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.

And Judah {H3063} said {H559} unto Onan {H209}, Go in {H935} unto thy brother's {H251} wife {H802}, and marry {H2992} her, and raise up {H6965} seed {H2233} to thy brother {H251}.

Y'hudah said to Onan, "Go and sleep with your brother's wife - perform the duty of a husband's brother to her, and preserve your brother's line of descent."

Then 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.”

And 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.

Commentary

Genesis 38:8 records Judah’s command to his second son, Onan, following the tragic death of his firstborn, Er. This verse is pivotal for understanding ancient Israelite family customs and the narrative flow within the book of Genesis.

Context

This verse is part of a significant detour in the Genesis narrative, focusing on Judah, one of Jacob's sons, while the main story of Joseph unfolds elsewhere. Judah had married a Canaanite woman and had three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. After Er died childless, God having judged him as wicked, Judah instructs Onan to fulfill a crucial family obligation. This instruction reflects the ancient custom of levirate marriage (from the Latin levir, meaning "brother-in-law"), known in Hebrew as yibbum.

The purpose of this custom was to ensure the continuation of the deceased brother's family line and to preserve his name and inheritance. If a man died without an heir, his brother was obligated to marry the widow and father a child, who would then be legally considered the deceased brother's offspring. This practice, though formalized later in the Mosaic Law (Deuteronomy 25:5-10), clearly predates it, as evidenced here and in the story of Ruth and Boaz.

Key Themes

  • Family Obligation and Duty: The verse highlights the strong societal expectation for a surviving brother to uphold his family responsibilities, particularly concerning lineage and inheritance. Onan was expected to marry his brother’s widow, Tamar, and "raise up seed" for Er.
  • Preservation of Lineage and Name: The primary goal of levirate marriage was to prevent a family line from dying out and to ensure the deceased's name and property rights continued through an heir. This was crucial in ancient patriarchal societies.
  • Social and Legal Custom: Genesis 38:8 demonstrates the existence of established legal or customary practices concerning family succession long before the formal codification of laws in the Pentateuch.

Linguistic Insights

The phrase "raise up seed to thy brother" translates the Hebrew `קום זרע` (qum zera), which literally means "to establish offspring" or "to cause seed to stand up." This emphasizes the specific purpose of the union: not merely marriage, but the procreation of an heir who would perpetuate the deceased brother's name. The instruction "Go in unto thy brother's wife" is a common biblical idiom for sexual relations, indicating the expectation of consummation for the purpose of procreation.

Practical Application

Understanding Genesis 38:8 provides insight into the cultural and legal framework of the patriarchal era. While the specific custom of levirate marriage is not practiced in most societies today, the underlying principles of family responsibility, care for widows, and the importance of legacy can still resonate. The chapter also serves as a reminder of God's sovereign hand working through complex human interactions and customs, ultimately preserving the lineage through which the Messiah would come.

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Cross-References

  • Matthew 22:23 (6 votes)

    ¶ The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,

  • Matthew 22:27 (6 votes)

    And last of all the woman died also.

  • Deuteronomy 25:5 (4 votes)

    ¶ 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.

  • Deuteronomy 25:10 (4 votes)

    And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.

  • Ruth 4:5 (4 votes)

    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.

  • Ruth 4:11 (4 votes)

    And all the people that [were] in the gate, and the elders, said, [We are] witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:

  • Leviticus 18:16 (3 votes)

    Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it [is] thy brother's nakedness.