1 Chronicles 2:3
New International Version
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan and Shelah. These three were born to him by a Canaanite woman, the daughter of Shua. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the LORD’s sight; so the LORD put him to death.

New Living Translation
Judah had three sons from Bathshua, a Canaanite woman. Their names were Er, Onan, and Shelah. But the LORD saw that the oldest son, Er, was a wicked man, so he killed him.

English Standard Version
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan and Shelah; these three Bath-shua the Canaanite bore to him. Now Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death.

Berean Standard Bible
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death.

King James Bible
The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him.

New King James Version
The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by the daughter of Shua, the Canaanitess. Er, the firstborn of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so He killed him.

New American Standard Bible
The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, and Shelah; these three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanitess. But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of the LORD, so He put him to death.

NASB 1995
The sons of Judah were Er, Onan and Shelah; these three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanitess. And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put him to death.

NASB 1977
The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, and Shelah; these three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanitess. And Er, Judah’s first-born, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put him to death.

Legacy Standard Bible
The sons of Judah were Er, Onan, and Shelah; these three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanitess. And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the sight of Yahweh, so He put him to death.

Amplified Bible
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah; the three were born to him by Shua’s daughter the Canaanitess. Er, Judah’s eldest, was evil in the LORD’S sight, and He put him to death.

Christian Standard Bible
Judah’s sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite woman. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the LORD’s sight, so he put him to death.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Judah’s sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite woman. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the LORD’s sight, so He put him to death.

American Standard Version
The sons of Judah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah; which three were born unto him of Shua's daughter the Canaanitess. And Er, Judah's first-born, was wicked in the sight of Jehovah; and he slew him.

Contemporary English Version
Judah and his Canaanite wife Bathshua had three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. But the LORD had Er put to death, because he disobeyed and did what the LORD hated.

English Revised Version
The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were born unto him of Bath-shua the Canaanitess. And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Judah's sons were Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bathshua, a Canaanite woman. The LORD considered Er, Judah's firstborn, evil, so the LORD killed Er.

Good News Translation
Judah had five sons in all. By his wife Bathshua, a Canaanite, he had three sons: Er, Onan, and Shelah. His oldest son, Er, was so evil that the LORD killed him.

International Standard Version
Judah's three sons Er, Onan, and Shelah were born to him through Bath-shua, a Canaanite. Er, Judah's firstborn, became wicked in the LORD's sight, so he put him to death.

Majority Standard Bible
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite. Er, Judah?s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death.

NET Bible
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bathshua, a Canaanite woman. Er, Judah's firstborn, displeased the LORD, so the LORD killed him.

New Heart English Bible
The sons of Judah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah; which three were born to him by Bathshua the Canaanite woman. Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and he killed him.

Webster's Bible Translation
The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were born to him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the first-born of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him.

World English Bible
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah, which three were born to him of Shua’s daughter the Canaanitess. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in Yahweh’s sight; and he killed him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Sons of Judah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah, three have been born to him of a daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, firstborn of Judah, is evil in the eyes of YHWH, and He puts him to death.

Young's Literal Translation
Sons of Judah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah, three have been born to him of a daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, first-born of Judah, is evil in the eyes of Jehovah, and He putteth him to death.

Smith's Literal Translation
The sons of Judah: Er and Onan, and Shelah: three were born to him from the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er the first-born of Judah will be evil in the eyes of Jehovah; and he will slay him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The sons of Juda: Her, Onan and Sela. These three were born to him of the Chanaanitess the daughter of Sue. And Her the firstborn of Juda, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and he slew him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him from the daughter of Shua, the Canaanite. But Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the Lord, and so he killed him.

New American Bible
The sons of Judah were: Er, Onan, and Shelah; these three Bathshua, a Canaanite woman, bore to him. But Judah’s firstborn, Er, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so he took his life.

New Revised Standard Version
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah; these three the Canaanite woman Bath-shua bore to him. Now Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, and he put him to death.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah; these three were born to him of Bathshua the Canaanitess. And Er, the first-born of Judah, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The sons of Yehuda: Eyr and Unaan and Shila; these three were born to him from Bathshua the Canaanitess, and Eyr was the firstborn of Yehuda; he was evil before LORD JEHOVAH, and he killed him.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The sons of Judah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah; which three were born unto him of Bath-shua the Canaanitess. And Er, Judah's first-born, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and He slew him.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The sons of Juda; Er, Aunan, Selom. These three were born to him of the daughter of Sava the Chananitish woman: and Er, the first-born of Juda, was wicked before the Lord, and he slew him.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Sons of Israel
2Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 3The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD, who put him to death. 4Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law, bore to him Perez and Zerah. Judah had five sons in all.…

Cross References
Genesis 38:1-30
About that time, Judah left his brothers and settled near a man named Hirah, an Adullamite. / There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua, and he took her as a wife and slept with her. / So she conceived and gave birth to a son, and Judah named him Er. ...

