Genesis 38:14 nasb — So she removed her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Ena…

NASB

"So she removed her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife."

— Genesis 38:14, NASB

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Genesis 38:14 in Other Translations

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  • KJV

    “And she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.”

  • ASV

    “And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife. ”

  • WEB

    “She took off of her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she wasn't given to him as a wife.”

  • NET

    “So she removed her widow’s clothes and covered herself with a veil. She wrapped herself and sat at the entrance to Enaim which is on the way to Timnah.(She did this because she saw that she had not been given to Shelah as a wife, even though he had now grown up.)”

  • BBE

    “She took off her widow's clothing, and covering herself with her veil, she took her seat near Enaim on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was now a man, but she had not been made his wife.”

Genesis 38 — Context

11

Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Remain a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah grows up"; for he thought, "I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers." So Tamar went and lived in her father's house.

12

Now after a considerable time Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

13

It was told to Tamar, "Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep."

14

So she removed her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.

15

When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, for she had covered her face.

16

So he turned aside to her by the road, and said, "Here now, let me come in to you"; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, "What will you give me, that you may come in to me?"

17

He said, therefore, "I will send you a young goat from the flock." She said, moreover, "Will you give a pledge until you send it?"

Genesis 38:14 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Genesis 38:14 say?
Genesis 38:14 in the NASB reads: “So she removed her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.”
Where is Genesis 38:14 in the Bible?
Genesis 38:14 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Genesis, chapter 38, verse 14.
Who wrote Genesis?
Genesis is traditionally attributed to Moses (traditional). Anciently attributed to Moses; many modern scholars view Genesis as a compilation of older oral and written sources finalized in or after the Babylonian exile. It was written c. 1446–1406 BC.
What is the book of Genesis about?
Genesis is the book of beginnings — the origin of the universe, humanity, sin, and the covenant family God chose to bless the nations. It traces creation, the fall, the flood, and the lives of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, laying the foundation for the rest of Scripture and pointing forward to the redemption that comes through the promised seed.
What are the major themes of Genesis?
Genesis explores themes including Creation, Fall, Covenant, Faith, Family, Promise. These themes shape the meaning and context of Genesis 38:14.
What translation should I read Genesis 38:14 in?
Genesis 38:14 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Genesis 38:14?
Genesis 38:14 reads (NASB): “So she removed her widow's garments and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gateway of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him as a wife.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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