Onan אוֹנָן
Son of Judah
Who is Onan in the Bible?
Onan was the second son of Judah and his Canaanite wife, mentioned in Genesis 38 and in the genealogies of Judah (Genesis 46:12; Numbers 26:19; 1 Chronicles 2:3). After his older brother Er died, Judah commanded Onan to marry Er's widow, Tamar, and produce an heir for his brother, as was customary (Genesis 38:8). However, Onan refused to fulfill this duty, practicing coitus interruptus to prevent Tamar from bearing a child that would not legally be his own (Genesis 38:9). God was displeased with Onan's selfishness and wickedness, and struck him dead (Genesis 38:10). Onan's death is significant because it left Tamar without an heir and prompted the events that followed, ultimately leading to Judah himself fathering twin sons, Perez and Zerah, with Tamar, placing Onan's line within the genealogy of Jesus Christ.
Biography
Onan was the second son of Judah and his Canaanite wife, the daughter of Shua (Gen.38.4; 1Ch.2.3). After the death of his older brother Er, Judah instructed Onan to marry Er's widow, Tamar, and produce an heir for his brother (Gen.38.8). However, Onan, knowing that the child would not be his own, practiced coitus interruptus to avoid providing an heir for his brother (Gen.38.9). This act was displeasing to the Lord, and as a result, God put Onan to death (Gen.38.10). Onan's death left Tamar without an heir and set the stage for the unusual events that followed, which ultimately led to the birth of Perez and Zerah, twin sons of Judah and Tamar (Gen.38.27-30). Onan is also mentioned in the genealogies of Judah (Gen.46.12; Num.26.19; 1Ch.2.3).
Family
Parents
Siblings
- Er Tribe of JudahSon of JudahJudah's firstborn son, killed by God for his wickedness.View full profile →
- Shelah Tribe of JudahSon of JudahJudah's youngest son and his descendantsView full profile →
- Perez Tribe of JudahSon of JudahSon of Judah, ancestor of David and JesusView full profile →
- Zerah Tribe of JudahJudah's sonSon of Judah, twin of PerezView full profile →
In Scripture
3 biblical books ; 1 with study contentGenesis 4 verses
- Genesis 38:4
"Again she conceived and gave birth to a son, and she named him Onan."
Study Genesis → - Genesis 38:8
"Then Judah said to Onan, “Sleep with your brother’s wife. Perform your duty as her brother-in-law and raise up offspring for your brother.”"
Study Genesis → - Genesis 38:9
"But Onan knew that the offspring would not belong to him; so whenever he would sleep with his brother’s wife, he would spill his seed on the ground so that he would not produce offspring for his brother."
Study Genesis → - 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."
Study Genesis →
Numbers 1 verse
- Numbers 26:19
"The sons of Judah were Er and Onan, but they died in the land of Canaan."
1 Chronicles 1 verse
- 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."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | אוֹנָן |
Onan
um.26.19">Nu 26:19; 1Ch 2:3); "The story of the untimely death of Er and Onan implies that two of the ancient clans of Judah early disappeared" (Curtis, Chron, 84). See Skinner, Gen, 452, where it is pointed out that in Ge 38:11 Judah plainly attributes the death of his sons in some way to Tamar herself. The name is allied to Onam.
wun.
See NUMBER.
o-nes'-i-mus (Onesimos, literally, "profitable," "helpful" (Col 4:9; <ref osisRef="Bib