26
Judahיְהוּדָהrecognized themוַיַּכֵּרand said,וַיֹּאמֶר“She is more righteousצָדְקָהthan I,מִמֶּנִּיbecauseכִּי עַל כֵּןI did notלֹאgive herנְתַתִּיהָto Shelahלְשֵׁלָהmy son.”בְנִיAnd he did notוְלֹאagainיָסַף עוֹדknow her.לְדַעְתָּה
Genesis 38:26
Study it in the app“Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he did not again know her.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 38:26, 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- recognized themיַּכֵּרyaker
recognize
To realize who someone is, or notice them.
Where else “yaker” appears- and saidיֹּאמֶרyomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomer” appears- “She is more righteousצָדְקָהtsadka
be righteous
To be in the clear before God.
Where else “tsadka” appears- give herנְתַתִּיnetati
give
To hand something over to someone: a gift, a payment, a charge or a land.
Where else “netati” appears- to Shelahשֵׁלָהshela
Shelah
Shelah, the third son of Judah.
Where else “shela” appears- my sonבְנִveni
son
The male born of a father and mother; in the plural, also sons and daughters.
Where else “veni” appears- againיָסַףyasaf
do again
To do again what had already been done.
Where else “yasaf” appears- know herדַעְתָּdata
lie with
To be intimate with a woman.
Where else “data” appears
Translation note
Judah acknowledges that the fault was his for not fulfilling his duty to Tamar. The narrative does not present what either of them did as an example; it tells how Perez was born from it, the ancestor of David and of Jesus (Ruth 4:18-22; Matthew 1:3). “Know” has a sexual sense here (compare 4:1).
The context
25As she was being brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong I am pregnant.” And she said, “Recognize, please, whose these are: the seal, the cord, and the staff.”
26 · This verse (above)
27When the time of her giving birth came, look, there were twins in her womb.
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?