Genesis 38:12 kjv

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.

Genesis 38:12 nkjv

Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah's wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

Genesis 38:12 niv

After a long time Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had recovered from his grief, he went up to Timnah, to the men who were shearing his sheep, and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went with him.

Genesis 38:12 esv

In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua's daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

Genesis 38:12 nlt

Some years later Judah's wife died. After the time of mourning was over, Judah and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to Timnah to supervise the shearing of his sheep.

Genesis 38 verses

Genesis 38 12 Meaning

Genesis 38:12 concisely states that after a period, Judah's wife, identified as the daughter of Shua, died. This event marks a significant turning point in Judah's personal life and serves as a crucial narrative pivot, setting the immediate stage for the subsequent complex interactions with Tamar.

Genesis 38 12 Context

Genesis chapter 38 serves as an interpolated narrative, disrupting the main story of Joseph. It details the personal life of Judah, who had earlier played a significant role in selling Joseph into slavery. This chapter outlines Judah's marriage to a Canaanite woman (the daughter of Shua), the unfortunate deaths of his first two sons, Er and Onan, and the subsequent interaction with Tamar, who he initially neglected. Judah's wife's death in verse 12 marks a critical turning point within this already tumultuous sequence of events, creating a void that indirectly facilitates the dramatic climax of the chapter, highlighting the complex and often circuitous paths through which divine providence operates, particularly concerning the preservation of the messianic lineage. Culturally, the death of a wife could put pressure on the man regarding his remaining obligations to continue his family line.

Genesis 38 12 Word analysis

• And (וַ - va-): A conjunction, typically translated as "and" or "then." It serves to connect this event sequentially and narratively to the preceding actions in Judah's life.
• in process of time (וַיִּרְבּוּ הַיָּמִים - vayyirbu ha-yamim): Literally, "and the days multiplied" or "and many days increased/passed." This is an idiomatic expression in Hebrew indicating a significant, unquantified passage of time, rather than an immediate or short period. It suggests that her death occurred after some years of marriage or after a considerable period had elapsed since the events involving Er and Onan. This phrasing emphasizes natural progression and development, often pointing to God's patient working out of His purposes.
• Judah's wife (אֵשֶׁת יְהוּדָה - eshet Yehudah): Refers directly to the unnamed woman previously introduced in Gen 38:2 as the Canaanite woman Judah married. Her identity is tied to Judah, and her lack of an explicit personal name emphasizes her role within the narrative's focus on Judah and the lineage.
• died (וַתָּמָת - vattamot): The simple verb "to die." It states the finality of her life and her departure from the narrative. This concise declaration highlights the abruptness and impact of death, initiating new circumstances for Judah.
• the daughter of Shua (בַת־שׁוּעַ - bat-Shua): This phrase further identifies Judah's wife by her father's name. This traditional mode of identification underscores her origins as a Canaanite woman (Gen 38:2) and her connection to her paternal family line rather than Judah's, serving as a reminder of Judah's choice to marry outside the Abrahamic family tradition. It highlights the potential influence and connections that come from the father's house.

Words-group analysis:

• "in process of time... died": This combination highlights that life events, even pivotal ones like death, occur within a natural or divinely appointed timeline, not always immediately after related preceding events. It creates a space between Judah's earlier marital choices/failures and the dramatic confrontation with Tamar, suggesting a period of calm or reflection for Judah (though his subsequent actions suggest otherwise regarding actual reflection). This phrase acts as a temporal marker, allowing for Judah's transition from being a husband and father of living sons to a widower who would then engage in an act to preserve his lineage.

Genesis 38 12 Bonus section

• The strategic placement of Genesis 38, including this verse, between chapters concerning Joseph's descent into Egypt, signifies the importance of the Judah lineage and its purity for the messianic promise. This interruption demonstrates that while Joseph suffered, God was working in parallel to ensure the lineage through which the "scepter" would come (Gen 49:10) was preserved, despite significant human moral failings within Judah's family.
• The fact that Judah's wife is unnamed and only identified as "daughter of Shua" emphasizes her origin outside the covenant family, contrasting with how other key matriarchs like Sarah or Rebekah are introduced. This might subtly highlight Judah's spiritual laxity at this stage of his life, a choice that led to a dysfunctional family history before his eventual transformation.
• The death of Judah's wife sets him in a state of mourning (indicated by the later removal of his "widow's garments" by Tamar) and makes him available for interaction that otherwise would be entirely unthinkable for a married man within a society focused on upholding marital purity.

Genesis 38 12 Commentary

Genesis 38:12 is a remarkably terse verse that carries significant weight within the flow of Scripture. The death of Judah's unnamed wife, known only by her Canaanite father, "Shua," signifies an end to Judah's established family unit and precipitates the critical sequence of events that follow with Tamar. The idiom "in process of time" suggests that this was not a sudden death, allowing for an unspecified duration during which Judah experienced the tragedies with his first two sons, Er and Onan. This passage of time implies Judah's further maturation (or lack thereof), making him vulnerable to the desperate ploy of Tamar. Far from a mere genealogical note, her passing creates a void and a catalyst. Her death removes a character whose presence might have altered the direct path to the controversial yet lineage-securing interaction between Judah and Tamar. Thus, even through an ordinary event like death, God's providential hand orchestrates circumstances to preserve the critical line from which the Messiah would eventually emerge, highlighting how divine purposes can unfold through unexpected, and at times, morally complex human scenarios.