Onan
malePatriarchalMeaning: “Strong; vigorous”
The second son of Judah, who refused the duty of raising up offspring for his dead brother Er and was put to death by the LORD.
Biography
Onan was the second son of Judah. After his elder brother Er died, custom required Onan to marry the widow Tamar and raise up an heir to carry on his brother's name. But Onan, unwilling to father a child who would not be counted as his own, repeatedly evaded the duty. "The thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also" (Genesis 38:9–10). His refusal left Tamar still without an heir, deepening the injustice she suffered until she finally acted to secure her rights.
Life Timeline
Refuses his duty to Tamar and is slain by the LORD
On the Bible timeline
Onan belongs to the The Patriarchs era (c. 2100 – 1800 BC).
- c. 2091 BCThe Call of Abraham
- c. 1898 BCJoseph Sold into Egypt
Family Tree
Drag to pan · use + / − to zoom · tap the + on a relative to expand a generation · click anyone to open their page
Themes & lessons from Onan
Biblical themes that run through the passages where Onan appears.
People they appear with
Scripture Appearances
6 verses in 3 booksGenesis4 verses
Genesis 38:4
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
Genesis 38:8
And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.
Genesis 38:9
And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brother.
Genesis 46:12
And the sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Pharez, and Zerah: but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Pharez were Hezron and Hamul.
Numbers1 verse
Numbers 26:19
The sons of Judah were Er and Onan: and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
1 Chronicles1 verse
1 Chronicles 2:3
The sons of Judah; Er, and Onan, and Shelah: which three were born unto him of the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and he slew him.
Frequently asked about Onan
Who was Onan in the Bible?
The second son of Judah, who refused the duty of raising up offspring for his dead brother Er and was put to death by the LORD.
What does the name Onan mean?
The name Onan means “Strong; vigorous”.
Who were Onan's parents?
Onan was the child of Judah.
Where does Onan appear in the Bible?
Onan is mentioned 6 times across 3 books: Genesis, Numbers, 1 Chronicles.
What can we learn from Onan?
The story of Onan touches on themes of onan, inheritance, shelah, jacob — explore each to study the lessons drawn from Onan's life.
Sermon Mate
Teaching on Onan?
Organize your sermon notes, link Scripture passages, and build your outline in Sermon Mate — the workspace for ministry leaders.
Open Sermon Mate →