Genesis 38

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 38

Chapter 38 This chapter gives us an account of Judah and his family, and such an account it is that one would wonder that, of all Jacob's sons, our Lord should spring out of Judah, Heb. 7:14. If we were to form a character of him by this story, we should not say, ?Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise,? Gen. 49:8. But God will show that his choice is of grace and not of merit, and that Christ came into the world to save sinners, even the chief, and is not ashamed, upon their... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 38:1-11

Here is, 1. Judah's foolish friendship with a Canaanite-man. He went down from his brethren, and withdrew for a time from their society and his father's family, and got to be intimately acquainted with one Hirah, an Adullamite, Gen. 38:1. It is computed that he was now not much above fifteen or sixteen years of age, an easy prey to the tempter. Note, When young people that have been well educated begin to change their company, they will soon change their manners, and lose their good education.... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 38:12-23

It is a very ill-favoured story that is here told concerning Judah; one would not have expected such folly in Israel. Judah had buried his wife; and widowers have need to stand upon their guard with the utmost caution and resolution against all fleshly lusts. He was unjust to his daughter-in-law, either through negligence or design, in not giving her his surviving son, and this exposed her to temptation. I. Tamar wickedly prostituted herself as a harlot to Judah, that, if the son might not,... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Genesis 38:24-30

Here is, I. Judah's rigour against Tamar, when he heard she was an adulteress. She was, in the eye of the law, Shelah's wife, and therefore her being with child by another was looked upon as an injury and reproach to Judah's family: Bring her forth therefore, says Judah, the master of the family, and let her be burnt; not burnt to death, but burnt in the cheek or forehead, stigmatized for a harlot. This seems probable, Gen. 38:24. Note, it is a common thing for men to be severe against those... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 38

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 38 This chapter is wholly taken up with matters relating to Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, from whom the Jews have their name, and from whom Christ sprung: it treats of his marriage with a Canaanitess, his children by her, their character and end, Genesis 38:1 ; of his incest with his daughter-in-law, though unknown by him, Genesis 38:12 ; of his resentment against her, when he heard she was with child, and his confusion when he found it was by himself, ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 38:1

And it came to pass at that time ,.... This some refer to the time of Jacob's coming from Padanaram into Canaan, soon after he came to Shechem, and before the affair of Dinah; but to this may be objected the marriage of Judah at an age that may seem too early for him, his separation from his brethren, and having a flock of his own to keep, which seems not consistent with the above history: wherefore it is better to connect this with the history of Joseph's being sold into Egypt; for though... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 38:2

And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite ,.... Onkelos and Jonathan, and so Jarchi and Ben Gersom, interpret it a "merchant", to take off the disgrace of his falling in love with, and marrying a Canaanitish woman, which was forbidden by his ancestors Abraham and Isaac, and which his father avoided: whose name was Shuah ; not the name of the woman he married, but the name of her father, as appears from Genesis 38:12 ; and who very probably was a man of note in the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 38:3

And she conceived, and bare a son, and he called his name Er. Which signifies a "watchman": but the reason of the name given by the Targum of Jonathan is,"because he should die without children;'as if it was the same with Ariri, "childless". read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 38:4

And she conceived again, and bare a son ,.... As soon as she well could: and she called his name Onan ; the first son Judah gave the name to, but his wife named this, so called from grief or sorrow; the reason of it, according to the above Targum, was,"because his father would mourn for him;'he was a Benoni, see Genesis 35:18 , whose sin and immature death caused sorrow. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 38:5

And she conceived, and bare a son ,.... A third son: and called his name Shelah ; which signifies tranquil, quiet, peaceable and prosperous, and is a word that comes from the same root as Shiloh, that famous son of Judah that should spring from him, Genesis 49:10 the reason of the name, as given by the Targum, is,"because her husband forgot her:" and she was at Chezib when she bare him ; Chezib is the name of a place, by some taken to be the same with Achzib or Ecdippe, now Zib,... read more

Group of Brands