The Meaning of Genesis 38:14 Explained

Genesis 38:14

KJV: And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.

YLT: and she turneth aside the garments of her widowhood from off her, and covereth herself with a vail, and wrappeth herself up, and sitteth in the opening of Enayim, which is by the way to Timnath, for she hath seen that Shelah hath grown up, and she hath not been given to him for a wife.

Darby: And she put the garments of her widowhood off from her, and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entry of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as wife.

ASV: And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the gate of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And she put  her widow's  garments  off  from her, and covered her  with a vail,  and wrapped herself,  and sat in  an open  place,  which [is] by the way  to Timnath;  for she saw  that Shelah  was grown,  and she was not given  unto him to wife. 

What does Genesis 38:14 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Genesis 38

1  Judah begets Er, Onan, and Shelah
6  Er's marriage with Tamar, and death
8  The trespass of Onan
11  Tamar is reserved for Shelah
12  Judah's wife dies
13  Tamar deceives Judah
27  She bears twins, Pharez and Zarah

What do the individual words in Genesis 38:14 mean?

So she took off her garments of widowhood from her and covered [herself] with a veil and wrapped herself and sat in the entrance of Enaim that [was] on the way to Timnah for she saw that was grown Shelah and she not was given to him as a wife
וַתָּסַר֩ בִּגְדֵ֨י אַלְמְנוּתָ֜הּ מֵֽעָלֶ֗יהָ וַתְּכַ֤ס בַּצָּעִיף֙ וַתִּתְעַלָּ֔ף וַתֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ בְּפֶ֣תַח עֵינַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־ דֶּ֣רֶךְ תִּמְנָ֑תָה כִּ֤י רָאֲתָה֙ כִּֽי־ גָדַ֣ל שֵׁלָ֔ה וְהִ֕וא לֹֽא־ נִתְּנָ֥ה ל֖וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה

וַתָּסַר֩  So  she  took  off 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
בִּגְדֵ֨י  her  garments 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.
אַלְמְנוּתָ֜הּ  of  widowhood 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אַלְמָנוּת  
Sense: widowhood.
מֵֽעָלֶ֗יהָ  from  her 
Parse: Preposition-m, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
וַתְּכַ֤ס  and  covered  [herself] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: כָּסָה  
Sense: to cover, conceal, hide.
בַּצָּעִיף֙  with  a  veil 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: צָעִיף  
Sense: wrapper, shawl, veil.
וַתִּתְעַלָּ֔ף  and  wrapped  herself 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: עָלַף  
Sense: to cover.
וַתֵּ֙שֶׁב֙  and  sat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בְּפֶ֣תַח  in  the  entrance 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּתַח  
Sense: opening, doorway, entrance.
עֵינַ֔יִם  of  Enaim 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
אֲשֶׁ֖ר  that  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
דֶּ֣רֶךְ  the  way 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
תִּמְנָ֑תָה  to  Timnah 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: תִּמְנָה  
Sense: a town on the northern boundary of Judah later assigned to Dan.
רָאֲתָה֙  she  saw 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
גָדַ֣ל  was  grown 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּדַל  
Sense: to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things.
שֵׁלָ֔ה  Shelah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁלָה 
Sense: the youngest son of Judah slain by God for refusing to obey the law for levirate marriage with Tamar.
וְהִ֕וא  and  she 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
נִתְּנָ֥ה  was  given 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
ל֖וֹ  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
לְאִשָּֽׁה  as  a  wife 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.