Atomic Bible

Judah's firstborn son, killed by God for his wickedness.

Er

Named in 6 verses across 3 books, first in Genesis 38:3.

עֵרEr

The name means “watchman.” Hitchcock's Bible Names, 1869

Father
Judah
Mother
Bath-shua
Brothers and sisters
Onan, Shelah, Perez, Zerah
Married to
Tamar
People
Tribe of Judah

About Er Written by AI

Er was the firstborn son of Judah and his Canaanite wife, the daughter of Shua (Gen. 38:3; 1Ch. 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; 1Ch. 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).

Drafted by an AI model for STEPBible's TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Check it against the verses below.

GenesisMatthewRevelation

Where the Bible names him

  1. Genesis 38:3

    So she conceived and gave birth to a son, and Judah named him Er.

  2. Genesis 38:6

    Now Judah acquired a wife for Er, his firstborn, and her name was Tamar.

  3. Genesis 38:7

    But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; so the LORD put him to death.

  4. 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: Hezron and Hamul.

  5. Numbers 26:19

    The sons of Judah were Er and Onan, but they died in the land of Canaan.

  6. 1 Chronicles 2:3

    The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, and Shelah. These three were born to him by Bath-shua the Canaanite. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death.

From STEPBible's TIPNR, Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0): names, family, references and the AI written article. Verse text is the BSB.