Bible Strands
Genesis 38:21
He asked the men of that place, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “No shrine prostitute has been here,” they answered.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Judah’s agent Hirah questions local residents about a specific cult prostitute near Enaim while searching for the collateral Judah left with her.
The words — The Hebrew verb וַיִּשְׁאַל (va.yish'al) means "he asked," and הַקְּדֵשָׁה (ha.qedešâ) literally denotes a "cult prostitute" or shrine prostitute.
The thread — The inquiry and its negative response directly bridge Genesis 38:20 and Genesis 38:22, forming a single narrative unit about the failed recovery of Judah’s deposit.
Why it lands — The text records a straightforward factual denial that halts Judah’s immediate plan, requiring the reader to track how concealed circumstances drive the subsequent genealogical developments.
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
Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.