23
Judahיְהוּדָהsaid,וַיֹּאמֶר“Let her take the thingsתִּקַּחfor herself,לָהּlestפֶּןwe becomeנִהְיֶהa laughingstock.לָבוּזLook,הִנֵּהI sentשָׁלַחְתִּיthisהַזֶּהyoung goat,הַגְּדִיbut youוְאַתָּהdid notלֹאfind her.”מְצָאתָהּ
Genesis 38:23
Study it in the app“Judah said, “Let her take the things for herself, lest we become a laughingstock. Look, I sent this young goat, but you did not find her.””
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 38:23, word by word
- Judahיְהוּדָהyehuda
Judah
Judah, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah; also the tribe that came from him and its land, and later the southern kingdom; King David came from it. The name sounds like "give thanks". Borne also by other Israelites.
Where else “yehuda” appears- saidיֹּאמֶרyomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomer” appears- “Let her take the thingsתִּקַּחtikach
take
To grasp something in the hand to carry or use it.
Where else “tikach” appears- we becomeנִהְיֶהnihye
become
To turn into something new, or fall upon someone.
Where else “nihye” appears- a laughingstockבוּזvuz
contempt
Contempt, scorn.
Where else “vuz” appears- I sentשָׁלַחְתִּיshalachti
send
To send someone or something.
Where else “shalachti” appears- young goatגְּדִיgedi
young goat
Young goat, kid.
Where else “gedi” appears- find herמְצָאתָmetsata
find
To come upon what one seeks, or something not expected.
Where else “metsata” appears
The context
22He returned to Judah and said, “I did not find her; and also the men of the place said, ‘There has been no sacred prostitute here.’”
23 · This verse (above)
24About three months later Judah was told, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has prostituted herself, and moreover, look, she is pregnant by prostitution.” And Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”
To study Genesis 38 in a group
1. What it says
What did Tamar do, and what did Judah say when he learned of it (vv. 14-26)?
2. What it means
What does it mean that Judah admits, “She is more righteous than I” (v. 26)?
3. How I live it
How can you honestly admit your own mistake when it is shown to you?