Genesis 38:9-10

38:9 But Onan knew that the child ¹  would not be considered his. ²  So whenever ³  he had sexual relations with ⁴  his brother’s wife, he withdrew prematurely ⁵  so as not to give his brother a descendant. 38:10 What he did was evil in the Lord’s sight, so the Lord ⁶  killed him too.

[38:9]  ¹ tn Heb “offspring.”

[38:9]  ² tn Heb “would not be his,” that is, legally speaking. Under the levirate system the child would be legally considered the child of his deceased brother.

[38:9]  ³ tn The construction shows that this was a repeated practice and not merely one action.

[38:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “he went to.” This expression is a euphemism for sexual intercourse.

[38:9]  ⁵ tn Heb “he spoiled [his semen] to the ground.” Onan withdrew prematurely and ejaculated on the ground to prevent his brother’s widow from becoming pregnant.

[38:10]  ⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.