Genesis 38:6 kjv

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

Genesis 38:6 nkjv

Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

Genesis 38:6 niv

Judah got a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

Genesis 38:6 esv

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

Genesis 38:6 nlt

In the course of time, Judah arranged for his firstborn son, Er, to marry a young woman named Tamar.

Genesis 38 verses

Genesis 38 6 Meaning

Gen 38:6 concisely states that Judah, acting as a father, arranged for his firstborn son, Er, to marry a woman named Tamar. This verse introduces a crucial character and sets the stage for a narrative central to the lineage of Judah and, ultimately, the Messiah, highlighting God's sovereign hand in seemingly ordinary or even flawed human events.

Genesis 38 6 Context

Genesis chapter 38 abruptly interrupts the narrative of Joseph's journey from being sold into slavery (Gen 37) to his rise in Potiphar's house (Gen 39). This chapter focuses entirely on Judah, one of Joseph's brothers, providing a critical insight into his personal life, moral failures, and the preservation of his lineage. Specifically, Gen 38:6 introduces Tamar, a pivotal character through whom the line of Judah, essential for the eventual coming of the Messiah, will be perpetuated. The verse is an act of paternal responsibility within a patriarchal society, where fathers typically arranged marriages for their sons. The subsequent verses immediately establish the cultural expectation of levirate marriage, crucial for understanding Tamar's later actions and their ultimate redemptive purpose within God's covenant plan.

Genesis 38 6 Word analysis

• And (וַיְהִי - va·ye·hi): This Hebrew conjunctive particle indicates a sequential action or consequence, connecting this narrative about Judah to the broader patriarchal story of Genesis. It signifies a continuous, divinely ordained unfolding of events.
• Judah (יְהוּדָה - Yehudah): Meaning "Praise." He is the fourth son of Jacob and Leah. His actions, though marked by significant moral failings in this chapter, are foundational for the continuation of the covenant line through which the Messiah would eventually come (Gen 49:10). This chapter shifts focus to his personal history.
• took (לָקַח - laqach): A common Hebrew verb meaning "to take, acquire, obtain." In the context of marriage, it denotes that Judah actively arranged or secured a wife for his son. It highlights his role as the patriarch responsible for his son's establishment.
• a wife (אִשָּׁה - ishshah): The standard Hebrew term for "woman" or "wife." The act of taking a wife was fundamental for establishing a household, perpetuating the family name, and ensuring generational continuity in ancient Israelite society, especially within the Abrahamic covenant.
• for Er (לְעֵר - l'Er): "Er" means "watcher" or "awake." He is Judah's firstborn son. Providing a wife for Er highlights his position as the primary heir and the expectation that he would carry on the family name and inheritance, critical for the Abrahamic covenant.
• his firstborn (בְּכֹרוֹ - b'khoro): From the root בְּכוֹר (bekhor), meaning "firstborn." This designation underscores Er's significant status, which entailed special rights, a double portion of inheritance, and the principal responsibility for carrying on the family line. This status immediately sets the stage for the levirate law later in the narrative.
• whose name (וּשְׁמָהּ - u'sh'mah): "And her name." This phrasing explicitly introduces a new and vital character, drawing the reader's attention directly to her identity, indicating her impending significance in the biblical narrative.
• was Tamar (תָּמָר - Tamar): Meaning "date palm." Date palms were symbolic of uprightness, elegance, and fruitfulness. Her name aptly reflects her later character as a decisive, morally strong woman who ensures the "fruitful" continuation of the lineage of Judah and, providentially, of Christ, despite immense personal hardship and societal challenges.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• And Judah took a wife: This phrase signifies Judah fulfilling a customary parental duty to secure the continuity of his family line. It shows the patriarch exercising his authority and responsibility in matters of lineage and procreation, fundamental aspects of the Abrahamic covenant promises.
• for Er his firstborn: This emphasizes Er's crucial role as the principal heir. The act of securing a wife for him underscores the vital importance of preserving the family's identity, inheritance, and ultimately, the covenant line through the firstborn. This sets the immediate background for the application and later conflict surrounding the levirate law after Er's death.
• whose name was Tamar: The direct and immediate naming of Tamar elevates her from a mere generic "wife" to a central figure in the narrative. This highlights the intentionality of the biblical author in introducing her, signaling her pivotal and strategic role in Judah's personal story and in God's broader redemptive plan.

Genesis 38 6 Bonus section

The deliberate insertion of Genesis 38, particularly the introduction of Tamar in this verse, breaks the chronological flow of Joseph's story. This textual arrangement is vital as it not only foreshadows Judah's eventual moral transformation but, more critically, provides the indispensable genealogical link that preserves the Messianic line through Perez and Zerah. Tamar's determination, initiated by her marriage to Er, underscores God's intricate providence in ensuring the covenant promises despite human obstacles, making her a figure of significant theological importance in redemptive history. This chapter ultimately teaches that God's work is not reliant on perfect individuals or straightforward circumstances, but can powerfully advance through the faithfulness of unexpected individuals and through paths seemingly marked by human frailty and transgression.

Genesis 38 6 Commentary

Genesis 38:6 serves as the pivotal point that shifts the focus to Judah's personal life, a crucial "side story" to the main Joseph narrative. It efficiently sets the scene by detailing Judah's patriarchal action of arranging a marriage for Er, his firstborn, to a woman named Tamar. While seemingly a routine domestic event, this verse holds profound significance as it introduces Tamar, an unexpected and powerful character who would ultimately ensure the continuation of the Davidic and Messianic lineage. The placement of this verse is critical; it demonstrates that even amid human failure (Judah's estrangement from his family and his later actions), God sovereignly orchestrates events and uses various individuals, sometimes through unconventional means, to achieve His covenant purposes, ensuring that the promise given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would remain steadfast through the line of Judah.