Genesis 38 · Verse 8

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.
Genesis 38:8, King James Version

Genesis 38:8 in other translations

BSBThen Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and raise up offspring for your brother.”
WEBJudah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.”
ASVAnd Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother unto her, and raise up seed to thy brother.
YLTAnd Judah saith to Onan, ‘Go in unto the wife of thy brother, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother;'
DARBYThen Judah said to Onan, Go in to thy brother's wife, and fulfil to her the brother-in-law's duty, and raise up seed to thy brother.
BBEThen Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother's wife and do what it is right for a husband's brother to do; make her your wife and get offspring for your brother.
WebsterAnd Judah said to Onan, Go in to thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

What does Genesis 38:8 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
8. Judah said unto Onan ... marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother--The first instance of a custom, which was afterwards incorporated among the laws of Moses, that when a husband died leaving a widow, his brother next of age was to marry her, and the issue, if any, was to be served heir to the deceased (compare De 25:5).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Genesis 38:8 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.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יְהוּדָה֙ye.hu.DahJudahH3063
לְאוֹנָ֔ןle.'o.Nanto OnanH209
בֹּ֛אbo'goH935
אֶל\־'el-intoH413
אֵ֥שֶׁת'E.shet[the] wife ofH802
אָחִ֖יךָ'a.Chi.khabrother yourH251
וְיַבֵּ֣םve.ya.Bemand act as a husband's brother forH2992
אֹתָ֑הּ'o.Tah<obj.> herH853
וְהָקֵ֥םve.ha.Kemand raise upH6965
זֶ֖רַעZe.ra'offspringH2233
לְאָחִֽיךָ\׃le.'a.Chi.khafor brother yourH251

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

Cross references for Genesis 38:8

  • Deuteronomy 25:5-10

    If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her. And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel. And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother. Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her; …

  • Matthew 22:23-27

    The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. …

  • Ruth 4:5-11

    Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it. Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel. Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe. …

  • Ruth 1:11

    And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

  • Leviticus 18:16

    Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness.

  • Numbers 36:8-9

    And every daughter, that possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers. Neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
A.M. 2282. B.C. 1722.
Le 18:16; Nu 36:8,9; De 25:5-10; Ru 1:11; 4:5-11; Mt 22:23-27

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Genesis 38:9

    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.

Read all of Genesis 38

Genesis 38:8 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Entonces Judá dijo á Onán: Entra á la mujer de tu hermano, y despósate con ella, y suscita simiente á tu hermano.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Juda dit à Onan: Va vers la femme de ton frère, et remplis envers elle le devoir de beau-frère, et suscite de la semence à ton frère.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Da sprach Juda zu Onan: Gehe ein zu dem Weibe deines Bruders, und leiste ihr die Schwagerpflicht und erwecke deinem Bruder Samen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Dixit ergo Judas ad Onan filium suum: Ingredere uxorem fratris tui, et sociare illi, ut suscites semen fratri tuo.