Numbers 26 19

Numbers 26:19 kjv

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

Numbers 26:19 nkjv

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

Numbers 26:19 niv

Er and Onan were sons of Judah, but they died in Canaan.

Numbers 26:19 esv

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

Numbers 26:19 nlt

Judah had two sons, Er and Onan, who had died in the land of Canaan.

Numbers 26 verses

Numbers 26 19 Meaning

Numbers 26:19 notes a historical detail during the second census of Israel, listing the sons of Judah and immediately stating the untimely deaths of Er and Onan, two of Judah's older sons. This detail, concise yet profound, serves to explain why these two specific individuals, despite being among the elder sons of a prominent tribe, are not represented by family heads in the subsequent tribal registration. It recalls their sin and divine judgment as recorded in Genesis, providing necessary genealogical clarity for the census, which directly precedes the distribution of the land of Canaan among the tribes and their living families.

Numbers 26 19 Context

Numbers chapter 26 details the second census of the Israelites, conducted in the plains of Moab before entering the Promised Land. This census differs significantly from the first (Num 1) because it accounts for the new generation, as the original generation, excluding Caleb and Joshua, had largely perished in the wilderness due to their disobedience. The primary purpose of this census was to determine the strength of each tribe and allocate land inheritance proportionally among their families and clans. Each tribal entry lists the clan heads descended from the patriarchs. Within this vital demographic record, verse 19 offers a crucial historical footnote regarding Judah's lineage. It connects the current living generation to foundational events described much earlier in Genesis, explaining the absence of family lines from Er and Onan within Judah's tribal divisions. This serves as a reminder of God's swift judgment against wickedness, ensuring accurate lineage records for land distribution in the forthcoming inheritance.

Numbers 26 19 Word analysis

• The sons of Judah: This phrase specifies the tribal lineage being discussed. Judah was the fourth son of Jacob and Leah. His tribe was destined for leadership, famously the lineage through which the Messiah would come (Gen 49:10; Rev 5:5). The immediate mention here is a genealogical anchor.
• Er: The firstborn son of Judah. His Hebrew name (‘Êr) is simple, likely meaning "wakeful" or "watcher." His significance lies not in his life, but in his death—divinely ordained due to his wickedness, setting a grim precedent.
• and Onan: The second son of Judah. His Hebrew name (‘Ônān) means "strength" or "vigor," ironic given his fate. Onan's specific sin was his refusal to perform his duty of levirate marriage to raise offspring for his deceased brother Er, instead spilling his seed on the ground (Gen 38:9), which God viewed as wicked.
• and Er and Onan: This repetition emphasizes the distinct, yet related, fates of the two brothers, underscoring that both met divine judgment individually.
• died: The Hebrew verb mût (form of mâwat), meaning "to die," is stark and unambiguous. In this biblical context, particularly for Er and Onan, it signifies not merely natural cessation of life but rather a direct act of divine judgment. Their deaths were supernatural consequences of their specific sins against God's moral order and his covenantal expectations. This "death" stands as a theological pointer to the gravity of their disobedience.
• in the land of Canaan: This geographic detail is significant. Their deaths occurred while Israel (Jacob's household) was still dwelling in Canaan, prior to the sojourn in Egypt (Gen 38 narrative precedes Gen 46). This means their judgments happened before the main Exodus event, not as part of the wilderness wandering judgments (like Korah, Dathan, and Abiram or the generation that died out in the wilderness). It marks their passing as very early events in Israel's formative history.

Words-group analysis

• "The sons of Judah: Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died...": This structure is a typical genealogical note, presenting individuals and then immediately adding a critical biographical detail. The repetition of "Er and Onan" strongly emphasizes their deaths as a pivotal and notable event within the tribal lineage, demanding attention to why they are mentioned and what their deaths signify within this specific census record. It functions as an essential exclusion note, explaining the absence of these two particular family lines from the subsequent enumeration of Judah's clans.

Numbers 26 19 Bonus section

• Polemical Implications: The immediate judgment of Er and Onan (especially Onan's refusal to "raise up seed") can be seen as an implicit polemic against pagan fertility cults and practices common in Canaan, which might have distorted understanding of procreation or marital obligations. By directly linking divine judgment to such behavior, it reinforced Yahweh's ethical demands and the sanctity of lineage.
• Significance for Land Distribution: In the context of Numbers 26, which is preparing for the division of Canaan, the deaths of Er and Onan meant their direct lines were excluded from receiving an inheritance. This ensured that only the living, righteous generations and their families would claim portions of the land, aligning the land distribution with divine justice.
• Divine Sovereignty: The account powerfully demonstrates God's sovereignty over life and death, even within the genealogies of the elect nation. It reinforces that inclusion in God's covenant does not exempt individuals from the consequences of their sin, and divine judgment is both swift and just.
• Preservation of Lineage: Although Er and Onan perished, the account in Genesis 38, crucial for understanding this verse, shows how Judah's lineage was providentially preserved through Tamar and Perez, from whom King David and eventually the Messiah, Jesus, descended. This highlights God's ability to fulfill His purposes despite human failure and sin, ensuring His redemptive plan continues.

Numbers 26 19 Commentary

Numbers 26:19 serves as a concise yet powerful historical reference within the framework of Israel's second census. Its inclusion explains why the lineage of Er and Onan is not continued through clan heads in the enumeration of Judah, linking directly back to the detailed account in Genesis 38. This short verse highlights that sin, especially direct disobedience against divine command and covenantal obligation (as seen in Er's "wickedness" and Onan's evasion of levirate duty), incurs severe, immediate divine judgment, leading to premature death. Despite these individual failures and judgments, God's overarching plan for the tribe of Judah—which included the future Davidic and messianic lines—persisted through the other sons, notably through Perez (fathered via Tamar, emphasizing divine providence over human fault). Thus, the verse reminds the Israelites, on the brink of inheriting the Promised Land, of both God's strict justice concerning sin and His unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises, regardless of individual unfaithfulness.