The Meaning of Genesis 38:16 Explained

Genesis 38:16

KJV: And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?

YLT: and he turneth aside unto her by the way, and saith, 'Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee,' (for he hath not known that she is his daughter-in-law); and she saith, 'What dost thou give to me, that thou mayest come in unto me?'

Darby: And he turned aside to her by the way, and said, Come, I pray thee, let me go in to thee; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in to me?

ASV: And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee: for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he turned  unto her by the way,  and said,  Go to,  I pray thee, let me come in  unto thee; (for he knew  not that she [was] his daughter in law.  ) And she said,  What wilt thou give  me, that thou mayest come in  unto me? 

What does Genesis 38:16 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 38:16 mean?

And he turned to her by the way and said Come now let me come in to you For not he did know that his daughter-in-law she [was] So she said what will you give me you may come in to me
וַיֵּ֨ט אֵלֶ֜יהָ אֶל־ הַדֶּ֗רֶךְ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הָֽבָה־ נָּא֙ אָב֣וֹא אֵלַ֔יִךְ כִּ֚י לֹ֣א יָדַ֔ע כִּ֥י כַלָּת֖וֹ הִ֑וא וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מַה־ תִּתֶּן־ לִּ֔י‪‬ תָב֖וֹא אֵלָֽי

וַיֵּ֨ט  And  he  turned 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
אֵלֶ֜יהָ  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַדֶּ֗רֶךְ  the  way 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הָֽבָה־  Come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: הַב 
Sense: to give, provide, ascribe, come.
נָּא֙  now 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
אָב֣וֹא  let  me  come  in 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֵלַ֔יִךְ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
יָדַ֔ע  he  did  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
כִּ֥י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
כַלָּת֖וֹ  his  daughter-in-law 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כַּלָּה  
Sense: bride, daughter-in-law.
הִ֑וא  she  [was] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person feminine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙  So  she  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
תִּתֶּן־  will  you  give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לִּ֔י‪‬  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
תָב֖וֹא  you  may  come  in 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֵלָֽי  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).