What is the meaning of Genesis 38:7? But Er The verse opens with the single word “But,” a signal that something is about to break sharply from the previous sentence where Judah arranged a marriage for his son Er (Genesis 38:6). Scripture often uses this small word to warn us that what follows is unexpected and weighty (compare Jonah 1:3; Acts 12:5). Here the narrative pivots from a wedding to a funeral, underscoring how swiftly sin can reverse human expectations. Judah’s firstborn Being “Judah’s firstborn” made Er the natural heir to a double portion (Deuteronomy 21:17) and to the family’s spiritual legacy. God had already promised that Judah’s line would carry special blessing (Genesis 49:10), so Er stood at the front of that hope. Firstborn status always carried both privilege and responsibility (Exodus 13:2; Numbers 3:13). When a firstborn squandered that calling—think Esau trading his birthright or Reuben defiling his father’s bed—the loss was severe (Genesis 25:34; 35:22; 49:3-4). Was wicked in the sight of the LORD The text does not catalogue Er’s sins, yet it states plainly that he “was wicked in the sight of the LORD.” God’s evaluation matters most, because “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). Similar summaries of wickedness precede decisive judgment elsewhere: the generation of Noah (Genesis 6:5), Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:20-21), and the inhabitants of Canaan (Leviticus 18:24-25). Scripture’s brevity here reminds us that God sees motives and deeds that may never be recorded (1 Samuel 16:7; Jeremiah 17:10). Even in a family chosen for covenant blessing, unrepentant evil is intolerable to a holy God. So the LORD put him to death The consequence is immediate and direct: “so the LORD put him to death.” This is not accident or illness but divine judgment, echoing later episodes where God preserves holiness by removing offenders: Nadab and Abihu consumed by fire (Leviticus 10:1-2), Korah’s rebellion swallowed by the earth (Numbers 16:31-33), and Ananias and Sapphira struck down for deceit (Acts 5:1-11). Such actions remind God’s people that grace never nullifies His justice. The severity toward Er also sets the stage for Tamar’s eventual role in preserving Judah’s lineage, leading ultimately to the Messiah (Ruth 4:18-22; Matthew 1:3). summary Genesis 38:7 shows that covenant pedigree cannot shield anyone from God’s judgment. Er, though firstborn of a key tribe, practiced evil God would not overlook. The verse warns believers that divine privilege carries responsibility, assures us that God sees and judges sin perfectly, and points ahead to the grace that will later flow through the very line preserved by this judgment. |
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