Genesis 38:2

38:2 There Judah saw the daughter of a Canaanite man ¹  named Shua. ²  Judah acquired her as a wife ³  and had marital relations with her. ⁴ 

Genesis 38:7-8

38:7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord killed him.

38:8 Then Judah said to Onan, “Have sexual relations with ⁵  your brother’s wife and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her so that you may raise ⁶  up a descendant for your brother.” ⁷ 

Genesis 44:14

44:14 So Judah and his brothers ⁸  came back to Joseph’s house. He was still there, ⁹  and they threw themselves to the ground before him.

Genesis 46:28

46:28 Jacob ¹⁰  sent Judah before him to Joseph to accompany him to Goshen. ¹¹  So they came to the land of Goshen.

Genesis 49:8-9

49:8 Judah, ¹²  your brothers will praise you.

Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies,

your father’s sons will bow down before you.

49:9 You are a lion’s cub, Judah,

from the prey, my son, you have gone up.

He crouches and lies down like a lion;

like a lioness – who will rouse him?

[38:2]  ¹ tn Heb “a man, a Canaanite.”

[38:2]  ² tn Heb “and his name was Shua.”

[38:2]  ³ tn Heb “and he took her.”

[38:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “and he went to her.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “go to.” The expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:8]  ⁶ tn The imperative with the prefixed conjunction here indicates purpose.

[38:8]  ⁷ sn Raise up a descendant for your brother. The purpose of this custom, called the levirate system, was to ensure that no line of the family would become extinct. The name of the deceased was to be maintained through this custom of having a child by the nearest relative. See M. Burrows, “Levirate Marriage in Israel,” JBL 59 (1940): 23-33.

[44:14]  ⁹ sn Judah and his brothers. The narrative is already beginning to bring Judah to the forefront.

[44:14]  ¹⁰ tn The disjunctive clause here provides supplemental information.

[46:28]  ¹³ tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[46:28]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “to direct before him to Goshen.”

[49:8]  ¹⁷ sn There is a wordplay here; the name Judah (יְהוּדָה, yÿhudah) sounds in Hebrew like the verb translated praise (יוֹדוּךָ, yodukha). The wordplay serves to draw attention to the statement as having special significance.