וַיֵּ֣דַע אֹונָ֔ן כִּ֛י לֹּ֥א לֹ֖ו יִהְיֶ֣ה הַזָּ֑רַע וְהָיָ֞ה אִם־בָּ֨א אֶל־אֵ֤שֶׁת אָחִיו֙ וְשִׁחֵ֣ת אַ֔רְצָה לְבִלְתִּ֥י נְתָן־זֶ֖רַע לְאָחִֽיו׃
But Onan knew that the offspring would not be his, so whenever he went in to his brother’s wife, he wasted it on the ground to avoid giving offspring to his brother.
Morphology
- וַיֵּ֣דַע (va-ye-da) – Root: ידע (yada); Form: Qal, imperfect, 3ms with vav-consecutive; Translation: “But he knew”
- אֹונָ֔ן (o-nan) – Proper noun; Translation: “Onan”
- כִּ֛י (ki) – Conjunction; Translation: “that”
- לֹּ֥א (lo) – Particle; Translation: “not”
- לֹ֖ו (lo) – Root: לו (lo); Form: preposition with 3ms suffix; Translation: “for him”
- יִהְיֶ֣ה (yih-ye) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal, imperfect, 3ms; Translation: “it would be”
- הַזָּ֑רַע (ha-za-ra) – Root: זרע (zera); Form: noun, ms with definite article; Translation: “the offspring)”. In Hebrew, זֶרַע can mean “seed,” “descendant,” or “offspring,” often implying a continuation of family lineage or inheritance, which fits the context here. However, depending on the nuance desired, it could also be rendered as “descendants” or “progeny.
- וְהָיָ֞ה (ve-ha-ya) – Root: היה (hayah); Form: Qal, perfect, 3ms with vav-consecutive; Translation: “so it was”
- אִם־בָּ֨א (im-ba) – Root: בוא (bo); Form: Qal, perfect, 3ms; Translation: “whenever he went in”
- אֶל־אֵ֤שֶׁת (el-e-shet) – Root: אשה (ʾishah); Form: noun, fs with preposition; Translation: “to the wife of”
- אָחִיו֙ (a-ḥiv) – Root: אח (aḥ); Form: noun, ms with 3ms suffix; Translation: “his brother”
- וְשִׁחֵ֣ת (ve-shi-ḥet) – Root: שחת (shaḥat); Form: Piel, perfect, 3ms with vav-consecutive; Translation: “he wasted”
- אַ֔רְצָה (ar-tsah) – Root: ארץ (eretz); Form: noun, fs with directional heh; Translation: “on the ground”
- לְבִלְתִּ֥י (le-vil-ti) – Particle; Translation: “to avoid”
- נְתָן (ne-tan) – Root: נתן (natan); Form: Qal, infinitive construct; Translation: “giving”
- זֶ֖רַע (ze-ra) – Root: זרע (zera); Form: noun, ms; Translation: “offspring”
- לְאָחִֽיו (le-a-ḥiv) – Root: אח (aḥ); Form: noun, ms with preposition and 3ms suffix; Translation: “to his brother”