The Meaning of Genesis 38:23 Explained

Genesis 38:23

KJV: And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

YLT: and Judah saith, 'Let her take to herself, lest we become despised; lo, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.'

Darby: Then Judah said, Let her take it for herself, lest we be put to shame. Behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

ASV: And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be put to shame: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Judah  said,  Let her take  [it] to her, lest we be shamed:  behold, I sent  this kid,  and thou hast not found  her. 

What does Genesis 38:23 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Genesis 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 38:23 mean?

And said Judah let her take [them] for herself lest we be shamed For I sent young goat this and you not have found her
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוּדָה֙ תִּֽקַּֽח־ לָ֔הּ פֶּ֖ן נִהְיֶ֣ה לָב֑וּז הִנֵּ֤ה שָׁלַ֙חְתִּי֙ הַגְּדִ֣י הַזֶּ֔ה וְאַתָּ֖ה לֹ֥א מְצָאתָֽהּ

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוּדָה֙  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
תִּֽקַּֽח־  let  her  take  [them] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
לָ֔הּ  for  herself 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
פֶּ֖ן  lest 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
נִהְיֶ֣ה  we  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לָב֑וּז  shamed 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בּוּז  
Sense: contempt.
שָׁלַ֙חְתִּי֙  I  sent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
הַגְּדִ֣י  young  goat 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: גְּדִי  
Sense: kid, young male goat.
הַזֶּ֔ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וְאַתָּ֖ה  and  you 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
מְצָאתָֽהּ  have  found  her 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.