Genesis 38:21
◄  Genesis 38:21  ►
New International Version (©2011)
He asked the men who lived there, "Where is the shrine prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?" "There hasn't been any shrine prostitute here," they said.

New Living Translation (©2007)
So he asked the men who lived there, "Where can I find the shrine prostitute who was sitting beside the road at the entrance to Enaim?" "We've never had a shrine prostitute here," they replied.

English Standard Version (©2001)
And he asked the men of the place, “Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim at the roadside?” And they said, “No cult prostitute has been here.”

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
He asked the men of her place, saying, "Where is the temple prostitute who was by the road at Enaim?" But they said, "There has been no temple prostitute here."

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
He asked the men of the place, "Where is the cult prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?"" There has been no cult prostitute here," they answered.

International Standard Version (©2012)
He asked the men who lived in that area, "Where's that temple prostitute who was sitting alongside the road at Enaim?" But they replied, "There's been no temple prostitute here."

NET Bible (©2006)
He asked the men who were there, "Where is the cult prostitute who was at Enaim by the road?" But they replied, "There has been no cult prostitute here."

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
He asked the men of that area, "Where's that prostitute who was beside the road at Enaim?" "There's no prostitute here," they answered.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the wayside? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.

American King James Version
Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place.

American Standard Version
Then he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the wayside? And they said, There hath been no prostitute here.

Douay-Rheims Bible
asked the men of that place : Where is the woman that sat in the cross way? And when they all made answer: There was no harlot in this place,

Darby Bible Translation
And he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the prostitute that was at Enaim, by the way-side? And they said, There was no prostitute here.

English Revised Version
Then he asked the men of her place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was at Enaim by the way side? And they said, There hath been no harlot here.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then he asked the men of that place, saying, where is the harlot that was openly by the way-side? and they said, There was no harlot in this place.

World English Bible
Then he asked the men of her place, saying, "Where is the prostitute, that was at Enaim by the road?" They said, "There has been no prostitute here."

Young's Literal Translation
And he asketh the men of her place, saying, 'Where is the separated one -- she in Enayim, by the way?' and they say, 'There hath not been in this place a separated one.'

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

38:1-30 The profligate conduct of Judah and his family. - This chapter gives an account of Judah and his family, and such an account it is, that it seems a wonder that of all Jacob's sons, our Lord should spring out of Judah, Heb 7:14. But God will show that his choice is of grace and not of merit, and that Christ came into the world to save sinners, even the chief. Also, that the worthiness of Christ is of himself, and not from his ancestors. How little reason had the Jews, who were so called from this Judah, to boast as they did, Joh 8:41. What awful examples the Lord proclaims in his punishments, of his utter displeasure at sin! Let us seek grace from God to avoid every appearance of sin. And let that state of humbleness to which Jesus submitted, when he came to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, in appointing such characters as those here recorded, to be his ancestors, endear the Redeemer to our hearts.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 21. - Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, - literally, the consecrated, the prostitute being regarded as "one devoted to the worship of Astarte, a goddess of the Canaanites, the deification of the generative and productive principle of nature," corresponding to the Babylonian Ashtarte, whose worship was of a grossly libidinous character (Herod., 1:199). Cf. Deuteronomy 23:19; Numbers 25:1; Hosea 4:14; and vide Keil on REFERENCE_WORK:Keil & DelitzschDeuteronomy 23:19 that was openly by the way side? - or, that was in Enajim on the way, ut supra, ver. 14). And they said, There was no harlot (or kedeshah) in this place.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then he asked the men of that place,.... Or "of her place" (d), of the woman's place, supposing that she dwelt somewhere thereabout:

saying, where is the harlot that was openly by the wayside? that sat there very publicly some little time ago: the word for "harlot" (e) comes from another, which signifies to sanctify or separate to holy uses; and harlots were so called, either by an antiphrasis, by way of contradiction, being unholy; or because, as Jarchi observes, they were separated and destined to whoredom; or because they were such as were devoted to Venus, and the worshippers of her, and prostitutes in her temple, and in the temples of other Heathen deities; but it is questionable whether such practices as yet were used:

and they said, there was no harlot in this place; they had not known any harlot to frequent that place lately, and Tamar sat there so small a time as not to have been observed by them.

(d) "viros loci ejus, scil mulieris", Piscator, Schimdt. (e)

Genesis 38:21 Parallel Commentaries

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Judah and Tamar
…20And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand: but he found her not. 21Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place. 22And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place. …

Genesis 38:20 Meanwhile Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite in order to get his pledge back from the woman, but he did not find her.
Genesis 38:22 So he went back to Judah and said, "I didn't find her. Besides, the men who lived there said, 'There hasn't been any shrine prostitute here.'"