GRIFFIN COMMENTS GEN 38 (Gen 38:1) And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. Anytime a person goes away from the people of God and turns in to the Canaanites he is going down. Lot had pitched his tent toward Sodom and Judah pitched his tent toward the Canaanites. Judah had taken to wife the daughter of a Canaanite, no doubt to the grief and regret of his father (Gen_26:35); he had done what hitherto every member of the chosen branches of Abraham's house had scrupulously avoided; for even the sanguinary deed of Simeon and Levi had been dictated by the desire of preserving the purity of their family. (M. M. Kalisch, Ph. D.) (Gen 38:2) And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her. Judah, who must have been no more than fifteen was at a ripe age to begin desiring someone of the opposite sex, without the experience of the consequences to giving in to sensual appetites. The Canaanites were known for their lack of godly morality, and influenced many young people into a life of wickedness. This man Shuah must have had such an influence on Judah and he took the man’s daughter, probably in fornication to begin with and then married her. (Gen 38:3) And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er. Er means “watchful,” and he did not live up to his name spiritually. Being part Canaanite he would not likely have had good spiritual sight anyway, and his father, though a Hebrew, was also spiritually impaired. It is interesting that Judah whose name means praise would appear to not live up to his name either, and live opposite to what God desired. (Gen 38:4) And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan.
GRIFFIN COMMENTS GEN 38—PAGE 1