Lexical Definition
עֵר ʻÊr (ayr) Er N:N-M-P
from עוּר; watchful
Er.
- § Er = "awake"
- Er, the name of two Israelites
1) the eldest son of Judah
2) son of Shelah and grandson of Judah
See Greek: Ἤρ
Extended Information
- A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.38.3
- son of: Judah (יְהוּדָה) and Bath-shua (בַּת)
- brother of: Onan (אוֹנָן) and Shelah (שֵׁלָה)
- half-brother of: Perez (פֶּרֶץ) and Zerah (זֶרַח); married to Tamar (תָּמָר)
Brown-Driver-Briggs
עֵר proper name, masculine Ηρ (compare עוּר Qal Participle); —
1. eldest son of Judah Gen 38:3; Gen 38:6 = 1Chr 2:3 (twice in verse), Gen 38:7; Gen 46:12 (twice in verse); Num 26:19 (twice in verse)
2. son of Judah's son Shelah 1Chr 4:21. — See also Qal Participle עֵר above
Brown-Driver-Briggs References
| Book | Refs |
|---|---|
| Genesis | 38:3 · 38:6 · 38:7 · 46:12 |
| Numbers | 26:19 |
| 1 Chronicles | 2:3 · 4:21 |
Profile
Male • Son of Judah • Judah's firstborn son, killed by God for his wickedness.
Man living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness
Er, Judah's firstborn son, was killed by God because of his wickedness.
- A man from the tribe of Judah living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.38.3;
- only referred to as Er עֵר;
- son of Judah יְהוּדָה and Bath-shua בַּת;
- a brother of Onan אוֹנָן and Shelah שֵׁלָה;
- half-brother of: Perez פֶּרֶץ and Zerah זֶרַח;
- husband of Tamar תָּמָר.
Er was the firstborn son of Judah and his Canaanite wife, the daughter of Shua (Gen. 38:3; 1 Ch. 2:3). He married Tamar, but the Lord put him to death because of his wickedness (Gen. 38:6-7). The nature of his wickedness is not specified in the text.
After Er's death, Judah instructed his second son, Onan, to marry Tamar and produce offspring for his deceased brother, a practice known as levirate marriage (Gen. 38:8). However, Onan also displeased the Lord and was put to death (Gen. 38:9-10).
Er is mentioned again in the genealogy of Judah (Gen. 46:12; Num. 26:19; 1 Ch. 2:3), which highlights the significance of his lineage despite his early death. His inclusion in these genealogies emphasizes the importance of Judah's descendants, particularly in light of the Messianic promise that would ultimately be fulfilled through this tribe (Gen. 49:10).
All entries for Er: עֵר