What does Genesis 38:4 mean?
Judah was one of the sons of Jacob (Genesis 29:25) who sold their younger brother, Joseph, as a slave (Genesis 37:26–28). Not long after this, Judah moved away from the family into an area called Adullam (Genesis 38:1). There, he took a wife from the Canaanite people (Genesis 38:2), going against God's will for the sons of Israel (Genesis 28:1; Deuteronomy 7:1–4). Though this was not yet an explicit law, marrying into pagan Canaanite culture was something against which God had already spoken. Judah's Canaanite wife has given birth to a son name Er, and now bears a second son.Onan's name has been attached to a particular practice—sometimes called Onanism—which has been the subject of controversy within the Christian church. Later in this chapter, the reason for his unfortunate reputation will become clear (Genesis 38:8–10).