Bible Strands
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.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jacob records a formal genealogy of his household as the family prepares to descend into Egypt. This inventory lists the descendants of each patriarch to document the lineage moving from Canaan to Goshen.
The words — The Hebrew phrase וַיָּמָת (va.ya.mot) literally means "and he died" or "and they died," marking the termination of Er and Onan’s line. The term בְּנֵי (benei) functions as a standard genealogical marker translating to "sons of" or "descendants of."
The thread — The deaths of Er and Onan are previously documented in Genesis 38:7 and Genesis 38:10 as direct divine judgments. Judah’s lineage is first introduced in Genesis 29:35 when Leah names him to acknowledge God’s provision.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to note that family continuity depends on surviving branches when earlier generations are removed. It establishes Perez as the specific ancestral conduit through which the household count is preserved.
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 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.
Cross-references
- Genesis 29:35 And once more she conceived and gave birth to a son and said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah. Then Leah stopped having children.
- Genesis 38:7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so the LORD put him to death.
- Genesis 38:10 What he did was wicked in the sight of the LORD, so He put Onan to death as well.
- 1 Chronicles 4:21 The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the clans of the linen workers at Beth-ashbea,
- Genesis 38:1 About that time, Judah left his brothers and settled near a man named Hirah, an Adullamite.
- Genesis 38:24 About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has prostituted herself, and now she is pregnant.” “Bring her out!” Judah replied. “Let her be burned to death!”
- Genesis 49:8 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.
- Numbers 1:7 from Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab;
- Numbers 1:26 From the sons of Judah, according to the records of their clans and families, counting the names of all those twenty years of age or older who could serve in the army,
- Numbers 26:19 The sons of Judah were Er and Onan, but they died in the land of Canaan.