3 And she conceiveth, and beareth a son, and he calleth his name Er; 4 and she conceiveth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Onan; 5 and she addeth again, and beareth a son, and calleth his name Shelah; and he was in Chezib in her bearing him. 6 And Judah taketh a wife for Er, his first-born, and her name 'is' Tamar; 7 and Er, Judah's first-born, is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and Jehovah doth put him to death.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Genesis 38:3-7
Chapter Contents
The profligate conduct of Judah and his family.
This chapter gives an account of Judah and his family, and such an account it is, that it seems a wonder that of all Jacob's sons, our Lord should spring out of Judah, John 8:41. What awful examples the Lord proclaims in his punishments, of his utter displeasure at sin! Let us seek grace from God to avoid every appearance of sin. And let that state of humbleness to which Jesus submitted, when he came to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, in appointing such characters as those here recorded, to be his ancestors, endear the Redeemer to our hearts.