Bible Strands
Genesis 38:2
There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man named Shua, and he took her as a wife and slept with her.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Judah has departed from his brothers and settled near the Adullamite Hirah. At that location, he observes and marries the daughter of a Canaanite named Shua.
The words — The Hebrew term וַ/יַּרְא־ (va/yar') translates literally as "and he saw," while שָ֧ם (sham) anchors the action to "there." These terms establish Judah’s direct visual perception and precise geographic context before any marital action.
The thread — The marriage is later confirmed in 1 Chronicles 2:3, which lists Er, Onan, and Shelah as Judah’s sons by Bath-shua the Canaanite. The narrative contrasts with Abraham’s command in Genesis 24:3 against taking a Canaanite wife, while the verb "saw" mirrors the descriptive sequence of Genesis 3:6.
Why it lands — The passage records a factual marital union without immediate narrative judgment. It requires the reader to track the tension between patriarchal precedent and the ongoing expansion of Judah’s lineage through non-Israelite women.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.
Cross-references
- 1 Chronicles 2:3 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.
- Genesis 24:3 and I will have you swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I am dwelling,
- Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.
- Genesis 6:2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as wives whomever they chose.
- Genesis 6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and afterward as well—when the sons of God had relations with the daughters of men. And they bore them children who became the mighty men of old, men of renown.
- Genesis 34:2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.
- 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.
- Judges 14:2 So he returned and told his father and mother, “I have seen a daughter of the Philistines in Timnah. Now get her for me as a wife.”
- Judges 16:1 One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute and went in to spend the night with her.
- 2 Samuel 11:2 One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.