Matthew 1:3
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram.

Ruth 4:12
And may your house become like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring the LORD will give you by this young woman.”

Numbers 26:19-22
The sons of Judah were Er and Onan, but they died in the land of Canaan. / These were the descendants of Judah by their clans: The Shelanite clan from Shelah, the Perezite clan from Perez, and the Zerahite clan from Zerah. / And these were the descendants of Perez: the Hezronite clan from Hezron and the Hamulite clan from Hamul. ...

Genesis 46:12
The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah; but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul.

Genesis 49:8-12
Judah, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down to you. / Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him? / The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his. ...

Luke 3:33
the son of Amminadab, the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,

Exodus 6:14-15
These were the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These were the clans of Reuben. / The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon.

Deuteronomy 25:5-10
When brothers dwell together and one of them dies without a son, the widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother is to take her as his wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law for her. / The first son she bears will carry on the name of the dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. / But if the man does not want to marry his brother’s widow, she is to go to the elders at the city gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to preserve his brother’s name in Israel. He is not willing to perform the duty of a brother-in-law for me.” ...

Joshua 7:1
The Israelites, however, acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart. So the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.

1 Samuel 17:12
Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem of Judah who had eight sons. And in the days of Saul, Jesse was old and well along in years.

2 Samuel 2:4
Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.”

2 Samuel 7:12-16
And when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. / He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. / I will be his Father, and he will be My son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. ...

1 Kings 2:4
and so that the LORD may fulfill His promise to me: ‘If your descendants take heed to walk faithfully before Me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’

1 Kings 12:20
When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah followed the house of David.


Treasury of Scripture

The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were born to him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him.

Er, and.

1 Chronicles 9:5
And of the Shilonites; Asaiah the firstborn, and his sons.

Genesis 38:2-10
And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her…

Genesis 46:12
And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.

Jump to Previous
Bathshua Bath-Shua Bath-Shu'a Bore Born Canaanite Canaanitess Daughter Death Er Evil Firstborn First-Born Judah Judah's Killed Oldest Onan Putteth Shelah Shua Shua's Sight Slew Three Wicked
Jump to Next
Bathshua Bath-Shua Bath-Shu'a Bore Born Canaanite Canaanitess Daughter Death Er Evil Firstborn First-Born Judah Judah's Killed Oldest Onan Putteth Shelah Shua Shua's Sight Slew Three Wicked
1 Chronicles 2
1. The sons of Israel.
3. The posterity of Judah by Tamar.
13. The children of Jesse.
18. The posterity of Caleb the son of Hezron.
21. Hezron's posterity by the daughter of Machir.
25. Jerahmeel's posterity.
34. Sheshan's posterity.
42. Another branch of Caleb's posterity.
50. The posterity of Caleb the son of Hur.














The sons of Judah
This phrase introduces the genealogy of Judah, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, who is a significant figure in the lineage of Israel. Judah's descendants are crucial as they lead to the Davidic line and ultimately to Jesus Christ, fulfilling the Messianic prophecies. The Hebrew root for "Judah" (יְהוּדָה, Yehudah) means "praise," reflecting the tribe's role in leading worship and their prominence in Israel's history.

Er, Onan, and Shelah
These names are the sons of Judah, and each carries its own historical and theological significance. "Er" (עֵר, Er) means "watchful" or "awake," yet his life was cut short due to his wickedness. "Onan" (אוֹנָן, Onan) means "vigorous" or "strong," but he too faced divine judgment. "Shelah" (שֵׁלָה, Shelah) means "petition" or "request," and his lineage continued through the tribe of Judah. These names remind us of the importance of living righteously before God.

These three were born to him by Bathshua, a Canaanite woman
This phrase highlights the mixed heritage of Judah's sons, as Bathshua was a Canaanite. The inclusion of a Canaanite woman in the genealogy underscores God's grace and the breaking of ethnic barriers, foreshadowing the inclusion of Gentiles in God's redemptive plan. The name "Bathshua" (בַּת־שׁוּעַ, Bathshua) means "daughter of opulence," indicating her status and possibly her influence in Judah's household.

Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD
This statement reveals the moral failure of Er, despite his position as the firstborn. The Hebrew word for "wicked" (רַע, ra) denotes evil or wrongdoing, emphasizing the seriousness of his actions. The phrase "in the sight of the LORD" indicates that God's judgment is based on His perfect knowledge and righteousness, reminding us that nothing is hidden from Him.

so He put him to death
This phrase demonstrates the direct intervention of God in the affairs of humanity, particularly in matters of justice and righteousness. The divine judgment upon Er serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of sin and the holiness of God. It also sets the stage for the continuation of Judah's line through other means, ultimately leading to the fulfillment of God's promises through the tribe of Judah.

THE FIVE SONS OF JUDAH, FROM Genesis 38.

(3) The daughter of Shua the Canaanitess.--Shua was the father of Judah's wife.

Er, the firstborn of Judah, was (became, proved) evil.--Word for word from Genesis 38:7. Suppressing other details relating to the sons of Judah, the chronicler copies this statement intact from Genesis, because it thoroughly harmonises with the moral he wishes to be drawn from the entire history of his people.

Verses 3-9. - 2. THE LINE OF JUDAH, TO HIS THREE GREAT-GRANDSONS. The line of Judah is, with a well-known object, the first to be taken up, although Judah stands fourth of Israel's sons. Judah has five sons: three, Er, Onan, Shelah, by a Canaanitess, the daughter of Shad; and two, Pharez and Zerah, by Tamar, his own daughter-in-law, under the circumstances described (Genesis 38:6-30). There all these names are found in exact accord in the Authorized Version, in the Hebrew text, and in the Septuagint. The Septuagint Version, however (Genesis 38:2), by an evident inaccuracy of translation, gives Shua as the name, not of the father, but of the daughter, ῇ ὄνομα Σαυά. Parallel passages are also found (Genesis 46:12; Numbers 26:19-22). Er and Onan died without issue, and the descendants of Shelah are not mentioned till we reach 1 Chronicles 4:21-23. The line is now carried on by the twin sons of Tamar (vers. 5, 6). Pharez, with two sons, Hezron and Hamul (Genesis 46:12; Ruth 4:18), and Zerah, with five sons, Zimri (or Zabdi, Joshua 7:1), Ethan, Heman, Calcol, Dara (or with many manuscripts, followed by the Targum, Syriac, and Arabic versions, Darda). If these last four names are not identical with those in 1 Kings 4:31, they are not to be found in any available connection elsewhere, and the last two not at all. Upon this supposition, it is held by some that this very passage proves that the compiler drew on resources not possessed by us. The weight of evidence seems, however, largely in favour of the persons being the same. (See Gilbert Barrington's 'Old Testament Genealogies,' 1:206-208, well summarized in art. "Darda," Smith's 'Bible Dictionary,' for as competent a discussion of the question as the present data will allow.) It needs to be constantly remembered that an enumeration like the above, of five so-called sons, does not necessarily involve their being five brothers, although in this case it looks the more as though they were so, as it is said five of them in all

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The sons
בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

of Judah:
יְהוּדָ֗ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

Er,
עֵ֤ר (‘êr)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6147: Er -- two men of Judah

Onan,
וְאוֹנָן֙ (wə·’ō·w·nān)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 209: Onan -- 'vigorous', a son of Judah

and Shelah.
וְשֵׁלָ֔ה (wə·šê·lāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7956: Shelah -- a son of Judah

These three
שְׁלוֹשָׁה֙ (šə·lō·wō·šāh)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

were born
נ֣וֹלַד (nō·w·laḏ)
Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

to him by
ל֔וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

Bath-shua
שׁ֖וּעַ (šū·a‘)
Preposition | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7774: Shuah -- 'wealth', an Asherite woman

the Canaanite.
הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֑ית (hak·kə·na·‘ă·nîṯ)
Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3669: Canaanite -- inhabitant of Canaan

Er,
עֵ֣ר ׀ (‘êr)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 6147: Er -- two men of Judah

Judah’s
יְהוּדָ֗ה (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

firstborn,
בְּכ֣וֹר (bə·ḵō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1060: Firstborn, chief

was
וַיְהִ֞י (way·hî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

wicked
רַ֛ע (ra‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

in the sight
בְּעֵינֵ֥י (bə·‘ê·nê)
Preposition-b | Noun - cdc
Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain

of the LORD,
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3069: YHWH

who put him to death.
וַיְמִיתֵֽהוּ׃ (way·mî·ṯê·hū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4191: To die, to kill


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OT History: 1 Chronicles 2:3 The sons of Judah: Er and Onan (1 Chron. 1Ch iCh i Ch 1 chr 1chr)
1 Chronicles 2:2
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