Who is Onan in the Bible?
Onan
Onan in the Bible is a male character who lived in the Book of Genesis. He was married to Tamar but refused to bear her a child. This refusal to bear a child was an important law in the Israelites’ society. Because they had no Old Age Pensions or Social Security programs, children were responsible for their aging parents.
While the Jewish commentator Rashi interpreted Onan’s transgression as birth control, the Christian church rejected this interpretation of Onan. They argued that Onan was a sinner because he had abandoned his obligations to his dead brother. The child would have been his brother’s. In addition, Onan had violated the law of procreation.
The younger brother of Er, Onan was the son of Judah and Shua. Er was an unfaithful man who lived an amoral life. YHWH regarded him as a levirate, and therefore his death was the result of his sin. Because his brother Judah married Tamar, he triggered the levirate law, which required that his brother impregnate his sister. This would result in a first-born son carrying the name of the deceased man.
In addition to the legal ramifications of Onan’s sin, the law of levirate marriage was complicated and was the subject of much debate from ancient times. A simplified summary of the major events of the case of Onan’s sin is outlined below.
Tamar
The question of whether Tamar is onan in the Bible can be complicated. The law of levirate marriage has been a topic of controversy for centuries. The most likely scenario is that Onan married Tamar, but he did not get her pregnant. In the eyes of the Lord, this was a sin, and Onan deserved to die.
According to the Biblical text, the next oldest brother had to marry the widow, and the firstborn child of this marriage would be under Er’s line. But Onan was wicked and refused to have a child with Tamar. He treated Tamar very badly. He made her commit adultery and then was punished by God.
The story of Onan and Tamar is fascinating. It is the story of two wicked couples. One of them had married Canaanite women. This led to a family curse. The second son, Onan, was wicked. It is unknown how he sinned, but it must have been serious. God disapproved of Onan, and he was put to death.
King David’s descendants include Perez and Zerah, who both descend from Tamar. Tamar is also a good example of God’s prevailing mercy. God can use even the worst of men. This is because of his prevailing grace and the power of repentance.
Judah
In the Bible, the son of Jacob, Judah, marries a Canaanite woman, Tamar, and he has three sons, including Onan. The first son, Er, marries Tamar and later dies, but Judah tries to follow tradition and tries to marry Tamar’s widow to his next oldest son, Onan. However, Onan fails to have a child with Tamar and “spilled his seed on the ground.” The Lord considers this an evil action.
Although Judah’s family had many dysfunctional elements, it was still considered a viable institution and its members had a duty to look after each other. For example, when a relative died, the closest family members were supposed to take care of the widows. Onan’s sin is his refusal to provide for his deceased brother’s widow by giving her seed, and God punishes him accordingly.
Several revisionist exegetes believe that Onan did not commit any sinful act but simply refrained from sexual intercourse with his brother. However, this view does not support the Biblical account of Onan’s actions. Genesis does mention that Onan spilled seed in the ground, and a causal link is implied between the sexual act and the wrath.
Judah’s story is a powerful tale of faith and loyalty. God gave promise after promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and it seems as though his own sin had almost destroyed that promise. His father had to go four hundred miles to find a wife for Judah.
Levirate law
There is a conflict between the Levirate law and the principle of onan in the Bible. The biblical passage Genesis 38:9-10 shows Onan’s failure to have children and the Levirate law’s stance on levirate marriage. However, the Bible does not explicitly state that onan should never approach a woman for sexual intercourse. The author is likely to be referring to a different case, but the underlying principle is similar.
Levirate marriage is an ancient biblical tradition. According to the law, a levirate woman should marry a man from her family, and a man from another family is not permitted to marry someone who is not a member of his family. Several Biblical stories illustrate this concept. In the story of Tamar, the woman who was barren by her first husband, she was remarried to the son of a levirate man. Her husband had been a levirate man, but Judah made sure to follow the levirate law and make sure that his daughter-in-law was married to his son.
Another example of levirate law in the Bible is in the Book of Ruth. Naomi acknowledges Boaz as a redeemer, a family member who is appointed to protect the family’s property. Boaz was a kinsman of the late husband of Naomi and was thus obligated to take care of her. The levirate law is also exemplified when Tamar marries the eldest son of Judah. While she is married to the first son, she hoped to marry the second son, who would inherit his inheritance and rights.
Sin
In the Hebrew tradition, sin is a universal concept, and men are born with a predisposition toward evil. The Bible talks about sin in the plural, but the word itself has a singular meaning. In the Old Testament, sin is often described as separation from God, hatred of God, or servitude to the devil. The word is also used in the New Testament.
The word sin is related to the Hebrew word hamartia, which means “to wander or go beyond a limit.” In sports, a player who crosses the boundary line is considered out of bounds. In the Bible, sinful acts call for punishment. The penalty for transgression varies depending on the crime and the severity.
The biblical term hamartia is used to describe sin in many texts. In the New Testament, it is often personified. Another word is paraptoma, which means “offence.” Adikiva is a legal term for unrighteousness, which includes unjust acts and deeds. Other words that are used to describe sin include pesa’, which means “violation of rights” or “defiance of God”.
Original sin is the earthly origin of sin. This sin began with Adam’s disobedience. When he and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge, Adam and Eve fell into the true nature of sin. From that time on, humans have carried this burden of sin with them. Adam’s children also began to sin.
Punishment
Onan was a man who was disobedient to God’s laws about levirate marriage. He wanted the pleasure of sexual relations without the responsibility of procreation. This type of mentality is widespread today. Moreover, his actions were highly displeasing to God.
As a result, God struck him dead. Onan had married Tamar legally, but refused to allow her to have children with him. This was a grave offense to the LORD, who killed him in judgment. As a result, Tamar was forced to live with her father until her son Shelah was old enough to father children.
Historically, Onan’s sin was the basis for the modern term “Onanism”. However, this practice was not a pleasure or self-gratification act, but rather a method of avoiding responsibilities, particularly if the woman was married. Despite its contemporary ramifications, however, the punishment is still harsh.
In the Bible, Onan was killed because he did not reveal the dirty deeds he committed. This essentially put his family at risk, and his sons’ lives were threatened. Judah feared for his life when he did not know why Onan had been killed.
Punishment of onan in the Bible was also a rebuke of perverted sex practices. Despite the religious upheavals of the Middle Ages, Christians were still opposed to such practices. Lutherans and Calvinists both condemned onanism. While there is no direct condemnation of sex practices in the Old Testament, the practice of masturbation was condemned as a “solitary vice.” The Puritans, however, detested the practice as a solitary sin. In addition, Samuel Danforth wrote that ejaculation was unclean under the divine law. However, this attitude did not change the general principles of morality and ethics.