Numbers 26:19
The sons of Judah were Er and Onan: and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
Original Language Analysis
בְּנֵ֥י
The sons
H1121
בְּנֵ֥י
The sons
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
1 of 9
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
יְהוּדָ֖ה
of Judah
H3063
יְהוּדָ֖ה
of Judah
Strong's:
H3063
Word #:
2 of 9
jehudah (or judah), the name of five israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territory
וַיָּ֥מָת
died
H4191
וַיָּ֥מָת
died
Strong's:
H4191
Word #:
5 of 9
to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill
Historical Context
Er and Onan died c. 1900 BC during the patriarchal period, long before the Exodus (c. 1446 BC). Moses includes this historical note to explain why Pharez's line dominated Judah's genealogy—from Pharez came Hezron, Ram, Nahshon (Exodus 6:23), and eventually David. God's sovereignty overruled human sin to accomplish His redemptive purposes.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's judgment on Er and Onan demonstrate that participation in the covenant community doesn't guarantee individual salvation apart from personal righteousness?
- What does the survival of Judah's messianic line despite the deaths of his firstborn sons teach about God's sovereignty over human failure?
- Why does Moses include this ancient historical note in a census of the conquest generation, and what does it teach about the continuity of redemptive history?
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Analysis & Commentary
Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan—This parenthetical statement explains why Judah's genealogy begins with Shelah (v. 20) rather than the firstborn. Er was slain by the LORD for wickedness (Genesis 38:7), and Onan died for refusing levirate duty (Genesis 38:9-10). Both deaths preceded the Exodus by centuries, yet Moses records them to explain Judah's tribal structure.
The Hebrew verb wayāmūṯ (they died) appears without elaboration, but Genesis reveals these were divine judgments. Their deaths in the land of Canaan (before Israel's Egyptian sojourn) meant their lines didn't continue—a sobering reminder that covenant privilege doesn't guarantee individual salvation. Yet through their brother Shelah and Pharez, Judah's messianic line continued to David and ultimately Christ (Matthew 1:3).