Genesis 38:21

Verse

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.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Bible in Basic English

And he put questions to the men of the place, saying, Where is the loose woman who was in Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There was no such woman there.

Douay-Rheims 1899

Asked 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,

Free Bible Version

Hirah asked the men there, “Where's the cult prostitute that sits by the entrance road to Enaim?” “There's no cult prostitute here,” they answered.

Geneva Bible 1599

Then asked he the men of that place, saying, Where is ye whore, that sate in Enaim by the way side? And they answered, There was no whore here.

King James (Authorized) Version

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.

One Unity Resource 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.”

Translation for Translators

So he asked the men who lived there, “Where is the prostitute who was sitting by the road at Enaim?” They replied, “There has never been a prostitute here!”

Unlocked Literal Bible

Then the Adullamite asked the men of the place, “Where is the cultic prostitute who was at Enaim by the road?” They said, “There has not been a cultic prostitute here.”

Noah Webster 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.

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.”

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.'

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.

Sermons

(Through the Bible) Exodus 1-5

Chuck Smith

1.8K

Summary

In this verse, Judah sends a young goat to fulfill his promise to Tamar, but the woman is nowhere to be found. This situation reveals Judah's lack of integrity and responsibility in keeping his word. It also highlights the deception and cunning actions of Tamar, who had disguised herself to trick Judah. The unfolding events in this chapter foreshadow the complex family dynamics and moral challenges faced by the descendants of Jacob, illustrating the consequences of deceit and unfaithfulness.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
John Gill

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Where is the harlot that was openly by the wayside? - Our translators often render different Hebrew words by the same term in English, and thus many important shades of meaning, which involve traits of character, are lost. In Gen 38:15, Tamar is called a harlot, זונה zonah, which, as we have already seen, signifies a person who prostitutes herself for money. In this verse she is called a harlot in our version; but the original is not זונה but קדשה kedeshah, a holy or consecrated person, from קדש kadash, to make holy, or to consecrate to religious purposes. And the word here must necessarily signify a person consecrated by prostitution to the worship of some impure goddess. The public prostitutes in the temple of Venus are called ἱεροδουλοι γυναικες, holy or consecrated female servants, by Strabo; and it appears from the words zonah and kedeshah above, that impure rites and public prostitution prevailed in the worship of the Canaanites in the time of Judah. And among these people we have much reason to believe that Astarte and Asteroth occupied the same place in their theology as Venus did among the Greeks and Romans, and were worshipped with the same impure rites.

Genesis 38:21

Judah and Tamar

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

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.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Bible in Basic English

And he put questions to the men of the place, saying, Where is the loose woman who was in Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There was no such woman there.

Douay-Rheims 1899

Asked 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,

Free Bible Version

Hirah asked the men there, “Where's the cult prostitute that sits by the entrance road to Enaim?” “There's no cult prostitute here,” they answered.

Geneva Bible 1599

Then asked he the men of that place, saying, Where is ye whore, that sate in Enaim by the way side? And they answered, There was no whore here.

King James (Authorized) Version

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.

One Unity Resource 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.”

Translation for Translators

So he asked the men who lived there, “Where is the prostitute who was sitting by the road at Enaim?” They replied, “There has never been a prostitute here!”

Unlocked Literal Bible

Then the Adullamite asked the men of the place, “Where is the cultic prostitute who was at Enaim by the road?” They said, “There has not been a cultic prostitute here.”

Noah Webster 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.

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.”

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.'

Genesis 38:21

Verse

Context

Judah and Tamar

Sermons

Summary

Commentary

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Genesis 38:21

Judah and Tamar

(Through the Bible) Exodus 1-5

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary