Bible Compass
Log inGet started
Back to the chapter

Genesis 38:16

Sin

14 she removed her widow’s garments, covered her face with a veil to disguise herself, and sat at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that although Shelah had grown up, she had not been given to him as a wife.

15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute because she had covered her face.

Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “What will you give me for sleeping with you?” she inquired.

17 “I will send you a young goat from my flock,” Judah answered. But she replied, “Only if you leave me something as a pledge until you send it.”

18 “What pledge should I give you?” he asked. She answered, “Your seal and your cord, and the staff in your hand.” So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.

Read the whole chapter

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “What will you give me for sleeping with you?” she inquired.
KJV
And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?
WEB
He turned to her by the way, and said, “Please come, let me come in to you,” for he didn’t know that she was his daughter-in-law. She said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”
ASV
And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee: for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?
DARBY
And he turned aside to her by the way, and said, Come, I pray thee, let me go in to thee; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in to me?
BLB
And he turned aside to her by the way and said, “Come now, please, let me come in to you.” For he did not know that she [was] his daughter-in-law. And she said, “What will you give to me that you may come in to me?”
ÅB
Så bøyde han av fra veien og gikk bort til henne og sa: Kom, la meg gå inn til deg! For han visste ikke at det var hans sønnekone. Da sa hun: Hva vil du gi meg for å gå inn til meg?
OTB
Uten å vite at hun var hans svigerdatter, gikk han bort til henne ved veien og sa: "Kom nå, la meg ha samkvem med deg." Hun spurte: "Hva vil du gi meg for å ha samkvem med meg?"
B1930
Så bøide han av fra veien og gikk bort til henne og sa: Kom, la mig gå inn til dig! For han visste ikke at det var hans sønnekone. Da sa hun: Hvad vil du gi mig for å gå inn til mig?

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 1 Timothy 6:10

    For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

    Read in context

  • Matthew 26:15

    and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.

    Read in context

  • 2 Samuel 13:11

    And when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said, “Come lie with me, my sister!”

    Read in context

  • Ezekiel 16:33

    Men give gifts to all their prostitutes, but you gave gifts to all your lovers. You bribed them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.

    Read in context

  • Deuteronomy 23:18

    You must not bring the wages of a prostitute, whether female or male, into the house of the LORD your God to fulfill any vow, because both are detestable to the LORD your God.

    Read in context