Genesis 38:9

⁷ And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

⁸ And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.

¹⁰ And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also.

¹¹ Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.

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: 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.
KJV: And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.
WEB: 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.
ASV: And Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother`s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother.
DARBY: But when Onan knew that the seed should not be his own, it came to pass when he went in to his brother's wife, that he spilled [it] on the ground, in order to give no seed to his brother.
BLB: And Onan knew that the seed would not belong to him. And it came to pass, when he went in to the wife of his brother, that he destroyed it on the earth, so that he would not give seed to his brother.

ÅB: Men Onan visste at avkommet ikke skulle høre ham til; når han derfor gikk inn til sin brors hustru, spilte han sæden på jorden for ikke å gi sin bror avkom.
OTB: Men Onan visste at ætten ikke ville bli hans; derfor lot han sin sæd gå til spille på jorden hver gang han hadde samkvem med sin brors kone, for å unngå å gi sin bror etterkommere.
B1930: Men Onan visste at avkommet ikke skulde høre ham til; når han derfor gikk inn til sin brors hustru, spilte han sæden på jorden for ikke å gi sin bror avkom.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

James 4:5
Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
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Deuteronomy 25:6
And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.
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James 3:16
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
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Titus 3:3
For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
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Job 5:2
For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.
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Proverbs 27:4
Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?
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James 3:14
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
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Ruth 4:10
Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.
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