Onan Summary
STEPBible TIPNR
Onan was the second son of Judah, who was punished by God for his wicked actions.
second-born son of Judah (GEN 38:4)
Lineage: God › Adam › Seth › Enos › Cainan › Mahalaleel › Jared › Enoch › Methuselah › Lamech › Noah › Shem › Arphaxad › Cainan › Salah › Eber › Peleg › Reu › Serug › Nahor › Terah › Abraham › Isaac › Jacob › Judah › Onan
Names
- en Onan
-
en
Onan
· Also called · H209 · GEN 38:4 powerful, intense
-
he
אוֹנָֽן
onan · H209 · GEN 38:4 powerful, intense
- he אוֹנָן · H0209
- el Αυναν Aunan · GEN 38:4
- bg Онан
SDA Books
Awaiting permission to publishLinked through an explicitly cited Bible passage
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Conditional birth estimate
Conditional birth bounds under generation assumptions; not attested parental ages, biological limits or a lifespan.
The anchors give incompatible conditional intervals. This calculation establishes no birth year.
Below are relatives with a selected birth year, the generations separating them, and the interval allowed by each anchor. Each relative’s page shows available dates and sources. The overall estimate uses the intersection of the allowed intervals.
| Relative / anchor year | Generations | Conditional interval |
|---|---|---|
| Jacob · 1835 BC Ancestor |
2 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1795 BC – 1745 BC |
| Isaac · 1895 BC Ancestor |
3 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1835 BC – 1760 BC |
| Rebekah · 1876 BC Ancestor |
3 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1816 BC – 1741 BC |
| Abraham · 1995 BC Ancestor |
4 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1915 BC – 1815 BC |
| Sarah · 1985 BC Ancestor |
4 20–45 years per generation |
c. 1905 BC – 1805 BC |
| Terah · 2125 BC Ancestor |
5 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2000 BC – 1475 BC |
| Nahor · 2156 BC Ancestor |
6 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2006 BC – 1376 BC |
| Haran · 2056 BC Ancestor |
6 25–130 years per generation |
c. 1906 BC – 1276 BC |
| Serug · 2186 BC Ancestor |
7 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2011 BC – 1276 BC |
| Reu · 2218 BC Ancestor |
8 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2018 BC – 1178 BC |
| Peleg · 2248 BC Ancestor |
9 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2023 BC – 1078 BC |
| Eber · 2282 BC Ancestor |
10 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2032 BC – 982 BC |
| Salah · 2312 BC Ancestor |
11 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2037 BC – 882 BC |
| Arphaxad · 2347 BC Ancestor |
13 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2022 BC – 657 BC |
| Shem · 2447 BC Ancestor |
14 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2097 BC – 627 BC |
| Noah · 2948 BC Ancestor |
15 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2573 BC – 998 BC |
| Lamech · 3130 BC Ancestor |
16 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2730 BC – 1050 BC |
| Methuselah · 3317 BC Ancestor |
17 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2892 BC – 1107 BC |
| Enoch · 3382 BC Ancestor |
18 25–130 years per generation |
c. 2932 BC – 1042 BC |
| Jared · 3544 BC Ancestor |
19 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3069 BC – 1074 BC |
| Mahalaleel · 3609 BC Ancestor |
20 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3109 BC – 1009 BC |
| Cainan · 3679 BC Ancestor |
21 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3154 BC – 949 BC |
| Cain · 4004 BC Ancestor |
21 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3479 BC – 1274 BC |
| Enos · 3769 BC Ancestor |
22 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3219 BC – 909 BC |
| Adam · 4004 BC Ancestor |
22 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3454 BC – 1144 BC |
| Eve · 4005 BC Ancestor |
22 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3455 BC – 1145 BC |
| Seth · 3874 BC Ancestor |
23 25–130 years per generation |
c. 3299 BC – 884 BC |
Belonged to (1)
Brother-in-law (1)
Sister-in-law (1)
Was killed by (1)
Onan Article
STEPBible TIPNR
Onan was the second son of Judah and his Canaanite wife, the daughter of Shua (Gen 38:4; 1Ch 2:3). After the death of his older brother Er, Judah instructed Onan to marry Er's widow, Tamar, and produce an heir for his brother (Gen 38:8). However, Onan, knowing that the child would not be his own, practiced coitus interruptus to avoid providing an heir for his brother (Gen 38:9). This act was displeasing to the Lord, and as a result, God put Onan to death (Gen 38:10). Onan's death left Tamar without an heir and set the stage for the unusual events that followed, which ultimately led to the birth of Perez and Zerah, twin sons of Judah and Tamar (Gen 38:27-30). Onan is also mentioned in the genealogies of Judah (Gen 46:12; Num 26:19; 1Ch 2:3).
Onan Dictionary
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Strong, the second son of Judah (Gen. 38:4-10; comp. Deut. 25:5; Matt. 22:24). He died before the going down of Jacob and his family into Egypt.
Sources: BibleData (CC BY 4.0, Onan_1) · STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0, Onan@Gen.38.4-1Ch) · Theographic Bible Metadata (CC BY-SA 4.0, onan_2250)