And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
Parallel translations
- WEB At that time, Judah went down from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
- BSB About that time, Judah left his brothers and settled near a man named Hirah, an Adullamite.
- NKJV It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah.
- NASB And it came about at that time, that Judah departed from his brothers and visited a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
- NLT About this time, Judah left home and moved to Adullam, where he stayed with a man named Hirah.
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
Judah leaves his brothers and settles among the Canaanites, beginning a downward turn in his life.
Overview
The narrative pauses the Joseph story to follow Judah, who separates from his family and forms a close tie with Hirah of Adullam. The phrase 'went down' hints at moral and spiritual decline as Judah integrates into Canaanite society. This chapter exposes the failures even of the line through which Christ would eventually come (Matthew 1:3), magnifying God's grace.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 1 Sam 22:1David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.
- 2 Kgs 4:8And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.
- Prov 13:20He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
- Josh 15:35Jarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah,
- Gen 19:2–3And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
- Mic 1:15Yet will I bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel.
- Judg 4:18And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.
- Prov 9:6Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.
- 2 Sam 23:13And three of the thirty chief went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam: and the troop of the Philistines pitched in the valley of Rephaim.
- Josh 12:15The king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;
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 38:1 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.