New International Version He asked the men who lived there, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “There hasn’t been any shrine prostitute here,” they said. New Living Translation So he asked the men who lived there, “Where can I find the shrine prostitute who was sitting beside the road at the entrance to Enaim?” “We’ve never had a shrine prostitute here,” they replied. English Standard Version And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.” Berean Standard Bible He asked the men of that place, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “No shrine prostitute has been here,” they answered. Berean Literal Bible And he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the temple prostitute—she was in Enaim by the way?” And they said, “There has not been a temple prostitute in this place.” King James Bible Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place. New King James Version Then he asked the men of that place, saying, “Where is the harlot who was openly by the roadside?” And they said, “There was no harlot in this place.” New American Standard Bible He asked the people of her place, saying, “Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?” But they said, “There has been no temple prostitute here.” NASB 1995 He asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?” But they said, “There has been no temple prostitute here.” NASB 1977 And he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?” But they said, “There has been no temple prostitute here.” Legacy Standard Bible So he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the cult prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?” But they said, “There has been no cult prostitute here.” Amplified Bible He asked the men of that place, “Where is the temple prostitute who was by the roadside at Enaim?” They said, “There was no prostitute here.” Berean Annotated Bible He asked the men of that place, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim (double spring)? “No shrine prostitute has been here, they answered. Christian Standard Bible He asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim? ” “There has been no cult prostitute here,” they answered. Holman Christian Standard Bible He asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?"” There has been no cult prostitute here,” they answered. American Standard Version Then he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There hath been no prostitute here. Contemporary English Version Hirah asked the people of Enaim, "Where is the prostitute who sat along the road outside your town?" "There's never been one here," they answered. English Revised Version Then he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was at Enaim by the way side? And they said, There hath been no harlot here. GOD'S WORD® Translation He asked the men of that area, "Where's that prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?" "There's no prostitute here," they answered. Good News Translation He asked some men at Enaim, "Where is the prostitute who was here by the road?" "There has never been a prostitute here," they answered. International Standard Version He asked the men who lived in that area, "Where's that temple prostitute who was sitting alongside the road at Enaim?" But they replied, "There's been no temple prostitute here." NET Bible He asked the men who were there, "Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim by the road?" But they replied, "There has been no cult prostitute here." New Heart English Bible Then he asked the men of the place, saying, "Where is the prostitute that was at Enaim by the road?" They said, "There has been no prostitute here." Webster's Bible Translation Then he asked the men of that place, saying, where is the harlot that was openly by the way-side? and they said, There was no harlot in this place. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleHe asked the men of that place, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “No shrine prostitute has been here,” they answered. World English Bible Then he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the road?” They said, “There has been no prostitute here.” Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd he asks the men of her place, saying, “Where [is] the separated one—she in Enayim, by the way?” And they say, “There has not been in this [place] a separated one.” Berean Literal Bible And he asked the men of her place, saying, “Where is the temple prostitute—she was in Enaim by the way?” And they said, “There has not been a temple prostitute in this place.” Young's Literal Translation And he asketh the men of her place, saying, 'Where is the separated one -- she in Enayim, by the way?' and they say, 'There hath not been in this place a separated one.' Smith's Literal Translation And he will ask the men of the place, saying, Where the harlot, she in the eyes upon the way? and they will say, No harlot was here. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims Bibleasked the men of that place : Where is the woman that sat in the cross way? And when they all made answer: There was no harlot in this place, Catholic Public Domain Version he questioned the men of that place: “Where is the woman who sat at the crossroad?” And they all responded, “There has been no harlot in this place.” New American Bible So he asked the men of that place, “Where is the prostitute, the one by the roadside in Enaim?” But they answered, “No prostitute has been here.” New Revised Standard Version He asked the townspeople, “Where is the temple prostitute who was at Enaim by the wayside?” But they said, “No prostitute has been here.” Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThen he asked the men of the place, saying, Where is the harlot who sat at the parting of the road? And they said, There is no harlot here. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And he asked the men of the place and said, “Where is the harlot who dwelt at the parting of the roads?”, and they said “There is no harlot here.” OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Then he asked the men of her place, saying: 'Where is the harlot, that was at Enaim by the wayside?' And they said: 'There hath been no harlot here.' Brenton Septuagint Translation And he asked the men of the place, Where is the harlot who was in Aenan by the way-side? and they said, There was no harlot here. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible (Voice ▾ Musical ▾) Context Judah and Tamar…20Now when Judah sent his friend Hirah the Adullamite with the young goat to collect the items he had left with the woman, he could not find her. 21He asked the men of that place, “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” “No shrine prostitute has been here,” they answered. 22So Hirah returned to Judah and said, “I could not find her, and furthermore, the men of that place said, ‘No shrine prostitute has been here.’ ”… Cross References He asked the men of that place, Genesis 29:4-6 “My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds, “where are you from?” “We are from Haran,” they answered. / “Do you know Laban the grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked. “We know him,” they replied. / “Is he well?” Jacob inquired. “Yes,” they answered, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with his sheep.” 1 Samuel 9:11-13 And as they were climbing the hill to the city, they met some young women coming out to draw water and asked, “Is the seer here?” / “Yes, he is ahead of you,” they answered. “Hurry now, for today he has come to the city because the people have a sacrifice on the high place. / As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; after that, the guests will eat. Go up at once; you will find him.” “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” Deuteronomy 23:17-18 No daughter or son of Israel is to be a shrine prostitute. / 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. Proverbs 7:10-12 Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart. / She is loud and defiant; her feet do not remain at home. / Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner. Hosea 4:14 I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes. So a people without understanding will come to ruin. “No shrine prostitute has been here,” they answered. 2 Kings 23:7 He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the house of the LORD, where the women had woven tapestries for Asherah. 1 Kings 15:12 He banished the male shrine prostitutes from the land and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 1 Kings 14:24 There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land. They imitated all the abominations of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. Joshua 2:1 Then Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies from Shittim, saying, “Go, inspect the land, especially Jericho.” So they went and entered the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there. Judges 16:1 One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute and went in to spend the night with her. Leviticus 19:29 You must not defile your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will be prostituted and filled with depravity. Ezekiel 16:25 At the head of every street you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty. With increasing promiscuity, you spread your legs to all who passed by. Isaiah 23:16 “Take up your harp, stroll through the city, O forgotten harlot. Make sweet melody, sing many a song, so you will be remembered.” Jeremiah 3:2 “Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been violated? You sat beside the highways waiting for your lovers, like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness. Revelation 17:1-5 Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. / The kings of the earth were immoral with her, and those who dwell on the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her immorality.” / And the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, where I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. … Matthew 21:31-32 Which of the two did the will of his father?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. / For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him. Treasury of Scripture Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place. openly by the way side. Jeremiah 38:14 Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me. Jump to Previous Enaim Harlot Hasn't Loose Openly Prostitute Questions Road Separated Shrine Side Temple Way Wayside Way-SideJump to Next Enaim Harlot Hasn't Loose Openly Prostitute Questions Road Separated Shrine Side Temple Way Wayside Way-SideGenesis 38 1. Judah begets Er, Onan, and Shelah.6. Er's marriage with Tamar, and death. 8. The trespass of Onan. 11. Tamar is reserved for Shelah. 12. Judah's wife dies. 13. Tamar deceives Judah. 27. She bears twins, Pharez and Zarah. He asked the men of that place, Hirah the Adullamite searched for the woman Judah had promised to pay. Asking the local men was a natural way to locate someone who had been sitting beside a public road. Gen 29:4-6 “My brothers,” Jacob asked the shepherds… “Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?” Hirah identified her as a shrine prostitute, apparently assuming she was connected with local Canaanite religious practice. Judah had met Tamar there at Enaim (“eyes” or “springs”) while she was veiled and believed her to be such a woman. Deu 23:17-18 No daughter or son of Israel is to be a shrine prostitute.