“Now the sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.”
This verse is a part of a larger passage in the book of Numbers that records the second census taken by Moses of the Israelites while they were in the wilderness.
The purpose of this census was to determine the number of men who were eligible for military service among the twelve tribes of Israel:each tribe was counted, and their respective genealogies were documented.
In this specific verse, the focus is on the tribe of Judah:it mentions two of Judah’s sons, Er and Onan.
However, it provides a rather brief and enigmatic statement: “Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.”
To understand the significance of this verse, we need to refer to previous passages in the Bible.
The story of Er and Onan is found in Genesis 38, which describes the lineage of Judah:Er, the eldest son of Judah, married a woman named Tamar.
However, he was wicked in the sight of the Lord, so God put him to death.
Following the custom of levirate marriage, Er’s brother, Onan, was expected to father a child with Tamar to preserve Er’s lineage.
However, Onan refused to fulfill this duty and practiced a form of contraception during the sexual act.
This displeased God, and as a consequence, Onan also died.
The reference to their deaths in Numbers 26:12 serves as a reminder of the consequences of their actions and how they affected the subsequent generations of the tribe of Judah:it serves as a historical record to emphasize that these two sons of Judah did not leave behind any descendants to be counted in the census.
It also highlights the importance of obedience and the consequences of disobedience to God’s commands.
Overall, Numbers 26:12 contributes to the genealogical account of the tribes of Israel:it provides a brief reference to the fate of two individuals, Er and Onan, within the tribe of Judah, reminding readers of their actions and the consequences they faced.
