Genesis 38 · Verse 7

Genesis 38:7

And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him.
Genesis 38:7, King James Version

Genesis 38:7 in other translations

BSBBut Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so the LORD put him to death.
WEBEr, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD’s sight. So the LORD killed him.
ASVAnd Er, Judah’s first-born, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah; and Jehovah slew him.
YLTand Er, Judah's first-born, is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth put him to death.
DARBYAnd Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah, and Jehovah slew him.
BBENow Er, Judah's first son, did evil in the eyes of the Lord, so that he put him to death.
WebsterAnd Er, Judah's first-born, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

What does Genesis 38:7 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 7 Er - was wicked in the sight of the Lord - What this wickedness consisted in we are not told; but the phrase sight of the Lord being added, proves that it was some very great evil. It is worthy of remark that the Hebrew word used to express Er's wickedness is his own name, the letters reversed. Er ער wicked, רע ra. As if the inspired writer had said, "Er was altogether wicked, a completely abandoned character."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Genesis 38:7 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְהִ֗יvay.Hiand he wasH1961
עֵ֚ר'erErH6147
בְּכ֣וֹרbe.Khor[the] firstborn ofH1060
יְהוּדָ֔הye.hu.DahJudahH3063
רַ֖עra'evilH7451
בְּעֵינֵ֣יbe.'ei.Neiin [the] eyes ofH5869
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וַיְמִתֵ֖הוּvay.mi.Te.huand he put to death himH4191
יְהוָֽה\׃Yah.wehYahwehH3068

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 38:7

  • 1 Chronicles 2:3

    The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the Lord; and he slew him.

  • Genesis 46:12

    And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.

  • Numbers 26:19

    The sons of Judah were Er and Onan: and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.

  • Genesis 13:13

    But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.

  • Genesis 19:13

    For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.

  • Psalms 55:23

    But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Er.
46:12; Nu 26:19
wicked.
6:8; 13:13; 19:13; 2Ch 33:6
and the.
1Ch 2:3; Ps 55:23

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 38:6

    And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

  • Genesis 38:7

    And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord slew him.

  • Genesis 38:8

    And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

Read all of Genesis 38

Genesis 38:7 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Er, el primogénito de Judá, fué malo á los ojos de Jehová, y quitóle Jehová la vida.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Er, premier-né de Juda, était méchant aux yeux de l’ Éternel, et l’ Éternel le fit mourir.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Gher, der Erstgeborene Judas, war böse in den Augen Jehovas, und Jehova tötete ihn.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Fuit quoque Her primogenitus Judæ nequam in conspectu Domini: et ab eo occisus est.