilled it on the ground.... And the thing which he did displeased the Lord;
wherefore he slew him also." This lovely Bible story is seldom read in
Sunday School, but it is the basis of many Christian doctrines, including the
condemnation of masturbation, homosexuality, and birth control. God's 6th Killing
What the Bible says about birth control,
semen and
masturbation Mony Python: Every sperm is sacred
(38:8) "Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife."
(38:9) "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."
(38:10) "And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also."
38:1
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.
38:2And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her,
and went in unto her.
38:3
And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er.
38:4
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
38:5
And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah:
and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.
38:6
And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.
38:7And Er, Judah's
firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.
38:8And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up
seed to thy brother.
38:9And 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.
38:10And the thing which he
did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.
38:11
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.
38:12
And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah
was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his
friend Hirah the Adullamite.
38:13And it was told Tamar,
saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep.
(38:13-18)
Tamar (the widow of Er and Onan, who were
killed by God) dresses up as a prostitute and Judah (her father-in-law)
propositions her, saying: "Let me come in unto thee.... And he ... came in
unto her, and she conceived by him." From this incestuous union, twins (38:27-28) were born (both were boys of course). One of
these was Pharez -- an ancestor of Jesus ( Luke 3:33).
(38:13) "it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep."
(38:15) "When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face."
(38:16) "Let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.)
And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?"
(38:18) "What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff ...
And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him."
38:14
And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a
vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to
Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.
38:15When Judah saw her, he
thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.
38:16And he turned unto
her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew
not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me,
that thou mayest come in unto me?
38:17
And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt
thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?
38:18
And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and
thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he
gave it her, and came
in unto her, and she conceived by him.
38:19
And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on
the garments of her widowhood.
38:20
And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to
receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not.
38:21
Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was
openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.
38:22
And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of
the place said, that there was no harlot in this place.
38:23
And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent
this kid, and thou hast not found her.
(38:24) "Tamar thy
daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child
by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt."
After Judah pays Tamar for her services, he
is told that she "played the harlot" and "is with child by
whoredom." When Judah hears this, he says, "Bring her forth, and let
her be burnt."
What the Bible says about abortion and
burning people to death
(38:27-29) Tamar bore twins after she was impregnated by her father-in-law (Judah), one of which was Pharez, an ancestor of Jesus.
(Matthew 1:3, Luke 3:33)
(38:27) "In the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb."
38:24
And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah,
saying, Tamar thy
daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child
by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.
38:25
When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the
man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee,
whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff.
38:26
And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than
I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no
more.
38:27
And it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were
in her womb.
38:28
And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand:
and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying,
This came out first.
(38:28) "This came out first."
38:29
And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother
came out: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon
thee: therefore his name was called Pharez.
(38:29) "Pharez"
38:30
And afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his
hand: and his name was called Zarah.
And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him. And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. 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. And the thing which he did displeased the Lord:
wherefore he slew him also. 38:7-10
Er and Onan
Judah and the Prostitute
Judah and
Tamar