The Meaning of Genesis 38:12 Explained

Genesis 38:12

KJV: And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

YLT: And the days are multiplied, and the daughter of Shuah, Judah's wife, dieth; and Judah is comforted, and goeth up unto his sheep-shearers, he and Hirah his friend the Adullamite, to Timnath.

Darby: And as the days were multiplied, Judah's wife, the daughter of Shua, died. And Judah was comforted, and he went up to his sheep-shearers, to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

ASV: And in process of time Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And in process  of time  the daughter  of Shuah  Judah's  wife  died;  and Judah  was comforted,  and went up  unto his sheepshearers  to Timnath,  he and his friend  Hirah  the Adullamite. 

What does Genesis 38:12 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Gen 38

1  Judah begets Er, Onan, and Shelah
6  Er's marriage with Tamar, and death
8  The trespass of Onan
11  Tamar is reserved for Shelah
12  Judah's wife dies
13  Tamar deceives Judah
27  She bears twins, Pharez and Zarah

What do the individual words in Genesis 38:12 mean?

Now in the course of time died the daughter of Shua wife of Judah And was comforted Judah and went up to the shearers of sheep he and Hirah his friend the Adullamite at Timnah
וַיִּרְבּוּ֙ הַיָּמִ֔ים וַתָּ֖מָת בַּת־ שׁ֣וּעַ אֵֽשֶׁת־ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם יְהוּדָ֗ה וַיַּ֜עַל עַל־ גֹּֽזֲזֵ֤י צֹאנוֹ֙ ה֗וּא וְחִירָ֛ה רֵעֵ֥הוּ הָעֲדֻלָּמִ֖י תִּמְנָֽתָה

וַיִּרְבּוּ֙  Now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
הַיָּמִ֔ים  in  the  course  of  time 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וַתָּ֖מָת  died 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
בַּת־  the  daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
שׁ֣וּעַ  of  Shua 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שׁוּעַ  
Sense: father of Judah’s wife.
אֵֽשֶׁת־  wife 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
יְהוּדָ֑ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם  And  was  comforted 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָחַם  
Sense: to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort, be comforted.
יְהוּדָ֗ה  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וַיַּ֜עַל  and  went  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
גֹּֽזֲזֵ֤י  the  shearers 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: גָּזַז  
Sense: to shear, mow.
צֹאנוֹ֙  of  sheep 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צֹאן  
Sense: small cattle, sheep, sheep and goats, flock, flocks.
וְחִירָ֛ה  and  Hirah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חִירָה  
Sense: an Adullamite, the friend of Judah.
רֵעֵ֥הוּ  his  friend 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֵעַ  
Sense: friend, companion, fellow, another person.
הָעֲדֻלָּמִ֖י  the  Adullamite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֲדֻלָּמִי  
Sense: an inhabitant of Adullam.
תִּמְנָֽתָה  at  Timnah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: תִּמְנָה  
Sense: a town on the northern boundary of Judah later assigned to Dan.