Updated on September 23, 2026

Onan Second Son of Judah, Who Refused His Duty

Q: What is the levirate duty Onan refused?

If a man died childless, his brother was to marry the widow, and the first son she bore would carry the dead man's name and inherit his portion. Deuteronomy 25:5-6 later wrote the custom into the law. The widow's security and the dead brother's line both depended on it.

Old Testamentc. 1898 BC

About Onan

Onan was Judah's second son. When his brother Er died childless, his father told him to raise up offspring for him by Tamar, as custom required. He took what the duty offered and withheld what it asked, knowing the child would not be counted his, and he too died.

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Onan's Character Traits

Second sonSelf-servingChildless

Onan's Life Timeline

Birthc. 1898 BC
Onan is born to Judah in Canaan, his second son.
GEN 38:4
The dutyc. 1884 BC
Judah tells him to go in to his brother's widow and raise up seed.
GEN 38:8
The refusalc. 1883 BC
Knowing the seed would not be counted his, he spills it on the ground.
GEN 38:9
Deathc. 1883 BC
The thing displeases the LORD, and Onan dies as his brother did.
GEN 38:10

Who is linked to Onan

parent of
sibling of
spouse of
covenant with
master of
in conflict with

Onanson ofJudah GEN 38:4
Onanbrother ofEr GEN 38:4
Onanhusband ofTamar GEN 38:8
Judahfather ofEr GEN 38:3
Erhusband ofTamar GEN 38:6

Onan's Key Relationships

JudahFamily

Father - who laid the levirate duty on him.

ErFamily

Brother - whose name he was to preserve, and did not.

TamarFamily

Wife by duty - he took her and withheld what the duty was for.

Onan's Key Locations

Canaan

Where he was born, married his brother's widow and died.

Spiritual Lessons from Onan

Keeping the Form, Refusing the Point

Onan did not refuse the marriage. He took the wife, the household and the standing, and withheld only the one thing the arrangement existed to produce: an heir who would carry his brother's name and not his own. The text condemns the calculation, not the act in isolation.

Key Verses about Onan

Genesis 38:4 Genesis 38:8-10 Deuteronomy 25:5-6

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the levirate duty Onan refused?+