Boy Old Testament Known
Onan
Onan
אוֹנָן o.nan
Onan (Hebrew: אוֹנָן, o.nan) is a biblical name; its Hebrew etymology is not securely established. It appears in 6 verses across 3 books of the Bible. In 2024 it was given to 10 children in the United States. Use is rising. Appears with Bath-shua in 1 Chronicles 2.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Onan
son of Judah
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 6 across 3 books
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Patriarchal
Using it today
Based on 2024 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 2024 | 10 | Rising |
| All-time total | 43 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 10 in 2024 | Its highest year on record |
| Ten-year trend | +100% | Change in share of births |
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Genesis 38:4 |
| Last appears | 1 Chronicles 2:3 |
| Cross-references | 91 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Er co-occurrence Appears with Er in Numbers 26.
- Bath-shua co-occurrence Appears with Bath-shua in 1 Chronicles 2.
- Shelah co-occurrence Appears with Shelah in Genesis 46.
- Shua co-occurrence Appears with Shua in 1 Chronicles 2.
- Hamul co-occurrence Appears with Hamul in Genesis 46.
- Judah co-occurrence Appears with Judah in Numbers 26.
- Perez co-occurrence Appears with Perez in Genesis 46.
- Zerah co-occurrence Appears with Zerah in Genesis 46.
Origin & meaning
A man of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Gen.38.4;
son of: Judah (H3063) and Bath-shua (H1323I) ;
brother of: Er (H6147) and Shelah (H7956);
half-brother of: Perez (H6557) and Zerah (H2226I)
§ Onan = "strong"
second son of Judah, slain by God for not fulfilling the levitical requirement to beget a child with the wife of a dead, childless brother
Onan was the second son of Judah, who was punished by God for his wicked actions.
The biblical story
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).
Key verses
Onan appears in 6 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
-
And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
Genesis 38:4 -
And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.
Genesis 38:8 -
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 38:9 -
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.
Genesis 46:12 -
The sons of Judah were Er and Onan: and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.
Numbers 26:19
Show all 6 references
Genesis (4)
- Genesis 38:4
- Genesis 38:8
- Genesis 38:9
- Genesis 46:12
Numbers (1)
- Numbers 26:19
1 Chronicles (1)
- 1 Chronicles 2:3