… “No shrine prostitute has been here,” they answered. The men of Enaim knew of no shrine prostitute at that location. Tamar had returned to her home after receiving Judah’s pledge, leaving Hirah unable to complete the payment or recover Judah’s signet, cord, and staff. 2Ki 23:7 He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes… Persons / Places / Events 1. JudahOne of the twelve sons of Jacob, Judah is a central figure in this chapter. His actions and decisions are pivotal to the account. 2. Tamar Judah's daughter-in-law, who disguises herself as a prostitute to secure her rights and future within Judah's family line. 3. Enaim A location mentioned in the account, where Tamar positions herself to encounter Judah. 4. The Men of Enaim They are the ones questioned by Judah's friend about the whereabouts of the supposed shrine prostitute. 5. The Shrine Prostitute A term used in the account, though it is revealed that no such person was present, highlighting the deception involved. Teaching Points Understanding Cultural ContextRecognize the cultural and historical context of shrine prostitution in ancient Near Eastern societies and its implications for the account. The Consequences of Deception Reflect on how deception, even when seemingly justified, can lead to complex and unintended consequences. God's Sovereignty in Imperfect Situations Consider how God can work through flawed human actions to fulfill His purposes, as seen in the inclusion of Tamar in the lineage of Christ. The Importance of Justice and Rights Tamar's actions highlight the importance of justice and securing one's rights, especially for marginalized individuals in society. Repentance and Redemption Judah's eventual acknowledgment of his wrongdoing and Tamar's vindication point to themes of repentance and redemption. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Genesis 38:21?2. How does Genesis 38:21 illustrate the consequences of deception and immorality? 3. What cultural practices in Genesis 38:21 influence Judah's actions and decisions? 4. How does Genesis 38:21 connect with the broader narrative of Judah's lineage? 5. What lessons from Genesis 38:21 can guide our interactions with others today? 6. How can Genesis 38:21 encourage us to uphold integrity in challenging situations? 7. Why does Genesis 38:21 mention a prostitute in Judah's lineage? 8. How does Genesis 38:21 fit into the broader narrative of Genesis? 9. What cultural practices are reflected in Genesis 38:21? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 38? (21) Where is the harlot . . .?--Heb.,Whercisthe kedeshah (see Genesis 38:15) that was at Enajim by the wayside? "Enajim (the two founts) by-the-wayside," seems to have been the full name of the village. (See Genesis 38:14.)Verse 21. - Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, - literally, the consecrated, the prostitute being regarded as "one devoted to the worship of Astarte, a goddess of the Canaanites, the deification of the generative and productive principle of nature," corresponding to the Babylonian Ashtarte, whose worship was of a grossly libidinous character (Herod., 1:199). Cf. Deuteronomy 23:19; Numbers 25:1; Hosea 4:14; and vide Keil on REFERENCE_WORK:Keil & DelitzschDeuteronomy 23:19 that was openly by the way side? - or, that was in Enajim on the way, ut supra, ver. 14). And they said, There was no harlot (or kedeshah) in this place. Genesis 38:21 captures Hirah’s straightforward question and the villagers’ plain denial, spotlighting Judah’s hidden sin, Tamar’s calculated disguise, and God’s sovereign hand in bringing darkness into the light. The verse reminds believers that every detail of Scripture is historically precise, morally instructive, and ultimately designed to lead us to confession, righteousness, and the faithful lineage through which Messiah would come (Matthew 1:3). Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew He askedוַיִּשְׁאַ֞ל (way·yiš·’al) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 7592: To inquire, to request, to demand the men אַנְשֵׁ֤י (’an·šê) Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 582: Man, mankind of that place, מְקֹמָהּ֙ (mə·qō·māh) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition “Where אַיֵּ֧ה (’ay·yêh) Interrogative Strong's 346: Where? is the temple prostitute הַקְּדֵשָׁ֛ה (haq·qə·ḏê·šāh) Article | Adjective - feminine singular Strong's 6948: A female devotee who הִ֥וא (hî) Pronoun - third person feminine singular Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are was beside עַל־ (‘al-) Preposition Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against the road הַדָּ֑רֶךְ (had·dā·reḵ) Article | Noun - common singular Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action at Enaim?” בָעֵינַ֖יִם (ḇā·‘ê·na·yim) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 5879: Enaim -- 'two springs', a place in Israel “No לֹא־ (lō-) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no temple prostitute קְדֵשָֽׁה׃ (qə·ḏê·šāh) Adjective - feminine singular Strong's 6948: A female devotee has been הָיְתָ֥ה (hā·yə·ṯāh) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be here,” בָזֶ֖ה (ḇā·zeh) Preposition-b | Pronoun - masculine singular Strong's 2088: This, that they answered. לֵאמֹ֔ר (lê·mōr) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 559: To utter, say Additonal Resources Genesis 38:21 Blue Letter BibleGenesis 38:21 Bible Gateway Genesis 38:21 Bible.com Genesis 38:21 NIV |
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