But what he did was displeasing in the sight of the Lord; so He took his life also.
Parallel translations
- WEB The thing which he did was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and he killed him also.
- KJV And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.
- BSB What he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put Onan to death as well.
- NKJV And the thing which he did displeased the Lord; therefore He killed him also.
- NLT But the Lord considered it evil for Onan to deny a child to his dead brother. So the Lord took Onan’s life, too.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Onan's selfish wickedness displeases the LORD, who also puts him to death.
Overview
God judges Onan's persistent, deceitful refusal to honor his brother and his widow. As with Er, divine judgment underscores that the LORD weighs the heart and acts against entrenched sin. Tamar is left doubly bereaved and increasingly vulnerable.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Num 11:1The people were complaining in the ears of Yahweh. When Yahweh heard it, his anger burned; and Yahweh’s fire burned among them, and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.
- Gen 46:12The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.
- 1 Chr 21:7God was displeased with this thing; therefore he struck Israel.
- Num 26:19The sons of Judah: Er and Onan. Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
- Prov 14:32The wicked is brought down in his calamity, but in death, the righteous has a refuge.
- Jer 44:4However I sent to you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, “Oh, don’t do this abominable thing that I hate.”
- Prov 24:18lest Yahweh see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.
- Hag 1:13Then Haggai, Yahweh’s messenger, spoke Yahweh’s message to the people, saying, “I am with you,” says Yahweh.
- 2 Sam 11:27When the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased Yahweh.
- Num 22:34Balaam said to Yahweh’s angel, “I have sinned; for I didn’t know that you stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases you, I will go back again.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 38:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.