6 And Judah taketh a wife for Er, his first-born, and her name 'is' Tamar; 7 and Er, Judah's first-born, is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth put him to death. 8 And Judah saith to Onan, 'Go in unto the wife of thy brother, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother;' 9 and Onan knoweth that the seed is not 'reckoned' his; and it hath come to pass, if he hath gone in unto his brother's wife, that he hath destroyed 'it' to the earth, so as not to give seed to his brother; 10 and that which he hath done is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and He putteth him also to death. 11 And Judah saith to Tamar his daughter-in-law, 'Abide a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son groweth up;' for he said, 'Lest he die—even he—like his brethren;' and Tamar goeth and dwelleth at her father's house.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis 38:6-11
Chapter Contents
The profligate conduct of Judah and his family.
This chapter gives an account of Judah and his family, and such an account it is, that it seems a wonder that of all Jacob's sons, our Lord should spring out of Judah, John 8:41. What awful examples the Lord proclaims in his punishments, of his utter displeasure at sin! Let us seek grace from God to avoid every appearance of sin. And let that state of humbleness to which Jesus submitted, when he came to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, in appointing such characters as those here recorded, to be his ancestors, endear the Redeemer to our hearts.