Onan אוֹנָן
Son of Judah
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 Study available
- Genesis 38:4
"She conceived again, and bore a son; and she named him Onan."
Study Genesis → - Genesis 38:8
"Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her, and raise up offspring for your brother.”"
Study Genesis → - Genesis 38:9
"Onan knew that the offspring wouldn’t be his; and when he went in to his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground, lest he should give offspring to 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 were Hezron and Hamul."
Study Genesis →
Numbers 1 verse
- Numbers 26:19
"The sons of Judah: Er and Onan. Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan."
1 Chronicles 1 verse
- 1 Chronicles 2:3
"The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah; which three were born to him of Shua’s daughter the Canaanitess. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in Yahweh’s sight; and he killed him."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | אוֹנָן | H0209 |
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